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Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an excellent novel that is told from the view of a young girl. Her name is Jean Louise Finch, but they call her Scout; and she is just beginning first grade as the story begins. Her mother died before she ever really knew her, so this left her father Atticus Finch and their cook Calpurnia watching out for Scout and her older brother Jem Finch. They live in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. The story begins in the summer of 1933 and ends on Halloween night of 1935. At this time the majority of the town is racially prejudice. Scout and Jem are learning from their father how to treat others, and they are gradually maturing from the beginning to the end. In part one of the book, Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill are trying to get their neighbor, Boo Radley, to come out and play. Boo is a grown man that is kept inside their house and isn't ever let out. When Boo was a teenager he got in trouble, and his father locked him inside the house. After Boo's father died, Boo's older brother Nathan Radley comes and takes their father's place. Nobody ever sees Boo, but the kid's gossip describes him as mean and ugly. The kid's attempts are not successful for getting Boo to come out. In part two of the book, Tom Robinson, a local black man, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella is the nineteen-year-old daughter of Bob Ewell. Bob is a poor farmer who makes no attempt to live with dignity. He spends his state relief checks on liquor and often abuses his children. When school starts his children go for the first day and don't ever go back for the rest of the year. They live right next to the town dumpsters and they have a garbage filled yard. Judge Taylor assigns Atticus Finch to be Tom's lawyer, because he knows that Atticus is the only lawyer that has compassion for black people. Atticus fulfills his job to the highest of his ability even though the consequence from it is almost unbearable for him and his kids. This was a wonderful novel that I would recommend to anybody. The first thing you will learn from it is the need for compassion and understanding. The second thing it will teach you is the need for conscience and courage. This novel shows how people really treat others, and it teaches people how they should treat others.
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Summary: Fascinating Odyssey
Review: The Dictionary is perhaps, the most immaculate of all savants. Cold, unfeeling, and equally eloquent, it enlightens the minds of millions all over the world every second with deadly precision and conviction. But it was only when I read Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" that I understood, truly and fully the meanings of several simple words, some of which had not been deciphered by even the towering heights of Oxford or Webster. I understood the significance of the words: 'man' and 'father' like I had never fathomed before. To tell the honest truth, I felt, that all the multitudinous parent-children problems which exhibit themselves daily onto the world's doorsteps every day could be elucidated instantly if all of us chose the library, instead of the psychiatrist's as our destination and "To Kill a Mockingbird" as our Bible. "To Kill a Mockingbird", written in a simple yet sublimely beautiful language is flawlessly portrayed. Spaced out within the expanse of 250 odd pages, it describes the remarkable life of a bantam family of three in a small Southern town during the 1930s, with the protagonist being Jean-Louis "Scout" Finch, the six-year-old daughter of Atticus Finch, a middle aged, small town lawyer. The seemingly quotidian lives of Atticus, his daughter Scout and his son Jem go on in a delightfully lucent manner at the opening facets of the book. The amusing childhood of Jem and Scout in the small, somnolent town truly accounts for charming reading. Scout Finch is impish in her narration and her character is no contrast from that, as is clearly reflected from her total dislike towards anything feminine, her desire to be "a man like Jem" and her attraction for fighting Carthaginian battles whenever possible. Together, brother and sister enjoy many interesting adventures that the drab town has to offer, and of course, learn the lessons of life from their "Atticus". This mundane life of the Finches gets suddenly shattered when Atticus Finch decides to defend a black man wrongly accused of assaulting a local white woman, and the small town suddenly becomes a turbulent intricacy with waves of racist emotions, tensions and anti black attitudes. Everyone in the town is convinced that Atticus Finch is nothing but a "nigger-lover" and looks down upon him and his family. But Atticus remains steadfast; he believes firmly in the edict that every man was avowed equal in the patrician institution of the courtroom. It is only the mild, diffident tall lawyer who has the courage to stand out from the crowd and to follow faithfully the principle "to have faith in his own ideas; if everybody tells him otherwise then they are wrong" as Abraham Lincoln put in. However, is the blue blood and heroism of the placid lawyer enough to vanquish the iniquitous forces of racist thought? The answer lies in "To Kill a Mockingbird". And there always prevails the ever-arcane mystery of Arthur "Boo" Radley, a character little known before the concluding stages of the book. Who is Boo Radley? Some hideous vicious psychopath in human shape, as all the town hissed in undertones? Or a hapless victim of the mercilessness of the inexorable Society? Scout and Jem try in vain to explicate this insoluble mystery, much against the wishes of their Atticus. It is only in the final drama of the book that Scout realizes the reason for her father's disfavor. She discovers a new kind of racism: a bigotry, which exceeds far beyond the pitiless frontiers of colour but as torturous as ever: a racism practiced by the Community which ever relentlessly kills its helpless mockingbirds. Atticus Finch remains a resplendently inspirational character, throughout the book. He is the perfect father: a taintless blend of wisdom, devotion, affection and chumminess. It is he who remains the vital adhesive that holds the trio together during the exceedingly complex phase of their life, as the waves of censure and racist attitudes are in no manner lost upon his two children, who are, at first unsure as to who was right. He is impeccable at the courtroom, too: his superb manner and devotion: all add to the magic of his personality. In a sense, he closely resembles Dr. Stockman of Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People". This book is a treat from the start to the climax. Brilliantly inspirational, any of us who have faced circumstances, which have rendered us fighting alone against the raging Society, will instantly recognize comrades in Atticus, Jem and Scout Finch. A song of Rabindranath Tagore can aptly sum up the book's message: " If no one answers thy clarion call then walk alone in the darkness."
