Rating: 
Summary: So precious! A book to cherish.
Review: I have read this book twice, first in 8th grade in middle-school, and again last year, when I was a sophmore in high school. I admit that the first time I read it I was a little biased. I didn't understand the meaning of many words, didn't like the vulger language, and found it to be tedious. But after two years I read this book again and now I can forgive myself for my misunderstanding. I was older and more eduacted, so I understood the language better. And I was very quickly captivated by the images of the children. To see young children in their activities, slang conversations, and wild imaginations made the story comical, adoreable, and fun. The book broadens its descriptions and paints a picture of the whole town. Rich details are given of social status, law, eduaction, community, and relations in the town. The time period is the Great Depression and the setting is Alabama, which is a perfect setting indeed! The poverty of the land and pride of the south is so well percieved. Every major and minor character has importance and a well drawn characterization. This book goes into great depth in human nature and behavior. We see the tenderness and kind loving qualities of many people, but then in some people we see aggresion, slothfulness, and extreme prejudice. There are many prejudices in the whole story, which relate to racism, but also judging others by stereotypes. If there was ever such a book that gave the most powerful message on prejudice, this is the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird". Mockingbirds bring such beauty and joy to the world through their songs and wouldn't it be so harsh to kill one? As a satire on society, a messeage on life, and vision of human beings alike, "To Kill A Mockingbird", is a beautiful story of humor, happiness, sadness, and all emotions. This a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Transcending the medium
Review: This timeless masterpiece bursts beyond the confines of the printed page, and even beyond the substance of its story. It leaves one breathless with the wonderment of the world seen through a child's eyes, magnified by the adult's realization of what it all means. Harper Lee's sole work (to my knowledge), is in my opinion equal to Huckleberry Finn as the greatest American writing ever.
Rating:
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird was a great book and now one of my favorites. The begining was really kind of boring but as I read on, I just didnt want to put the book down. Jem, Dill and Scout were very courageous in the book. They had a lot of courage for little kids. I just thought that this book was great and more and more people should read it. So if you are a person who hasnt read this book yet, I suggest you go out and either buy the book or rent it from your library. You can also check out the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Rating:
Summary: The best overall book I've ever read
Review: Without a doubt, "To Kill A Mockingbird" is the best book I've ever read, and probably the best one I ever will read. The setting is Alabama in the 1930's close to the depression and when blacks were prejudiced against. Living in Alabama and hearing stories all through my life about how it used to be here years ago, I can really relate to this book, but that's not the only reason that I like it so much. It's basically a story of a Southern family, the Finch family. A young girl, Scout, her brother Jem, her father, Atticus, who is a lawyer, and their black maid, Calpurnia. "To Kill A Mockingbird" is basically a story of two kids (Scout Finch and Jem Finch) growing up and what they see and go through, but the book has many subplots such as when Atticus is defending a black man named Tom Robinson in court.Another reason I can really relate to this book is because it uses the language that people in Alabama are so famous for using such as saying 'yawl' instead of 'you two' and the use of all the contractions, so it was like I was reading a book in my true language. But what really makes this book a classic is that it has many different plots and subplots to it and that makes for a great book that has elements of many different kinds of stories. It has a sense of adventure in parts such as when Jem, Scout, and Dill all wonder what Boo Radley is doing in his house and they dare each other to see who is brave enough to run and touch the house. Parts of it seem like a mystery such as the items that Jem and Scout keep finding in a tree. But most of all, the book has a lot of drama in it such as what turns out of the court case and the events that follow it. This is a hard book to put down and I recommend anybody no matter what kind of book you like to read to purchase "To Kill A Mockingbird." I had to read it in high school and I liked it so much I bought it, and now I've read it six times, and I'll read it several more times during my life. It's that great of a book. It's unbelievable how great this book truly is.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is one of the classic books of all time. It is written beautifully and the plot is great. This book is a must for anyone, whatever genre you read. The story is told in a masterful way and it makes you contemplate about human thoughts and ideas. Simply brilliant
Rating:
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: Harper Lee sets her story in the small town of Maycolmb, Alabama. A town that has seen the worst of the depression and still sets its own rules regarding race. An interesting aspect of this story is that Lee chose to tell it through the eyes of an eight-year-old child. The lives of Scout Finch, her father Atticus, and her older brother Jem are followed throughout three hard years. Atticus is a lawyer who has got what many would call an unfortunate job of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. In a town where a black man in guilty until proven innocent, this means certain punishment for Tom. Soon, young Scout and Jem are rediculed by the town's people, both themselves and their father being ripped of their dignity. Scout learns many of life's lessons in these three years of her life. There is a universal story to be told in this book. Many characters are set apart because they don't follow the norm of the town. But, Scout learns that this is not the way to live life. She learns to not flow with the rest of society at certain times, because sometimes everyone else is not always right.
