Rating: 
Summary: Classical Masterpiece of the 20th century.
Review: Harper Lee has created an deep, provocative novel in To Kill A Mockingbird. She explores various themes in the book through the eyes of a young child, Scout Finch, and in doing so provides often humourous insight. That, along with Harper Lee's masterful use of symbolism and careful storyline structure, easily sets TKAMB apart from ordinary novels. Harper Lee's talent in accurately and disinterestingly exploring the Alabamian society and the prevalent racism of the 1920's shines. This book is highly recommended for those who wish to gain a wider view of aspects of society which still plague us today, such as racial discrimination, racism, prejudice, etc. There may still be hope today.
Rating: 
Summary: Appreciative of reading it....after it was over.
Review: I truly don't see what everybody else sees in this book. I did enjoy it after I was finished with it, and I don't know why. The beginning seemed tedious and pointless when you get to the real point of this book: the trial and the Ewells. Thus, Part I is a nuisance. I do reccomend this book just for the novelty of saying: I too, read "To Kill a Mockingbird", but other than that didn't really feel it's all that it's built up to be.
Rating:
Summary: Life Through A Child's Eyes
Review: It's funny to me how I learned about the book "To Kill A Mockingbird." I was new the new kid in school. All those there before me seemed to be talking about this book. They read it the year before and talked fondly of it. I don't know how, but it always seemed to come up every now and then in different classes. I never heard of it until then. In fact, for the longest time, I didn't even understand what they were calling it. They said the name so fast that for the longest time I thought they were saying Tequila Mockingbird. Then, one day I realized that it wasn't Tequila, but TO KILL A. I am glad I found out the correct name. But, now I know why it made such an impression on them, which is what caused me to even think twice about and even remember the book. Luckily less than a year ago, I saw the book in an advertisement, so I bought the book. It was fantastic. First, I loved how the book was told from the perspective of a little girl. I continually found myself chuckling at some of the reasoning of the young story teller, just as my own 7 year old cousin might make me laugh with the things that she says and does. Beyond this aspect of the book, was of course the story itself. It truely reminds us that morals like honesty, standing up for what's right, treating all people with respect, and that we never know a man until we walk in his shoes are things that are important in life today, just as they were back then. A book like "To Kill A Mockingbird" is a classic because it touches on issues that span all lifetimes. In short, I found the reading to be easy, the twists of the plot to be intriguing, the capers of the children to be funny and endearing, the speeches of their father to be inspiring, and most of all their relationship with Boo Radley (their painfully shy neighbor) to be touching!!! A must read for every person in America!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Deserves to be a Classic
Review: I believe it was Mark Twain who said "A classic is a book that everybody talks about, but nobody reads." And while I mostly stick with newer material, occasionally I like to acquaint myself with a "classic" to see what all the fuss is about. This book is certainly a masterpiece and deserves to be called a "classic" in every sense of the word.Harper Lee's method of describing predjudice and injustice in a small southern town, through the eyes of a little girl, is a highly effective and moving technique. The fact that Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill can see through the hypocrisy of the adults around them, and the social system in which they live, is very telling and holds a true lesson for us all. These kids can clearly see that an innocent black man is being railroaded for a crime he didn't commit, and are appalled and heartbroken by the system that convicts him anyway. I understand that this book has often been banned for not being "politically correct" in the modern world. Yes, it does contain the N-word and other epithets, even from the mouths of the well-meaning lead characters (who are simply a product of their society anyway). Since I'm not a member of an oppressed group, I can't tell people they shouldn't be offended by these terms. But what we have here is an accurate potrayal of life in a small southern town in 1935, and that's just the way things were back then. Even if the past was painful and ignorant, by covering it up you're trying to pretend it never happened, and that's no way to deal with it. Also, those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. The theme of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is not that this kind of behavior is right, but that it's wrong. And that's why we should be reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: On paper or film, a masterwork of storytelling.
