Rating: Summary: Classic Novel - A must-read, not just in high school! Review: I am sorry to say that it took me this long to read this wonderful book. I won't give away any plot, because it would bore those who know about it and ruin some of it for those who aren't familiar with the story. This is a deeply rich text consisting of many beautiful relationships. I was especially touched by the brother/sister relationship that goes through changes during the time-frame of the book, but always comes back to a very caring and loving place. I loved the innocence of the characters and how they are slowly learning what the world is about. The mystery of Boo is so tangible in my mind; I played those games myself. However, in all the beauty of the town, the folks and the family there is an ugly undercurrent that drives the story. While many parts of the story are sad, I was left with a feeling of great hope and love. Harper Lee has written a novel still relavent today, over 40 years after its original publishing. This is an amazingly moving story.
Rating: Summary: life changing novel Review: to kill a mockingbird is one of the most brilliant novels this country has ever encountered. what makes this novel good is not only subject matter, but the point of view at which it was presented. it is narrated through the eyes of a child, whose innocence makes her assesments both unique and insightful. it's literally hard to come up with words to describe this novel, it is simply brilliant. if you are literate, then pick up this novel, i'm sure you will place it among your favorites.
Rating: Summary: One of the best Review: This is still one of the best works of fiction written in the last two centuries. There's a reason this book is still in print and selling: it's because it is well written and comes from the heart. Below is my reading list of favorite Southern lit:To Kill A Mockingbird The Bark of the Dogwood--A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens Sanctuary--Faulkner Look Homeward Angel Granted, some of these are long and they're not all on the same level, but all are great and should be read at least once.
Rating: Summary: How to kill a mocking bird review. Review: The story of To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Alabama in the Depression, and is narrated by the main character, a little girl named Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer with high moral standards. She and her brother, Jem, and their friend Dill are interested by the local rumors about a young man named Boo Radley who lives in their neighborhood but never sets foot from his house. A legend once said that he stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, and he is made out to be a kind of monster. Dill is from Mississippi but spends his summer in Maycomb at a house near the Finches. The kids want to know more about Boo. They begin moving closer to the house, which is said to be haunted. They tried to leave a note for Boo on his windowsill, but they're caught by Atticus. Then they try sneaking to the house at night and looking through the windows. Boo's brother, Nathan Radley, who lives with him, thinks he hears a prowler and begins shooting his gun. The kids run away. Jem loses his pants in a gate because he gets stuck. When he goes back to get his pants because he did not want Atticus to know that he was there, his ripped pants have been folded and mended. A certain tree near the Radley house has a hole in which little presents are often left for them, such as pennies and other things. They leave a note to thank him. The next day Nathan fills up the hole with cement. The next winter is very cold and snowy. The house of a neighbor Miss Maudie's house catches on fire. Jem and Scout are shivering, and are watching the blaze from close to the Radley house, someone puts a blanket around Scout. She doesn't realize until afterwards that Boo Radley must have been the one to do this. Atticus takes a case that involves an afican american man named Tom Robinson he was accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell, a member of the Ewell family. They are classified as "trash." The Finches face harsh comments in racist Maycomb because of Atticus's decision to defend Tom. Atticus is going through with the case because his conscience could not let him do otherwise. He knows that Tom has almost no chance, because the white jury wont believe the story, but he wants to reveal the truth of what happened to his townsmen as well as expose their injustice. Scout and Jem find themselves getting made fun off, and they have trouble keeping from fights. At a family Christmas gathering, Scout beats up her relative Francis when he accuses Atticus of ruining the family name. Jem cuts off the tops of an old neighbor's flower bushes after she makes fun of Atticus, and then as punishment he has to read out loud to her every day while she breaks her morphine addiction. Atticus holds this old woman up as an example of true courage. The trial evidence of the white Ewells, against Tom's evidence. According to the Ewells, Mayella asked Tom to do some work for her in the back yard, while her father was out. Tom came into their house and forcibly beat and raped Mayella until her father appeared and scared him away. Tom says that Mayella invited him inside, then threw her arms around him and began to kiss him. When her father arrived, he flew into a rage and beat her, while Tom ran away in fright. According to the sheriff's testimony, Mayella's bruises were on the right side of her face. Tom Robinson's left arm is dead due to an old accident, where Mr. Ewell leads with his left. Given the evidence, Tom should go free, but the jury pronounces him guilty. Though the verdict is unfortunate, Atticus feels some satisfaction that the jury took so long deciding usually the decision would be made in minutes, because a black man's word would not be trusted. Atticus is hoping for an appeal, but unfortunately Tom tries to escape from his prison and is shot to death. Jem has trouble handling the results of the trial, feeling that his trust in the goodness and rationality of humanity has been betrayed. Mr. Ewell has been threatening Atticus and other people connected with the trial because he feels he was humiliated. He gets his revenge one night while Jem and Scout are walking home from Halloween play at their school. He follows them home in the dark, then runs at them and attempts to kill them. Jem breaks his arm, and Scout, who wearing a confining costume, is helpless throughout the attack. However, the elusive Boo Radley stabs Mr. Ewell and saves them. Scout finally has a chance to meet the shy and nervous Boo. The sheriff declares that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife so that Boo won't have to be tried for murder. Scout walks Boo home. He goes inside and she never sees him again.
