To Kill a Mockingbird (Cliffs Notes)

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have Classic! Read it at least once!
Review:
To Kill A Mockingbird is a powerful masterpiece at it's best. This classic tale was brought to life by Harper Lee in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and later became an Academy Award-Winning film. There are over 15 million copies in print with translations in forty languages. The story takes place in Alabama during the Depression, in the early 1900's. It is about a young girl, her brother Jem, and their lawyer father Atticus, who must teach his children the value of every human being, regardless of race. It is a life lesson that is taught not only to the characters in this book, but the reader as well. Harper Lee does a marvelous job allowing the reader to actually live the hatred, love, suspense and determination of this family to stand up for what they believe in. It is a test for them because in the days that To Kill A Mockingbird takes place, race issues were just coming to life, and the true lesson was yet to be learned.

The storyline is about a young girl, Scout, who is at the age of curiosity. She wants to learn about everything, and looks to her older brother Jem to help her learn the ways of life. It is about a father that is forced to raise his children alone, after losing his wife. Through many hardships, this family learns about respect, love, personal growth, and most importantly they learn life lessons. "You never really know a man till you walk a mile in his shoes", says Atticus, who is defending an innocent black man, who is being charged for the rape of a white girl. In the end the real truth comes out, to no avail. The story is also about friendship, found in Dill, a boy that brings excitement to these two young characters. The three quickly become friends and they explore, play, learn, and love one another.

The story is based on Scout Finch, Jem, Dill, Atticus Finch, and many others who bring this book to life. The Radleys, who live next door to the Finches, are a strange and curious family to say the least. Through determination, they all quickly learn the Radleys aren't as strange as they would appear. There is Aunt Alexandra, who is very much against everything that Atticus believes in, she moves in with her brother and tempers flare. The neighbor, Miss Stephanie Crawford nurtures the children and aides them in ways only a woman can, since they lack a mother figure. Culprina, the black housemaid who has been helping Atticus raise his children, also guides this family into a world of understanding. Through all the characters, you find a perfect puzzle, that without just one piece, it would crumble.

The meaning of this book really touches on all the problems that are still very real in this world today. It is a true life lesson for the reader, young and old alike. I don't believe anyone can read this classic and not walk away with something truly special....Love For All.

Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez



Rating:
Summary: wonderful
Review: To kill a Mocking Bird is a book about two childern who go though life tring to meet a man named who they call boo radley. A man that has not came out of his house in years. They spend time going to their dads court meeting. Their father is defending a man that people think raped a young girl. one of their best friends come every summer!

I loved this book, it made me think of what life was back then.it was wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: One persons Opinion
Review: "Classic" is a inadequate word when attemping to describe the moral values portrayed in thsi book. Set in a simpler more delicate time than any of us have lived, To kill a mockingbird is the scipture to live by. Comparably better than the bible, Harper's use of symbolism and veiled honorable demeanor are what we should be passing on to our children. An oasis in a world of lethargic ideals, this book is long awaited and well deserved guide of how one should conduct him or herself. "Delete the adjectives and you will have the facts" -Atticus

Rating:
Summary: The timeless conflict between what's right and what's easy
Review: "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic tale of a child's perspective as she comes to learn about the difficulty of choosing between doing what is right and doing what is easy. She grows through her own experiences and by observing her principaled father, who is a lawyer, struggle through a controversial trial in a small southern town.

The writing here is fantastic, the lessons run deep and the story is engaging and keeps the pages turning. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: I thought this book would be boring--WAS I EVER WRONG!
Review: For years, my friends had pestered me to read this book. Every time I would look at them and say "It looks so boring, though!" It wasn't until this year for a school assignment, that I read it. I could have killed myself for not reading it earlier. This book is anything but boring. It is a fantastic novel that I will read over and over. Jeremy(Jem) and Jean Louise(Scout) Finch are brother and sister and they live in the county of Maycomb in Alabama. The story takes place in the 1930s. At this time, there was a lot of discrimination towards black people. People also discriminate poor whites, to whom they reffered to as white trash. One family that was considered white trash was the Ewell family. Bob Ewell was the father of 8 children. Since thy had no mother, 19-year-old Mayella Violet Ewell, the oldest child, served as a mother. A black man named Tom Robinson, who worked in fields near the Ewell household, had to pass by the house every day. Being lonely, Mayella started making advances towards Tom. This was totally against all code. It was unimaginable for a white and black to do anything with each other. Ashamed of what she had done, Mayella went to the court and accused Tom of molesting her. Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout, is the lawyer who defends Tom. Every one is against him because of this. Sure enough, Tom and Atticus lose the trial. But Bob Ewell is planning revenge on Atticus anyway, because Atticus had exposed him as a liar in the courtroom. What Bob ends up doing is extremely scary. This book touched me very much. In my opinion, i would say Atticus is my favorite character. The lessons he teaches to Scout and Jem about right and wrong, and how peaceful and kind he is to everyone is just amazing. Atticus is a great man, and I respect him very much even though he is make-believe. I have only one more thing to say. If your first opinion about this book is bad, please put it aside and read it. I will say that the beginning is boring, but look beyond it into the true meaning of this book. READ IT.