Rating:
Summary: To Kill A Mockingbird
Review: To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best books ever written. It is a classic novel. This book by Harper Lee does a great job of describing events and keeping the reader hooked on the book. I am only in 8th grade and this book is by far my favorite. This book took place in 1933-1935 (the depression) It does a good job describing prejudoce back then and how one thing that a black says or does even if it is the truth can be not true by a white saying something else which is what you'll learn in this book. I would recommend it for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Grand and Memorable Yet Unfortunately Realistic
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is a brilliant novel which traces the life of a young girl, her family and her friends, while, exploring the unfortunate racial bias of Maycomb County. Through her exposure to the prejudice, the injustice, hopelessness, courage and revenge, she matures to even the extent of an adult. This novel centers on the life of a young girl named Scout, her brother Jem and their friend Dill. Together, they learn to cope with and fight the prejudices of their small town. Throughout their adventure, they meet Boo Radley, a misinterpreted, kind man who has been locked up in his house for years as well as Tom Robinson, a black man unjustly convicted guilty for a crime he could have not committed. These children mature as they stand up to the bias and face reality. In Maycomb County, those who are prejudice make the lives of blacks as miserable as possible. Tom Robinson, who was always kind to the Ewells, was convicted of raping their daughter since he was black, although all evidence proved he was innocent. Likewise, others frequently bothered Calpurnia, a black maid of the Finches, even though she was considered a member, even a "motherly figure," to the Finch family. Because someone is black or different in other ways, people usually jump to conclusions. The jury, when they saw Robinson, convicted him just because of the color of his skin. Furthermore, Boo Radley, because he was never seen out of his house, was rumored to be a "monster" even though he was a pleasant guy and even a lifesaver. When people jump to conclusions, strength and courage are often needed for them to withstand those conclusions. Jem and Scout's father, who was, until then, considered weak by his children, used his strength and courage to shoot a rabid animal therefore, bringing out his past of being one of the greatest gunmen of Maycomb. Scout, his son, also shows bravery by approaching some prejudice citizens and even convincing them to abort their plan to kill Robinson. Many of these people, through rumors, the color of their skin or life in general often feel hopeless. Robinson, after being convicted felt so unjustified and hopeless that he tried to escape prison and in conclusion, died. Dill, a friend of the Finch family, also felt hopeless when he was unwanted by his mother. Because of the prejudice, sometimes revenge feels like he only way out. Bob Ewell, because of his hatred for black, tried to frame Robinson, and although Tom was convicted Ewell tried to kill him. As revenge towards Ewell, Boo Radley stabbed and killed him. When subjected to these prejudices, maturing happens quicker. Jem, after seeing the injustice done to Tom Robinson, learns about the cruelty and unfairness of life, making him more mature then even some of the adults. Scout also matures as she stands up to a gang of adults to save the life of her father and the prisoner and convinces them to leave. To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the greatest and most well written novels that, after it has been read, makes the problems of prejudices seem closer to reality in such a way that anyone can enjoy, no matter how old.
Rating: 
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: An 8-year-old tomboyish girl named Scout, living in Maycomb county, is exposed to issues in life such as class, justice, and race, learning valuable life lessons from each event as seen from her perspective. Along with the life lessons come the nature of a child. The sense of wonder and and her ornery behavior is also shown in the boook. What sets this book apart from others that I've read is the author's decision to write in the perspective of a child. Most books that I've read are told from an older person's perspective. The effect created by doing this is more adventure and details, since a kid is adventurous and has a creative mind. The author did a good job of not losing the the main idea of the book with the different events going on and even though the perspective was told thorough the child's eyes. I can identify my own life at a young age with the life of Scout. Since she was a young child, not everything was always told to her. It was covered with a blanket in hopes that she wouldn't discover what was going on. She always wanted to be in on the action knowing all that she could. Me as a child was the same way, and still am today. A curious, independent, wondering child would best describe Scout and me. Always wanting to be in the center, "I pushed my way through dark smelly bodies and burst into the circle of ligh. H-ey, Atticus!". (154) This is a quote of when Scout, Jem, and Dill snuck out of the house at ten o'clock at night to see where there father/uncle was going. When they found him surrounded by a big crowd of people outside the jail protecting the person he was defending in court, the kids went right through them standing next to Atticus. This shows the sense of wonder, ornery nature, and the courage the kids had in the book. This book is a book that I believe everyone should read in their lifetime. Since it deals with the main issue of racisim and prejudice. Everyone will come across this once in their lifetime and is something that everyone can relate to. The life lessons that Scout learned can also be taught by the book to the reader. I feel that this book is for everyone that is capable of reading and able to comprehend the issues revealed.
Rating:
Summary: Deceptively simple
Review: I can still remember the first time I read this book. I was in my early teens at the time it wasn't required reading or anything - I read it because I had heard it was good - and it was. I was surprised then how good it was and it surprises me each time I re-read it. I think because it is deceptively simple that I forget just how complex the themes are in it between re-readings. It is told from the point of view of Scout, who is about 8 years old when the story begins and because it is from her point of view much of the 'lesson-learning" themes in it are beautifully distilled. It is left to us, as much as to her, to interpret the actions and the consequences. What starts as a simple summer holiday for her and her brother Jem slowly builds into a complex story of forgiveness, patience and understanding. There is Boo Radley - a mentally deficient neighbour who is seems to only be a figment of legend rather than reality, the angry elderly neighbour who they are forced to visit, their father, Atticus, a lawyer, and the case he has to defend, a black man accused of molesting a white woman. I just loved the way each new story was introduced - in the episodic way things do in childhood, but gradually each story seemed to interweave.Its so beautifully and simply written and the storyline so satisfying that I recommend it - and re-read it every year or so.
|
