Reader reviews

• howifeelaboutbooks

  (5/5)

  Lee has this style of writing that is so Southern, but so...not. I can't describe how she makes you feel like you're in the South without depending on the dialect. You can feel the slow pace and the dusty roads, you can hear the neighbors gossiping on the porch and lowering their voices to whispers as you walk by. She accomplishes all this and more without employing an excessive amount of y'alls, ya hears, ain'ts, and other Southern phrases that are often overused to try and set the scene.
  
  And the characters, wow. I fell head over heels for Atticus. So smart and reserved, a good father, an honest man. Jem is a really realistic pre-teen boy, if I remember my brother at that age. Scout is the typical tomboy, trying to hold on to her brother as long as she can, if I remember me at that age. Scout reminds me of Ramona Quimby, and for a long time I wanted to be each of them. Good role models.
  
  I think it also says something about the characters and the writing (as much as the power of the story itself) that I could read it and still feel the punch in certain scenes, still cry in certain scenes, still get my hopes up, even though I already knew what was going to happen. This is a novel where the fun is in reading it, not knowing it. It's timeless.
• bookwormshawn

  (5/5)

  A great coming-of-age work highlighting both the ugliness and mercy of man. I read it with my freshman English students each year and always found something new to appreciate.
• d_mckinley

  (4/5)

  This book was very engaging- a page turner. I had seen the movie and followed the book quite nicely, but something about the book made the story so much more unique and classical.
• villemezbrown

  (4/5)

  Drawing upon some of richest source material in American literature, Fred Fordham delivers a reverential adaptation. While the art can be a bit stiff and conservative, the story remains as powerful as ever in this new form. I gulped it down in one sitting.
• kimmeyer-1

  (5/5)

  I feel sad now that it's over.
• sarahgracegrzy

  (4/5)

  To Kill a Mocking Bird is one of those books. The kind that isn’t full of drama, action, and dangerous situations, but you still can’t put it down. And when you find a book like that, you know it is a good one!
  
  I LOVED this book! Such a beautiful, simplistic story of 2 little children, only it is so much more! The characters were simply amazing! I love Scout (aka Jean Louise Finch). She is just the sweetest little spitfire ever! I love her attitude, her thirst for knowledge, and her love of reading. And every time she crawled up in Atticus’s lap, my heart melted completely! <3 <3 <3 And Jem. The typical big brother. I love his imagination, his protectiveness towards Scout, and his tender heart. There were times I just wanted to wrap him in my arms and give him a hug! He reminds me so much of my own brothers, which is perhaps why I like him so much. Let’s not forget Atticus. The Best. Character. Ever. I love how he was such an amazing man, yet the author still portrayed his flaws, making him realistic and relatable. I am having a hard time describing him, because he is just so darn awesome! And Boo Radley . . . yeah. We'll just leave it at that! <3
  
  The writing style was quite unique in this book, and I have to say, as much as I liked pretty much everything else about this book, I wasn't really a fan of the writing style. It was somewhat confusing, and I found myself rereading sentences 2 or 3 times just to comprehend what she was trying to say. Otherwise, I loved this book! Definitely something I will read again and again!
  
  CONTENT NOTE: There was a decent amount of language in this book. Nothing absolutely terrible, but definitely a bit more than mild, and more than I am comfortable with on a regular basis. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone younger than 15 for that reason, and because one of the main themes involves a trial about rape.
• justagirlwithabook

  (5/5)

  To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic at this point. You can find it on a million summer reading lists or school lists as required reading, and rightly so. I have not read Go Set a Watchman yet and am not sure if I ever will, simply because I think this final draft of what Harper Lee ultimately envisioned for this book should be left unspoiled. This one is the version that teaches us to love, to view others journeys from their perspective, to accept everyone as they are, to be inclusive.
• melissa_tullo-1

  (5/5)

  This is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read this in my ninth grade English class and it was the only book I think I enjoyed reading that year and it was one that stayed with me. It's told through the eyes of Scout Finch, the daughter of Atticus Finch a lawyer in a small town in Alabama. She narrates about the goings on of her small town, her life with her father and older brother Jem, and events that take place. A figure that looms large in her life (other than her father) is Boo Radley, a neighbor who is reportedly insane and stabbed his father with a pair of scissors. She discovers that he may be the one leaving trinkets in the notch of an old tree. The town is rocked with scandal as a black man, Tom Robinson, is accused of rape by the daughter of the town drunk. In addition, Atticus is appointed to represent Tom Robinson in court and causes a ripple in the town. This book often appears on banned or challenged book lists, it has recently come under fire for making people uncomfortable for the use of racial slurs against black people. It's a very touchy subject with a lot of grey areas but I still think the book as a whole is an important part of any school reading list. This could be a good starting point for teachers and other educators to talk to students about the banning of books but also talk about how words and prejudices can have an impact on society.
• cassandrat-1

