Customer Reviews
A Moving Reading of a Wonderful Book by Roses Prichard - By: Donald Mitchell, 18 Dec 2007 
Like many youngsters, I was assigned To Kill a Mockingbird to read as a 15 year old. Unlike most, however, the assignment was for speed reading class . . . rather than American Literature.
Don't ever read this book for speed reading class.
I always intended to get back to the book for a more leisurely reading that would alllow me to take in the obvious brilliance of Harper Lee in more ways. I was pleased to find that my local library offered an unabridged reading by Roses Prichard (an actress with a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Southern California) for Books on Tape.
In the first 15 seconds, I knew I had made a winning choice. Roses Prichard turns Scout (Jean Louise) Finch into a girl you'll feel like you've known alll your life. Take the time to find this wonderful recording: You'll discover more in this book than you've ever thought could be in a book describing the thoughts & experiences of a five- to eight-year-old narrator.
Jem & Scout Finch are the only children of Atticus Finch, a highly principled lawyer in the smalll Southern town of Macomb, Alabama, whose wife died young of a heart attack. Unlike many novelists who cram their story into a few hours or days, Harper Lee showed the good sense to give us the family history & to let the children grow up over a few years before entering the heart of her tale. It's good story-telling & is great for character development.
Jem is five years older than Scout but tolerates her company as long as she doesn't start acting like a girl. That's fine with Scout who prefers overallls to dresses any day. As Jem grows older, he finds himself taking on the role of protector as well.
The children acquire a summer friend, Dill, & decide they want to meet the reclusive Arthur (Boo) Radley, a neighbor who always stays indoors. They have many adventures that will remind you of Tom Sawyer & Becky Thatcher in Injun Joe's cave.
The book is written in pre-Civil-Rights-era Alabama when consciousness of the bad things done to African Americans wasn't very well developed among those who weren't African Americans. The only people in the story who seemed to appreciate the full horror of discrimination are those who are honestly trying to live the Christian life. But even many practicing Christians proved to be blind to their African American neighbors' needs & concerns.
Harper Lee does a fine job of skewering alll of those who are hypocrites on the subject of race. She even takes an appropriate shot at northerners who avoid the company of African Americans.
In a way, this book was The Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Civil Rights Movement, developing the consciousness that helped to change some attitudes towards African Americans.
The story also features lots of insights into Southern "justice" of the day -- inside the court, in the jury box, in jail, & in prison. To bring the evils of the attitudes to bear, Harper Lee tells us that it's wrong to kill a mockingbird . . . they only sing for us to enjoy & don't do any harm. By the end of the book, some of those in Macomb begin to feel that way about harmless human beings who do good, as well.
You can learn more about Southern culture & attitudes in the early 1960s by reading this book than by studying a dozen nonfiction texts. Harper Lee got it right. One of the lightning rods for racial tension in those days was unwarranted sexual fear of African-American males. That theme is fully developed through having an African-American be accused of raping a white woman.
But what I think makes this book timeless is its focus on what it means to be a good person . . . the story of Atticus Finch & his struggles with being both a good man & a good father.
But years from now you won't forget Scout: She's one of the great heroines in American literature & an important prototype of what the next generation should have become in loving other people.
Appreciate the untapped potential alll around you!
Incredible - By: Stephanie Kirby, 04 Aug 2007 Harper Lee has a way of explaining things so that this book has a message for everyone. I studied it at GCSE but now 2 years down the line I read it again for enjoyment & found that it gave me a completely different message. Its completely inspirational to alll who read it. This story will interest even those who loathe literature.
English lessons kill books! - By: Claire, 17 Apr 2006 
I'm sure this would be a very good book...
If we didn't have to read it sooo slowly (the first twenty-odd chapters don't move that quick anyway) that by the time it gets to the point no one cares anymore...
If we didn't have to analyze every character to death...
If we hadn't had to fill half an exercise book with notes & spent hours doing homework on it...
In other words, if we didn't have to do it for GCSE english.
Luckily, I did read it before we did it in English, & while it wasn't exactly the best book I've ever read, it was OK, & it is good on the moral stuff,and descriptions & characters & stuff.
However, a book has to be very good (or very action-packed)to survive half a term of English lessons, & in my opinion, this does not pass muster. Especiallly since they will almost certainly find the boringest possible bit to make us write about...
But anyway, if you're a reader not involved in the education system, you should probably read this. It's the sort of thing you should have read at some point...
But if you're a teacher, is there not any way you can avoid spoiling a perfectly good book for 30 young people? Oh well, it's not your fault, I guess.
Quite simply the greatest book ever written. - By: Lee Holland, 27 Mar 2006 I honestly believe that reading this book should be compulsory. It will change you, it will inspire you, it will introduce you to emotions you didn't know existed. Each time I finish it, I want to turn back to the front page & start over because something new can be learnt each time. It's quite simply the greatest book ever written.
Tightly written with a message for everyone - By: B. Chandler, 11 Sep 2005 Harper Lee was encouraged to write some of her childhood memories. What in the beginning seems like the story of three childhood friends in depression era Macomb, Alabama, turns out to be packed with insights to the makeup of human kind.
This story is intriguing on many levels from the history of the area to the stereotyping of people. Most of alll every turn was a surprise as told in the first person from the view of Scout Finch. And instead of telling the story in a six year old vocabulary she uses an exceptionallly large repertoire to describe the people & events. This story is not as slow passed as one may guess from first glance as every remark & every action will be needed for a future action.
A major controversial part of the story is the trial of Tom Robinson. Hoverer this is just a catalyst to help Scout understand the nature of people including her father Atticus & you will find that as important as it is it is just a part of the story with other major characters such as Arthur "Boo" Radley.
Even thought it appears that Scout is the recipient of the insights, I believe we the reader is the real recipient.
I can truly say that this book has changed my outlook in life.
