To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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Book Reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird
Book Review: Untouchable in stature, intimate in its approach.
Summary: 5 Stars
Superlatives no longer mean much to this venerable classic, one of the best novels ever written. So I'm more interested in describing what makes the book work.Humour is one crucial factor. By never succumbing to the pretentious grandiosity that has plagued many a novelist since the form's rise to prominence in the Victoria era, To Kill a Mockingbird achieves an endearing relationship with its reader. Every character is vivid, with strengths and faults, and Lee achieves that difficult amalgam in first-person narratives presented as recollections: A mixture of an adult's rhetorical power and a child's keen, curious eye. The language is fresh and unburdened by the moralizing which frequently cripples prose narrative (especially books which deal with sensitive issues as this one does).
Lee made a perfect choice in personalizing a socio-political issue. To Kill a Mockingbird is predominantly the coming-of-age story of Jem and Scout Finch, and the themes of racism, injustice, conservatism and the Depression are all the better served this way. Issues do not come alive except through the living, breathing experience of their participants and Scout Finch's particular take on the events of this book only makes those events gain in moral strength, not diminish.
Boo Radley, Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem, Miss Maudie...the characters of this book have achieved an iconic status rare in modern literature. And it has achieved this not by making them Nietzschean uebermenschen, but by entering into their lives with fair, enthusiastic frankness. And to end off, this is one of only a handful of truly successful negotiations between the dramatic (eg. theatre, screenwriting) and the narrative (eg. prose narrative, filmmaking, folk storysongs) I can think of. Lee's dialogue is sharp enough, and immediate enough, that even if we pared this book down to just its dialogue and situations, we'd end up with a remarkably powerful play. As it stands now, it's a truly successful crossover, its dramatic situations and character interactions every bit as convincing as the engrossing power of its storytelling.
I am all for challenging the canons of all artistic forms, but this one is about as close to perfect as I've seen a novel come, ranking right up there with the greatest of the greats. It has its weak chinks -- Atticus' misunderstanding of Heck Tate's point in the second-last chapter is befuddling, for example, but these are so minute that to dwell on them would be overkill. Thematically worthy to be called an American epic, this book never forgets the personal in light of the social. We should be grateful it was ever written.
Book Review: Could read it an infinite number of times!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This classic book is about a little Southern girl Scout and her experiences growing up in the 1930's. It begins with a set up of things to come,such as Scout's experiences and the people she observes. Her guardians, her quiet, lovable lawyer father Atticus, and her Negro cook Cal help Scout and her tough,yet caring brother Jem through these experiences in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout, Jem and their curious friend Dill make up plays about their reclusive and mysterious next door neighbor Arthur "Boo" Radley. He is the cause of scare and mystery and their lives. This sets up the ending, as does the racism of the town, shown by the neighborhood gossip, the piggish lazy Mr. Ewell, Scout's strict Aunt and the tyrant down the street Old Mrs. Dubose. The children learn many things about the town in which they live from their neighbor, sweet, tough Miss Maudie. One thing they learn is that they should never kill a mockingbird because those birds are just there to make people happy and they never do anything wrong at all. In the second half the children learn more about their father's trial defending a Negro being tried for rape. This man Tom Robinson is going against the lowlife Mr. Ewell who says Tom raped his daughter. The citizens are against Tom for the most part except for a handful. In the courtroom Atticus makes his case so strong that Scout, Jem, and Dill(who are watching)think that he cannot lose. However it is a white man's word against a black man's... The rest you have to read for yourself because from the trial it grows into such an exciting climax, and ends so meaningfully, pretaining to why you should never kill a mockingbird. Definitely think about this quote reading the book, it helps your understanding a lot. I found I couldn't put it down. The beginning goes slow but it forshadows things to come. You think how unfair and unpleasant life can be sometimes and these children learn this at a very young age. It made me want to change thingsso it couldn't happen anymore, and it made me very angry at such unfairness, such as in the lives of African-Americans, like the innocent Tom Robinson. The ending was so perfectly lead to and meaningful that I had to go back and read it again(and again)! I recommend the book for people 14 and up because I feel you should be old and smart enough to grasp the conflicts and the complex plot. However this book is timeless and everyone above 14 should read it at least once in a lifetime. This can teach you about life and growing up better than anything you will ever read so pick it up...soon.Book Review: Could read it an infinite number of times!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This classic book is about a little Southern girl Scout and her experiences growing up in the 1930's. It begins with a set up of things to come,such as Scout's experiences and the people she observes. Her guardians, her quiet, lovable lawyer father Atticus, and her Negro cook Cal help Scout and her tough,yet caring brother Jem through these experiences in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout, Jem and their curious friend Dill make up plays about their reclusive and mysterious next door neighbor Arthur "Boo" Radley. He is the cause of scare and mystery and their lives. This sets up the ending, as does the racism of the town, shown by the neighborhood gossip, the piggish lazy Mr. Ewell, Scout's strict Aunt and the tyrant down the street Old Mrs. Dubose. The children learn many things about the town in which they live from their neighbor, sweet, tough Miss Maudie. One thing they learn is that they should never kill a mockingbird because those birds are just there to make people happy and they never do anything wrong at all. In the second half the children learn more about their father's trial defending a Negro being tried for rape. This man Tom Robinson is going against the lowlife Mr. Ewell who says Tom raped his daughter. The citizens are against Tom for the most part except for a handful. In the courtroom Atticus makes his case so strong that Scout, Jem, and Dill(who are watching)think that he cannot lose. However it is a white man's word against a black man's... The rest you have to read for yourself because from the trial it grows into such an exciting climax, and ends so meaningfully, pretaining to why you should never kill a mockingbird. Definitely think about this quote reading the book, it helps your understanding a lot. I found I couldn't put it down. The beginning goes slow but it forshadows things to come. You think how unfair and unpleasant life can be sometimes and these children learn this at a very young age. It made me want to change thingsso it couldn't happen anymore, and it made me very angry at such unfairness, such as in the lives of African-Americans, like the innocent Tom Robinson. The ending was so perfectly lead to and meaningful that I had to go back and read it again(and again)! I recommend the book for people 14 and up because I feel you should be old and smart enough to grasp the conflicts and the complex plot. However this book is timeless and everyone above 14 should read it at least once in a lifetime. This can teach you about life and growing up better than anything you will ever read so pick it up...soon.Book Review: A book you cant put down!