  (5/5)

  most excellent and unexpected
• edwardsgt

  (3/5)

  Classic novel of a 1935 childhood in Alabama, written from the perspective of "Scout" Finch, the young daughter of Atticus Finch a small town lawyer. Atticus invites local hostility by defending a young black man accused of raping a white woman in what was a largely racially prejudiced conservative community. Whilst the story is well-written it isn't the easiest of reads and required persistence to finish.
• lovinglit

  (4/5)

  It was great to approach this book without having prior knowledge of its content. It was as fresh as it could be when I began reading it.Atticus Finch is the hero of this book, and about him revolve the lives of his 2 children. Scout- a tomboy with a strong sense of right and wrong, and Jem her older brother, who is learning to fit in to the adult world and not liking what he sees. It is through Scouts eyes that we see the world, and her mature perspective let us get both quite adult insights along with the innocent and sweet musings that are universal to children.The first half is all about growing up, long summers hanging out, new classrooms at school, negotiating parental boundaries and getting into mischief, the chief source of which is curiosity. It is a real immersion into the kids' lives, and feels so real. The second half is all about the trial of a local black man. It is about the injustice and the ingrained prejudices a society holds. It is about a lot of things. It is a smart and sensitive story, and told so well. I very much liked it.
• jlharmon

  (5/5)

  I'm glad Ms. Eckart made me read this sophomore year of high school, but reading it after college was so much better. In class, before we started the book, we had a discussion about what makes it so that someone is acquitted before a jury. I said "if they're innocent", which I still believe. If someone is NOT innocent (and there's evidence, witnesses etc.) it will be more difficult to uphold their innocence. To Kill a Mockingbird cracked some of that idealism, but really, we HAVE taken a few steps as a nation towards equality, as many more as there are left to take. The issue/theme of justice is something our country needs to work on, but it's also something I need to work on.
  
  There were a lot of parts of this story that I had no recollection of, like the Mrs. Dubose breaking her addiction plot. I'm still thinking about what this "means", but the first thing that struck me was how Jem ans Scout treat people based on their opinions of the people in their town, whether those opinions are accurate or not. Which is just what people did to Tom Robinson. What opinions of people do I hold that aren't accurate? Have it wronged someone without knowing all the facts? At the very least, this should make me a more patient driver.
  
  I think quite a bit of the book went over my head. The dialogue was almost unintelligible sometimes; it took me about 5 repetitions to figure out that "Nome" means "no ma'am". And there are just some aspects of Southern culture that I will just never understand as a liberal Californian born in the 90s. I hope this book continues to be read, because as much as I didn't understand, it did give me a glimpse into a different culture. And that little glimpse is better than nothing when it comes to imagining other people complexly.
• aratiel

  (4/5)

  Bad librarian confession: this is my first time to have read this excellent book. In my defense, I don't think I would have cared for it at the time I should have been reading it (circa 8th grade).
• nittnut

  (5/5)

  The setting is a small southern town, the time is the Great Depression, just before WW II. Jem and Scout are growing up without their mother, but surrounded by caring neighbors. When their father Atticus is assigned to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman, their lives are changed forever. Harper Lee is a gifted storyteller. Her sentences are so beautifully written and so layered. Her sense of humor is acute and Scout's voice is especially precocious and charming. I can't imagine getting tired of this book, ever. Every time I read it, I get something new out of it. Reading it with my son was a great experience. He often wanted to stop and discuss issues that came up in the book, and it added a lot to the experience. He did make fun of me a little when I cried at the end. It always gets me when Atticus says thank you to Boo Radley. Every time.
• delphimo_1

  (2/5)

  I am greatly disappointed in this last novel by Harper Lee. This novel lacks the emotion of To Kill a Mockingbird. The main character of Go Set A Watchman reigns as Jean Louise Finch, or Scout. Scout returns home for her yearly two week visit to Alabama amid the civil rights movement and the emergence of a new attitude in the South. Scout questions her father and her uncle in their seemingly passive stance. Scout cannot fathom that at face value, all seems unchanged, but undercurrents expose the lethal attitudes. Scout's attitude and character seem too stubborn and unprepared for the new South. Her whole existence dwells on self and gives little attention to the world around her that is struggling to survive.
• abergsman-1

  (5/5)

  If I read this in school, I have no recollection of it, which is a shame. I would love to know what my 11 year old self would have thought of this book. As an adult, I understand why this was such an important novel. Not only is it a delight to read, with its deadpan humor and memorable characters, but the scope of social issues tackled by Harper Lee, while maintaining beautiful, lyrical writing, makes this novel one of a kind.
• aarchamb

  (5/5)

  I'm not sure when I read this book for the first time, but I think I was about 10 years old. I loved it! This is one of my 'all-time' favorite books. If you haven't read it, YOU MUST DO IT NOW!!! Put it on your goal list - it's a wonderful, wonderful book that will stay with you always.
• msaucier818

  (5/5)

  This is one of those books that I did not enjoy reading at all when I was in high school. It was a book forced on me at a time when I had little desire to slowy sift through a book and absorb its characters and meaning. I picked the book up for a second time a few years back and I was amazed at how much better it had become!
  