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Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird was one of the best books I've ever read. This story does a number of things to you at the same time. It educates you as far as how things went back in times when blacks and whites were seperated and were enemies. It also takes you through the life of a young girl and gives you a view of the world from an innocent child's eyes. The only flaw in the book is that the author takes her knowledge of the vocabulary and instills it in an eight year old girl. There are two main themes in the book. The first is the need for compassion. This is the most important, and is mentioned several times throughout the book. Atticus is Scout's(the narrarator and main character) father and he is constantly reminding his children not to discriminate or make fun of anyone else unless you have "been in their shoes." The second theme is the need for conscience. Atticus is the local town lawyer and he takes a case defending a black man, knowing that he won't win. He has a good, clear conscience and wants his children to be proud of him as well as be like him. This book makes you not want to put it down because there is action in every chapter. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone who has a spare $6 to spend. The end of the book goes like this..... Wait a minute, if I told you then there wouldn't be a point in you reading it. I guess you'll just have to read it for yourself and find out.
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Summary: Turned me on to the noble profession of law.
Review: This classic turned me on to the practice of law. Every time I hear a lawyer joke I think about the other side that To Kill A Mockingbird displayed.
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Summary: Far more than a courtroom drama
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird has always conjured up the image of Gregory Peck in the courtroom. Not that I have anything against courtroom dramas, but I always wondered what the fuss was about. Now I can only say that I really wish I had read this book as a teenager, even though it was still a wonderful read for this 40-something year old. It is an eloquent testimony to growing up in the South during the depression. However, unlike so many "Southern" novels, this isn't a depressing book. Tough, difficult things happen but the reader comes away inspired. It reminded me a little bit of Angela's Ashes. Perhaps this feeling derives from the narrator being a child but it works. I won't bore you with the plot. Simply said, this is a classic for good reason. It has lots to say and it says with style and grace. It also has enough plot to be chosen by the International Mystery Booksellers Association as one of the 100 best mysteries of the 20th century.
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Summary: A Fantastic Find
Review: I am 14 years old and a student attending Franklin Learning Center. This book was a great book to read. I found it real inspiring and very exciting. All the fun and excitement seemed to lead more on also and made me feel like I can join the story anytime I was ready. Just jump in and be prepared for a lot of twist and turns. I found the book to be a real good read and I rarely say that about any book. It was one of the few classics that I read that I ended up liking. A lot of people may say that this book was a really boring book or that they couldn't get into it, but let me tell you, this was a n amazing book to really get in to. You have truth and fiction all in one book. Now I think I'm ready to see the movie because the book was that good. I hope you, the next reader, will enjoy it to.
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Summary: A Review by GEL (Group of Elderly Ladies)
Review: In the late 1930s, the quiet town of Maycomb, Alabama awakens to a divisive trial that reveals fierce intolerance and tests the strength of a family. The novel's narrator is Scout, an earnest young tomboy and daughter of the town lawyer, who documents her childhood and how it has been irrevocably shaped by a court case her father was assigned one summer. Beyond the court case, however, we find several sub-plots that help shape the characters into who they are by the end of the story. One of those sub-plots being, Scout and her brother Jem's continued interest in their neighbor Boo(Arthur) Radley. Boo Radley was not just a neighbor to Scout and Jem, he was an enduring fascination, an unsolved mystery, and a hero. By examining the relationships between the children, Boo and the other characters, one gets a glimpse of life in a small southern town, with all of its intricacies.