Rating:
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird - a "Must-read"
Review: Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a novel that deals with the problem of racial prejudice in southern parts of the United States in the 1930's. The main character, Atticus Finch, is a liberal and open-minded lawyer in his self-righteous white community in Maycomb, Alabama. He takes up the defence of Tom Robinson, a black farm worker who innocently stands accused of raping a white woman. Robinson is found guilty and killed while attempting to escape, and Finch is confronted with the hate and injustice of the community he lives in. The novel is told from the perspective of Finch's 9-year-old daughter, Jean Louise ("Scout").
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It gives an insight into how life must have been (and, perhaps, still is) in a racist community like Maycomb (which, of course, is a fictional location). The novel's plot is well-elaborated, its characters are complex and realistic. I especially liked the second part of the novel, dealing with Tom Robinson's trial and the effects Atticus' stand against his racist community by defending him in that trial has on his life and his family. It is also quite interesting to see how Scout seems to "mentally grow up" when becoming aware of the "ugly face" behind the nice and clean facades of the town. The first part before the communnity starts to show its true attitude could have been a little bit shorter,it is more interesting for people who are interested in society and the relationships between the people. Nevertheless, this book is fascinating and worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: pretty good for a school assigned book!!
Review: I had to read this book in school and it was pretty good for an educational book. It had many adventures and exciting parts in it. It is about a woman named Scout who is in her thirties. She is narrarating her memories from when she was 6-10 years old. Some memories she talks about include how she and her brother Jem would always walk by the Radley house. They would sometimes find small presents in the knothole of the tree outside and they knew Boo (Arthur) Radley would come out a night to put them there. His brother Nathan wasn't supposed to let him out of the house and Boo had been locked up for the past 15 or so years (ever since he was 16). Another event that takes place is that Atticus, Scout and Jem's dad, is the lawyer representing a black man who has been accused of rape. Many people in the town are racist and don't think he should represent the case but he has to, to keep his moral value. This book takes place in the 1930's. The only reason why I didn't give this book five stars was that it isn't my type of genre, I don't really like historical fiction type stories, but other wise this book was very good!!

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: I never saw the movie with Gregory Peck and knew very little about the plot but I knew the book and movie have been highly regarded as classics. So I was expecting a great read and I wasn't too dissappointed. The old south's racial code of ethics, were written with a great deal of insight and I thought it was very interesting comparing it with our current day struggles with race relations. Needless to say we've come along way, thanks to those like Atticus and authors like Harper Lee. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: great reading
Review: I read this book my sophomore year of high school. Usually I dreaded reading required books because they were usually boring and went way over my head. Not this book. I enjoyed reading it. We also watched the movie with Gregory Peck. Today I own the DVD version on the movie and I watch it often. Its a good movie too. I highly recommend that you read this book.

Rating:
Summary: A classic which ought to be read
Review: I was an English major and had never read some of the classics, such as this book is. So, I read it. I hate novels but found this text to be a delightful read. It is slow to get going but once you arrive at the courtroom scenes, it is all worth it. The characters are fun to get to know and the central message of the book is great. It is an easy book to read; thus, its prominence in high schools, and its a quick read too.
Sometimes you read a novel and hope that there are some undertones present from which you can make some strong conclusions about what the author is trying to say. Some books fail at this entirely; this one doesn't. It is filled with subtle meaning and revelation. If you want to read a text that is simple to read and full of meaning, a true American classic, this is the one for you!