Rating: 
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: Only growing up in the south would enable Harper Lee to capture the vicious sweetness that pervails there. Not only to capture it but then be able to transfer that on to the reader. You can smell the sweetness of the talcum through the sticky of the hot summer days. Sickly sweet. The church group women are vicious in their sweetness. Ardently praying for the savages in Africa while embracing the savage mores of the south. And in the midst of all of this she tells one of the greatest coming of age stories ever written. Fabulous. One I read every summer.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best
Review: Scout Finch, the daughter of a southern lawyer, reflects upon her childhood years in the classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. With child narration reminiscent of that in BARK OF THE DOGWOOD (though that novel came later), Lee give us a tour-de-force gem that remains as powerful today as the day it was written. In a series of engrossing events the tale of life in a small southern town unfolds. Never slow, the narrative moves swiftly from one action to another in highly fluid form. From the eyes of a little girl, the reader witnesses the unfolding of a series of events through which she is brought face to face with prejudice and bigotry. The forms that this prejudice takes are both subtle and obvious. Black and white, old and young, rich and poor, cultured and earthy, educated and ignorant, Scout encounters hatred and fear in almost all the people around her. Her world is shown in a series of expanding circles with herself in the center, her brother and friend next, her father and housekeeper next, then neighbors, teachers, schoolmates etc. in ever widening circles. Starting with the outermost people and working inward, the innermost hatreds of the human heart are revealed to her. As she awakens to more and more varieties of prejudice she seeks to separate herself from them. During the climax of the book, Scout is shown, for the first time, her own heart and the prejudice within. In a moving final narrative, she admits her own failing and awakens to true compassion and empathy. Must also recommend the following books for reading: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Children's Corner by McCrae, and Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Deserves 6 *!
Review: This classic should be made required reading for every person in every culture and in every country. If only everyone would read it, and truly understand, identify with and 'learn' from the story and the message found within its pages, I believe the world would be a happier and peaceful place to live in for all."To Kill a Mockingbird" is a 'rich' and compelling story set in 1930s Alabama. It's a story about the purity and innocence of children, about justice (or the lack of it), racism, hypocrisy, human compassion, trust and love (all issues we can relate to) told from the experiences and perspectives of a small child (Scout). The writing is wonderfully beautiful and charming. You'll fall in love with the depth of inner beauty and innocence found in the 2 children (Jem, and especially his sister, Scout/Jean Louis). You'll find yourself rooting passionately for their father (Atticus Finch) to win his case when he chooses to defend a black man on trial for life, despite much social pressure on Finch to give up the case and veiled threats against him and his family. Watch for the part where Finch cross-examines the "victim" (a white girl who accuses the black man of rape) and during his closing speech. Both are excellent courtroom drama (the best I've come across) and they also reveal a lot of the (ugly) truth behind the case. Atticus Finch's sense of justice, perseverence and fighting spirit (the way he stood his ground) are most inspiring and touching. Based on what he believes in, he knows he must "do the right thing", all the more since he has 2 young children who look up to him for guidance on the difference between right and wrong. I also loved reading the precious scenes involving Atticus and his children - Atticus is really a "beautiful" person and a perfect role-model of a dad - at once loving and understanding and patience and fair. And what about the mysterious recluse, Arthur "Boo" Radley who hasn't left his house in years and has become some sort of a terrifying yet intriguing "legend" among the neighbourhood children? Is he really the madman or evil spirit that the children believe him to be? This book (and another winner, "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt) should rank highly in everyone's list of must-reads. What a true gem! Read it and be charmed.
Rating:
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: This is one of my all time favorite book as well as my favorite movie. I think that those of us who have read the book love the fact that narrator as well as one of the main characters is a little girl named Scout. The story is seen through her eyes and this makes the book more enjoyable as well as easy to understand. Sometimes she's funny and witty, other times she's very intelligent and through out the story she's just trying to understand the world around her. Atticus Finch, Scouts father, is a wonderful character because he shows his love and respect for his children as well as for everyone else. He shows he has moral values rather than social ones when he defends a black man being accused of having raped a white women. This shows that no matter how bad or how wrong things are, there is always someone willing to stand up for what they believe, and that there are good people in the world. This took alot of courage on Atticus's part considering they lived in the South. And although he loves both his children dearly, he seems to have a special bond with Scout. He teaches her that a person doesn't really understand someone else until they've walked in their shoes. That is excellent advice no matter who you are or how old. What is also highly interesting, and very original to this story, is the mystery behind Boo Radley. He's one of the main characters in the story yet he never really appears in person. In the first half of the story the children talk so much about him that they make jokes and at some points make him sound like a monster, not knowing that in the end he's the one who saves the day. I believe that what I love the most of this story is that it isn't a love story or an action/adventure kind of story, but one that tells the experiences that all of us can learn from. They're experiences we see happen sometime in our lives. Justice and injustice, prejudice in the society we live in, and courage and respect for other human beings. Anyone and everyone can relate and learn from this story, this is why it's a wonderful story for anyone to enjoy.
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
|