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Summary: i found myself laughing
Review: --I just recently read this book and i must say i am very delighted that i did. I have meant to read it for a few years now, but never had the chance. Not knowing exactly what it was about except for the rape of a white girl and the charge of a black man it sounded like "a time to kill" to me, but it is anything but that book. i found myself laughing at this novel because of Lee's quick wit and clever characters. Calpurnia i found made me laugh the most. She was so blunt and hard on the children and always had something smart to say to them. Beginning the book i thought the two children were boys. Lee never mentions (or at least i didn't notice) that Jean was was a girl. They called her scout and she didn't want to seem like a girl when she played with Dill and Jem. I was pretty amazed to find out she was a girl and i loved the way she acted. Always wanting to follow her older brothers lead and wanting to marry dill. Boo Radley (the scary man that haunts the town of Maycomb, who never leaves his house and might be dead) fueled the beginning of the book. Lee writes amazingly about children and their comical antics. It reminded me of the way i used to be. While the town of Maycomb thought Atticus (the children's father) was not fathering his children right, i came to love him. His sence of reasoning and hearing each of the children out before making any rash decisions. He was always so calm no matter what happened and could never be seen without reading. he was an intelligent man that the town should have looked up to instead of looking down on him. He let his children do what they wanted, but for their own good. With this freedom the children could learn right from wrong (of course with guidance) and be who they wanted. To Kill a Mockingbird is also about the hypocrisy that faces us. During the middle of the book it is brought to Scout's attention by her teacher that it is wrong to kill Jews because they are so law abiding, faithful and help out their communities so well, but Scout wonders why her teacher could feel this way about Jews and not feel this way about blacks. This novel reaffirmed my appreciation for how far we have come with civil rights. The book does not only deal with this, but it is a strong vaild point. In order to get where we are now (and we still have a long way to go) we needed people in communities like Atticus who would take the looks and stares from his neighbors in order to defend what he thought was right. He defended a black man when the town said he shouldn't have just so he was able to look in his children's eyes. He wanted them to see that everyone is equal and sometimes the right thing is the hardest thing to do. OVERALL: To kill a mockingbird is a novel everyone should read. Its wit and humor make the message of this book even more brighter to see. While i did not find this book suspensful till the end (which i must add had a GREAT ending) i found myself wanting to turn each page because i was enjoying myself while reading about the city of Maycomb. Lee makes you feel as though you live right next to the Fitch's and are sitting on your portch watching the summer days go by.
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Summary: To kill a mockingbird
Review: To kill a mocking bird is a fantastic story about a little ordinary girl that lives in a small southern town with the name Jean-louise Finch. The book is like her diary and she tells us everything that is going on in her life. Jean -louise is also known as Scout and has an older brother called Jem that she spend most of the days with. Her father (also known as Atticus) is a successful lawyer that has a difficult time raising the children alone since his wife died after scout was born. Scout is an intelligent and clever girl that likes to learn and therefore knew the alphabet and how to read in an early age with the help of her House -made called Calpurnia. Scout is more of a boy because she hates skirts and dresses like the other girls at school always wear. She loves fighting and does many naughty things with her brother that Atticus and Calpurnia dislike like when Scout and Jem visit the huge, scary and dangerous house with the weird man living in it. The climax or the high point in the book is probably the trial (which includes Atticus and Mayella) that takes place near the end of the book but there are many incidents that happen before this that scout experience. The book is very well written because there is not a single moment in the book were nothing is happening. There are many exciting incidents with unexpected endings and you just cant put the book down because you are all the time curious of what is going to happen next to the little girl. The beginning was maybe a bit boring but when you pass the first two pages the excitement begins. I compared my life when I was as small as her to scout's life and it is quite similar because I was also like boy and always wanted to be like my brothers. This book has everything that a book should have: kindness, love, cruelty, excitement, humour, and frightening moments. I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it to everyone that likes to read because this is a book for all ages. The language in "To kill a mocking bird" is not too difficult so young children that are able to read can read it and enjoy it as much as a teenager and a grown up can.
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Summary: A fine work of art.
Review: To kill a mockingbird takes place in Macomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a quiet, innocent little town until one day when a Blackman raped a white woman. You follow the life Scout Finch, who is the young girl, she has a brother Jem, and their father is called Atticus and he is a lawyer. Their mom died when Scout and Jem were both young; therefore, Atticus have a black nanny called Calpurnia employed, who helps raising the children. During the book Atticus have to defend a Blackman, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Butch, and in the times of the 1930ies a Blackman's word is worth nothing against a white man's. The Finch's has neighbour called Boo Radley, who Scout and Jem find quite scary and evil. But as the children get older and wiser they start to see things from other points of views and develop more understanding about. After a couple of long pages the book became better and better. Things got placed where they belonged and you could feel how the life in Maycomb was like. I liked the description as I went along, it's not too short, so you don't understand anything, and at the same time not to long, so you don't fall asleep and the choice of word is thought-thorugh (as Lee went over it over and over again) but not to complicated. As the book discusses serious racial issues you see the view of it from two sides, one from the majority of the people in Maycomb and one from Scouts father, Atticus. Atticus is several times accused of being a "niggerlover", but he tells his children not to bother about it. Atticus is my own favourite characters because he has got a character, he has everything under control and keeps "cool" all the time. Every once in a while there is small things happening to the main characters that is nothing really special, but on a second though it teaches the reader about something. about the characters in Maycomb, or about how they are in there minds. And of course, as usual, the book is better than the movie. I think the book is a very well written book and I would recommend it to anyone that has some spare time to dedicate to a work of art.
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