Rating: Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird Review: In this book to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee is a very good book. It is very good literature that all students should read. It symbolizes racism and to kill a mockingbird is a sin. A mockingbird is a bird that does nothing wrong. It sings nice songs to people to enjoy. It doesnt eat your garden or anything bad it is just a bird that is for your enjoyment. In this book Tom Robinson is a black man who is accused of raping a nineteen year old girl Mayella Ewell. This book is told by Jean Louise Finch A.K.A Scout. Her brother Jem and friend Dill run around together in the summer and try to get Boo Radley out of his house. Atticus is her dad and he is defending Tom Robinson. There are two parts of this book. In the first part the auther explains the different characters, what they do and how they act. It gives you some backgroung about the boo kand it helped me a lot. I like how she did it because when the book started getting good i could follow along very easily. This book doesnt start getting good until the end but it is like when you read it you keep wanting to so you can find out what happens next. I think this book is very good because it tells you a lot and the auther did a good job writing it. It was easy to follow along so it was more fun to read. I would recommend it to any buddy to read but more for the people that like history because it takes place in the 30's and it tells you what is going on then. I think it is a very good book.(But the movie isnt very good.)
Rating: Summary: Will Always Be a Classic Review: To Kill a Mockingbird is a brilliant novel, portraying the intricacies of Southern life during the early 1900s. The plotline, consisting of the experiences of a eight-year-old girl, Scout, and her family, seems so simple, yet Harper Lee creates a much deeper understanding of love and hate. Describing the events from the viewpoint of a young girl made the story much more fascinating because adults and even teenagers forget how innocent and pure a child's mind is. Although fictional, this story was so realistic and honest in Southern ways, and I realized that that's how life really was back then: harsh and unforgiving. This book really made me laugh out loud, sense friendship and hatred, but most of all, stop and reflect. Because of this novel, I feel a great deal of appreciation for our world today.
Rating: Summary: Now I know why it's a classic Review: When my mother first recommended Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to me, I was quite reluctant to read it. I had tried once before, but I was impatient with it, and the story seemed slow. All the plot consists of is a girl and her brother in a slow-moving southern town. Boring, I thought to myself. Interestingly, now that I have actually focused on the book, it is one of the most thought-provoking books that I have read. It is not about incredible quest and danger, sorcery and knights, or massive wars. In fact, it is a story about young girl's small ventures, which in perspective are great adventures and challenges. Jean-Louise Finch, better known as Scout, narrates the story with interesting and colorful intricacy. she tells her many tales with a viewpoint that cannot be replicated by an adult. Attempting to catch a glimpse of the infamous maniac, Boo Radely, with her brother Jem and summertime cohort Dill becomes a great mission with twisted plans. Consulting her all-knowing father Atticus turns into conferring with a great wise man. All this woven into her attempts to understand the stubbornness and prejudice of the adult world makes for a wonderfully deep story. All through the book, what at first seems like a slow plot evolves into a simple yet intriguing plot that will keep you reading. Though probably not a book for those who don't read a lot, specifically kids, it definitely will catch the eyes and trigger the mind of most avid readers. A great book, strongly recommended.
Rating: Summary: UGH! Review: I was assigned this book for a reading assignment and me and the guy who sat next to me seemed to be the only ones who hated the book out of the whole class and we sit right infront of the teachers desk so we gave her heck all day! lol anyway... I seriously dislike this book! It is very boring... you'll be reading a conversation and then all of a sudden Scout will jump in and ramble on for pages with stupid pointless information about something that doesn't even have to do with the story... usually about the very dull and boring city of maycomb. The book would only be about 150 pages without all that!! Some parts I seriously just wanted to scream it was so boring!!! There is SO MUCH random junk that when we got to our reviews and tests, I couldn't even remember half of the little things that happened in the book. To make a long story short, this book is no 'work of art' and I STRONGLY suggest picking something else!!
Rating: Summary: A beautiful masterpiece! Review: This book is SO AMAZING! It's a flawless piece of work. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Atticus is the model adult, lawyer, and father of every era, and the innocence of his young children is beautifully captured. So, if you like reading classic novels with beautiful symbolism, READ THIS BOOK!
Rating: Summary: Classic covering morals of both young and old Review: The story of the hero Atticus Finch who defends a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Told by young Scout Fincg, Harper Lee tells the story of a young white girl's exposure to racism in the south. To Kill a Mockingbird is a true heroic story that forces the reader to think and reflect.
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