Review: This is a one of the great American stories that was made into an equally great American movie. The book is set in Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and a father, defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a poor white girl, Mayella Ewell. The narrative is in the voice of Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, Atticus' daughter, who with her brother, Jem, and friend, Dill, endure the underlying outrage of the community when Mr. Finch's vigorously defends Tom Robinson. In the meantime, a great mystery is solved, the mystery of Boo Radley, a "malevolent phantom" who lives in a ramshackle house just down the street from the Finches. Boo was never seen, but "people said he existed . . . people said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows . . . when people's azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them . . . a baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked." There's not much more that I can add to the hundreds of other Amazon reviews about this Pulitzer prize-winning book, but a few bits of "To Kill A Mockingbird" trivia may be interesting to those who are fans of the book and movie. . The character of "Dill" ' the imaginative boy who was Jem and Scout's best friend and neighbor ' is modeled after author Harper Lee's best childhood friend. (Dill's character is developed in much more detail in the book.) The friend's name was Truman Capote, a boy who grew up to be one of America's finest authors. Perhaps the friendship was forged because both children marched to a different drummer. Truman was effeminate and didn't fit in with other boys. Harper was a feisty tomboy who didn't fit in with other girls. This friendship, developed in Monroeville, AL (Maycomb in the book) and which continued into adulthood, gives rise to one of the more interesting controversies in literature. Four decades later, Harper Lee has never penned another novel, just a few articles and essays. The style in many of the passages in To Kill a Mockingbird is very similar to that of Truman Capote. Did Harper Lee write this novel? Or is it the work of Truman Capote? Ms. Lee has been quoted as saying that she "finds writing difficult." But it is documented that she locked herself away in a flat in New York City for more than a year to write To Kill a Mockingbird. It is very likely that her story is expressed with the advice and help of her good friend. And what's wrong with that? Harper Lee is still living in 2001 and remains an intensely private person. . Understandably, the book includes scenes and story lines that were not included in the movie. Scout's aunt, Miss Alexandra, who desperately wants Scout to behave like a young lady, plays a key role in the book after she moves in with the family. She is non-existent in the movie. Neighbor Miss Maudie's house burns down in the book's story line ' in the movie she is best remembered for the line of dialogue, "There are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them." So, which is better - the book or the movie? The answer is neither. They're both masterpieces that complement and compliment each other beautifully. Every once in a very long while - in literature and filmmaking - a story comes along with a power of its own that seems to draw from an unworldly creative force. The result is a work of grace, beauty, insight and inspiration. Such is the case with To Kill A Mockingbird. On film or the printed page, it's an American treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: This is a book that everyone should read! It's really moving and might even teach younger kids lessons about people who are only different by the color of their skin.
Rating:
Summary: Death of innocence...
Review: "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic, and will always be. It is about a small town, losing its innocence, like a mockingbird if it is killed, thus the name. A girl named Scout and her brother Jem, embark on many adventures, the last one being the briefest but deadliest. Little by little, the children become unsheltered from the real world, seeing injustice, and seeing that "all men are not equal." The biggest part of the book is the trial. The famous racist trial. A respectful African-American is accused of raping a low class American woman. All evidence is circumstantial. But the way the children's father, who is also the defense lawyer, tells it, it makes it sound like the woman's father raped her. However, the jury still thinks the defendant guilty, and he gets a death sentence. And that is where the mockingbird is shot dead right in the heart. Overall it is an excellent book, and everyone who has not read it, I urge them to get their hands on one soon. Enjoy!! Cheers!! :
Rating:
Summary: I encourage those who hated Mockingbird to read this review
