Rating: 
Summary: A Fine American Novel
Review: This novel is one of the greatest modern American novels. It deals with one of the most pressing modern issues which is race. The story is told by an adult Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, who is looking back on the period on her childhood from age 6-9. Harper Lee first introduces us to all the eccentric souls that inhabit Maycomb County in order to give us an idea of how this town operates. At the beginning of the novel everyone seems like pretty decent people, but we see who are the truly noble people in town when Tom Robinson, a black man is accused of raping a poor white woman. Scout's father defends Tom in a trial scene that has probably inspired numerous people to become lawyers. Scout is an excellent and winning narrator as the tomboy who refuses to grow up and who is considerable smarter than her peers and clear eyed than the adults around her (with the exceptions of her father and Miss Maudie). Lee wraps you up in southern small town warmth and childhood misadventures that ring universal until dropping her bombshell of a trial. How that trial affects Scout and her older brother Jem and their perceptions of the world and of their town is a focal point of the novel. By the end of the novel, you know that regardless of their ages that their childhoods have virtually ended and they have experienced evil and have seen the evils that people can visit on one another.
Rating:
Summary: IMPRESSIVE.
Review: To Kill a Moking Bird is a work of art utterly exceptional; a timeless classic, and one of the most beautiful books ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've ever read
Review: This is Harper Lee's only novel. Since she was at one time friends with Truman Capote, many have thought that he had a hand in the authoring of this great book, but that's not so. Although Harper Lee has written other short stories, this prize winner came from her heart. A semi-autobiographical story set in the South and modeled after her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The movie was also wonderful, but this book will be one you'll never forget.
Rating:
Summary: It's a sin to kill a mockingbird...
Review: This is an amazing piece of literature. Lee takes a small 1930's Alabama town and introduces it to a problem that is very real in todays world. Through the eyes of a young girl, we see how this town deals with racism and the conflicts it brings about. The book tells of how a family's lives are affected by doing what they know is right. Atticus, the towns defense attorney, is chosen to defend Tom, a black man who is falsely accused of raping a white girl. Some of the white folks in town don't agree with Atticus' decision. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches us about values and conscience. How it effects our everyday life and other people. We see how racism effects peoples decisions, in this case, convicting an innocent man. This is a funny, yet thought-provoking story. I really enjoyed reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Much More Than A Story
Review: To Kill A Mockingbird is much more than an average book. It provokes deep thoughts usually packed away in the deep recesses of your brain. It explores a small Southern town through the eyes of a young girl, something more authors should consider when writin. Because she is so innocent, you get to see how much of a difference the world is when you are a child. You don't know about addicition or racism or corruption, subjects Harper Lee tackles with ease. However, when said subjects are thrust upon you, sometimes it takes a loving father to beak it down to your level. This role is played by Atticus Finch. He is about as wonderful of a character as you can get, with his stern but caring attitude. This book should be commended for its details, never overlooking anything, and its character development. To Kill A Mockingbird is a must-have for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: a mockingbird never hurt anybody...
Review: like ralph ellison and j.d. salinger, harper lee is known for one book, but what a book! ...the best southern slice of life story you'll ever read...how many other girls have as much wisdom and vision as Scout or are as precocious? ...all of the characters are memorable...when i have kids, i would like to name a daughter after a writer or a book character...scout would be a good choice...of course, atticus' courtroom speech rivals the lawyer's speech in richard wright's "native son" for sheer power and beauty...i have yet to see the film version of "mockingbird. " i hear it's good also... i remember taking this one to work, reading it during breaks and whenever i could steal a moment :-)
Rating:
Summary: Read it - You will not regret it!
Review: Superbly written with a fine balance between the serious social issues and the light hearted view of our host. "To Kill a Mocking Bird" is set in Alabama in the 1930's and is told through the eyes of "Scout" the young daughter of Atticus the single parent town lawyer.The central tale of the book is that of Tom a negro falsely accused of raping a white girl, who despite his innocence is found guilty by his bigoted peers. The secondary stories concern the struggles of Atticus to cope as a lone parent role model, the difficulty of being a child learning about concience and empathy as they grow up and the mysterious disappearance of Boo Radley. The book builds slowly as it paints a vivid picture of the times, the characters and prevalant attitudes. Once the scene was set this book built such a head of steam I was unable to put it down. I read this book in one session, something I have never done before
Rating:
Summary: This Book is Great!
Review: You should read this book, I am not a reader at all and I loved this book. It is really good and is worth the small amount of time it takes to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: "To Kill a Mockingbird"" is obviously one of the best American novels of the 20th Century. It is the story of a young girl, Scout Finch, growing up in Alabama during the 1930s-40s. She lives with her brother and father, the often referenced Atticus Finch. Her father has been appointed to represent a black man being tried for allegedly raping a white woman. The novel deals with the Finch family's persecution for Atticus's role in doing what he knows to be right, and specifically, how these events affect Scout's view of the world as she grows up. The picture Harper Lee paints in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is of an honest, noble man and his struggle to raise his children as a single parent in the impoverished Deep South of the early 20th century. They live in a neighborhood of several eclectic personalities, from the brooding, misunderstood Mrs. Dubose, to the mysterious Radley family. The Alabama Ms. Lee portrays is a beautiful rural arrangement of small towns and counties, with many wonderful, honest citizens, who are unfortunately overshadowed by the hateful actions of others. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read, and it left me occasionally saddened, but ultimately proud of my homeland, the American South.
Rating:
Summary: What a powerful story of human integrity!
Review: To Kill A Mockingbird is set in a small town in Alabama during the early 1930s. The main plot centers around the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of the rape of a white girl. It is within this context that Atticus, the town's gentleman and defense attorney, teaches his children humanity and truth. The story is narrated by an adult Jean Louise (Scout), recalling the events of her childhood leading up to and after the trial. Tom is convicted and sentenced to death - not surprising given the era, any other outcome of the trial would have rendered this novel trite and significantly diminished its value. The trial is without a doubt among the most well written scenes I've ever experienced in American fiction. Tom's accuser represents the complete antithesis of honor, respect, and decency. I applaud Lee for delivering biblical comeuppance to the accuser in a swiftly paced yet suspenseful narrative that made me anxious to get to the next sentence. Lee introduces the right characters in the right setting with exacting language to support the theme of the novel. This is perhaps the nations' most well written lesson on the personal depravation caused by racial hatred and the spiritual enlightenment encountered when one stands defiant in the face of it. And what better way to demonstrate this moral message than through the eyes of children who know nothing but truth, until told otherwise. Lee would be hard pressed to top this novel, perhaps that's why she hasn't tried. This is a novel that children should grow up with, its bound to produce better adults. Most certainly worthy of the Pulitzer and deserving of it's place in the history of American fiction.
|