Summary: 5 Stars
To Kill A Mocking BirdLee, Harper
A Pandey
Period - 5
A great book by Harper Lee! This book takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930's ,or else known as the great depression.
The book is about the society when white people and black people didn't get along that well. Scout our main character in this book is a tomboy. Everyone in the society use to tell her your dad, is a nigger lover beacuse he is helping a black man in court for false rape charages against him. The blace man who accused of raping a Mayella a white women, Tom Robinson, but no one beliefed him except scout's dad because Tom was black. This whole book is about Scout learing about the terrible society when black and white people didnt get along.
I liked this book because it explains about the society in which different color people didn't get along very well. I also learned that you should not judge people until your in their shoes, and view life in their point of view. Boo Radely was a great character to me because everyone thought he is an evil person, but he turns out to be a great soul who always cared about Jem and Scout.Jem is a very protective and wise brother of Scout. I liked this because it taught me about racial differences back in the 1930's. I liked the quote Atticus said," You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
I liked everything in this book except for some racial comments by the society. I disliked the part when Mrs. Gate's told her 3rd grade class how mean Hitler is tormenting the Jews. Later, Scout overheard Mrs. Gates talking to another teacher that black people should be treated like this not Jews. This quote really touched me and was my favorite one, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
My favorite part of this book was when Scout, Jem, and Dill are running to Radelys house to have a glimse of him, when they see a shadow of his from the window. Suddendly there was a gunshot the three tried to runaway from the fence when Jem pants get stuck in the fence and rip. When Jem father asks him where his pants are Dill says " We were playin strip poker" this part was interesting because it showed how Dill helped out in times like that. Later on that night at 2 o' clock when Jem goes to look for his pants he finds it sewn and nicely folded it for him as if someone knew he was going to come. This also shows another example of kindness from Boo Radely. Overall this was a excellent book to read for me.
Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird: A southern town full of adventure!
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you ever read a book you just couldn't put down? Well, if you haven't already don't miss your chance. Imagine racial problems in a small southern town while a young girl learns that people stick together and help each other. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a sensational book that describes a young southern girl growing up while her town is filled with racial problems. If you like adventure or just love reading a great fiction story you will enjoy this book. Would you risk being seen just to watch your father defend a man in court? This situation and many more are the adventures in this story.
In this book Scout Finch and her brother Jem go through many adventures while having trouble growing up. While Scout is getting grief about being a young lady from her relatives Jem is drawing farther apart from her while he grows older. During these troubles Scout's father (who is a lawyer) is defending a man accused of committing a serious crime.
The book is told with great word choice and language. All throughout the book the story is told with unique southern accents. Such accents are "No, suh" or "Lemme outa here. " There is some profanity that occurs in parts of the book but the language helps you connect to the characters emotions. Also the author uses great descriptive words that help you visualize what is happening in your head.
Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird in a way that makes the reader feel the same emotions as the character does. For example when Scout was teased she became mad and angry at characters and so did I. In other words when a character feels emotions such as sad, angry, or happy you will feel them too. In addition to feeling emotions the reader will feel they are in the situation the characters are going through also.
The reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I felt emotion, which is important to me when I read a book. When I read this book I was really touched with emotion. I became angry at times when I read about all the racial problems this small southern town had. I recommend To Kill A Mockingbird to all readers especially ones who like reading about adventure.
So now take action and go to your school library, local library, or your local bookstore and get To Kill A Mockingbird. I highly advise you to read this book because it tells a great story that is very enjoyable. To Kill A Mockingbird gets my two thumbs up. This is a book you won't be able to put down!