Review: The title "To Kill A Mockingbird" is cryptically telling you what the story is about: misjudged, misunderstood individuals who fall to misfortune though they did nothing to others. The obvious Mockingbirds are the recluse "Boo" Radley and the innocent Negro Tom Robinson. They are mocked, their lives speculated on by the ignorant, and they lack the support they need to overcome their problems: Tom's bigoted opposition and "Boo"'s overprotective father and personal reclusive ness, as well as those who mock and tease them both. Another possible Mockingbird is the girl who was supposedly raped. I believe that she was taken advantage of by her father. This is only a possibility, but it seemed to fit. Finally, Scout, her brother, and Dill are Mockingbirds of poverty: something that sometimes can't be avoided. Scout and her brother are also, in the end, stalked by Ewell, the "raped" girl's father, who was killed by Mockingbird "Boo" Radley. Once you look for the theme in each section of the story, you'll see why it's a classic as a social commentary and fictional memoir, not simply overrated rambling. P.S. For those who found some of the language vulgar, bigotry is an issue covered in the story, so it is inevitable that the book would feature bigots and mob mentality; examples being the would-be lynching and inevitable shooting of Tom Robinson. I am an African-American, and was not offended because it would be cheap to censor out the reality of racism when racism is being addressed: the words "nigger", "coon", "Negro", and "sambo" are used in literature to illustrate the mentality of the "bigot", "redneck", or even "cross burner", as those types of people are addressed in novels like To Kill A Mockingbird. By the way, I don't think Tom really tried to escape when he was killed
Rating:
Summary: I encourage those who hated Mockingbird to read this review
Review: Some did not enjoy this book because of how it "droned on", the focus being the Tom Robinson trial. I believe that this trial and "boring" prose is not the main focus of the novel at all. The title "To Kill A Mockingbird" is cryptically telling you what the story is about: misjudged, misunderstood individuals who fall to misfortune though they did nothing to others. The obvious Mockingbirds are the recluse "Boo" Radley and the innocent negro Tom Robinson. They are mocked, their lives speculated on by the ignorant, and they lack the support they need to overcome their problems: Tom's bigotted opposition and "Boo"'s overprotective father and personal reclusiveness, as well as those who mock and tease them both. Another possible Mockingbird is the girl who was supposedly raped. I believe that she was taken advantage of by her father. This is only a possibility, but it seemed to fit. Finally, Scout, her brother, and Dill are Mockingbirds of poverty: something that sometimes can't be avoided. Scout and her brother are also, in the end, stalked by Ewell, the "raped" girl's father, who was killed by Mockingbird "Boo" Radley. Once you look for the theme in each section of the story, you'll see why its a classic as a social commentary and fictional memoir, not simply overrated rambling. P.S. For those who found some of the language vulgar, bigotry is an issue covered in the story, so it is inevitable that the book would feature bigots and mob mentality; examples being the would-be lynching and inevitable shooting of Tom Robinson. I am an African-American, and was not offended because it would be cheap to censor out the reality of racism when racism is being addressed: the words "nigger", "coon", "negro", and "sambo" are used in literature to illustrate the mentality of the "bigot", "redneck", or even "crossburner", as those types of people are addressed in novels like To Kill A Mockingbird. By the way, I don't think Tom really tried to escape when he was killed. He was executed.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyday life and social conflict in the South
Review: This book is about the lives and youth of Atticus Finch's two children, Scout and Jem. In a small southern town built on typical social classes and seperated by race, Atticus, a lawyer, is able to step over the line and defend a negro. It raises many questions and shows the ignorance of the people that are racist, and shows that they don't even realize there is anything wrong with their racism. Although it has been a while since I read the book, many parts of the book still stick out in my mind. In particular, where the south is described as "still fighting the Civil War." Those are words that are true still today, with the recent controversy of the confederate flag. Another is the criticism of Hitler and his views of anti-semitism by a school teacher. However, the school teacher is prejudiced towards blacks. Although the book has many good points, I dislike many of the sub-plots and the stories that happen in the lives of Scout and Jem, as the story is narrated by Scout and often shows her childlike ways. I also feel the book isn't as critical of racisim as it should be, preferring more to take things as they are and blame it for being in the south and because that is how many people are raised.
|