  This is now one of my favorite books and one I am glad high school students contine to read today. The story is a timeless classic and I don't blame Harper Lee for writing nothing else is this would be hard to improve upon. It touches on a wide range of emotions and the story could have taken place in any hometown in America. I encourage all to reread this classic or pick it up for the first time.
• pattyhoward

  (5/5)

  This is an amazing coming-of-age story that every high school student should read (preferably for pleasure, before being assigned to read it with annotations and tests!) It is such a vital story of a lovely young girl, her amazing father, and the heartbreaking realization that the world is NOT just (but that we can try to help move it in the right direction.
• mahsdad

  (5/5)

  (AUDIO) What more can be said about this classic of American literature? Its just a gem (pun intended) of a read. Sure it has some racial and sexual tones that cause it to keep getting banned by some "PC" school boards, but its for that reason, especially that its a must read for just about everyone.I hadn't read this in a long while and my mental image was (and always will be) Gregory Peck as Atticus, I was pleasently surprised that there was more to the story that my memory of the movie allowed. This was an audio "read" and it was presented with great success by Sissy Spacek. Highly recommend.10/10S: 5/8/18 - 5/19/18 (12 Days)
• jillrhudy

  (5/5)

  Scout Finch is our female Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn--she's THE spunky, gutsy princess of American literature, and I'd like to see someone try and take her crown. Whatever you've heard about this book that's glowingly admiring is true, and then some. It is entirely without shortcomings and eminently deserving of its reputation. I could not find a flaw from cover to cover.
• ca8bookwyrm

  (3/5)

  IMO, this is a classic but not a keeper. I'm glad to have read it. But having done so, I'm now done with it. It's a fascinating character study. It's a good picture of a point in American history. But do I love it? No. Did it shock me? No. In some ways it didn't even interest me. I am glad a plot finally showed up toward the end, but its pacing and hard-to-locate plot activity did remind me of other classic books (Tom Sawyer, Jane Austen novels, etc) where the characters are the focus instead of the actual events.Yes, yes, there was a plot and wasn't it shocking that the trial was racially prejudiced and the white lawyer was treated poorly by some of the townsfolk for defending the black man. Meh. I live in the US. I know how my countrymen are. Frankly, if anything, I'm a little surprised at HOW Tom died, not that he did. I fully expected a lynching.Is this a classic book? Yes.Is it worth reading? Yes.Do I like it? No, but neither do I dislike it.It has some neat descriptions, and some good concepts, but it isn't worth the hype it gets. If you haven't read it, you probably should. It's good. It's worth reading. But I'm glad I read a library copy.(Side note: I listened to the audio version narrated by Sissy Spacek. I'm glad I did. I think it would have been a slog to read on my own, and I may have DNF'd it due to boredom with the slow pacing.)
• scott_hercher

  (5/5)

  Explains a lot more than the movie, which is also great.
• ltmanning

  (5/5)

  How many times can a person read this classic without tiring of it? From the Southern nuances, to the main character's voice, to the realistic portrayal of Southern life pre-Civil Rights Era...this book will forever be on my top ten list.
• mrslabraden

  (5/5)

  Lee's engaging dialogue and vivid imagery add to the wonderful story and make it a classic.
• vclarke-1

  (5/5)

  To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those novels that has stood the test of time. Scout is one of my favorite characters in literature. She is headstrong and outspoken. Atticus is everyone hero. He is the ultimate father figure and all-around good man. The characters are relatable, and the story is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s when it was published. This book is a must read for everyone in 8th grade and up. I recommend reading this book as a young adult and again as an adult! It is definitely worth multiple readings!!!
• dasam-5

  (5/5)

  This is one of those novels I was supposed to read as a youth, but never got around to it. In this case, the consensus is right. Mockingbird Courageously looks at the Jim Crow South and the damage it did to white and black citizens alike. Told from the viewpoint of a precocious girl who has a strong sense of right and wrong, it is reminiscent of Hucklebery Finn in that Lee like Twain uses the innocence of a child to skewer an adult society built on racism and classism, and the adults who sustain it. The characters are alive and real, and the story is exciting even though I have seen the movie and knew what was coming. Now that I have read it once, I imagine Mockingbird will reward my rereading.
• carrie88-1

  (5/5)

  A masterpiece.
• tadad_1

  (5/5)

  Great movie. Greater book.
• karconner

  (5/5)

  A wonderful book.