Thread: To Kill A Mockingbird

lilac, that's what my english teacher is doing now in our class, and I can see the effects already. It's a shame how english class, which should teach appreciation of literature, can turn students off on books so beautiful and rich as To Kill a Mockingbird! They just milk the story to death, and focus on the wrong things. For instance, he's making this book all about racial prejudice! I can't stand it, I'm just glad I've already read it and it'll always be in my favorites.

Ditto Grits.

Personally, I loved the story and picked it up of my own volition as a teenager. Loved it. I'm glad no one forced me to read it. The characters were expertly realized, the prose well written. It wasn't long-winded and I dont recall anything terribly heavy that dragged on for ages (though heavy conversation sometimes follow any classic, I don't recall much of that happening during the book).

I'll be perfectly honest: I hated that book. I read it because it was assigned, and it's fairly easy to understand, but Scout drove me nuts. I could not stand her; she annoyed the absolute heck out of me.

On the other hand, just about every classmate I talked to said they adored the book. To each their own and all.

Surprisingly good, but then that's why it's a classic.

Atticus and Boo are probably two of the best characters in literary history. Right up there with Heathcliff, Scrooge, and Ahab. This was one of my favorite books as a kid, as well as Red Fern Grows.

I watched that Capote movie with Phillip S. Hoffman, and learned that Harper worked with Capote and wrote the book as kind of a side project. Most of the literary community at the time wrote it off as a joke and didn't take it seriously. She seemed to be Capote's anchor and did a lot of the practical stuff while they researched In Cold Blood.

To Kill a Mockingbird was one of my top two all-time favourite books that I had to read in high school (Fahrenheit 451 was the other). The only way I can describe it is: brilliant.

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favourite book. I just reread it recently and fell even more in love with it. I have been harassing people in bars to read it. I'm glad it wasn't assigned school reading and I picked it up out of my own curiousity, but I can't imagine not loving it.

Scout is my favourite character of all the books I've ever read.

That is definitely my favorite novel. I love the characters to death. Atticus is full of this patient wisdom, yet has a bit of mystery to him concerning the death of his wife, his way with a gun, and even the way he ruffles Jem's hair out of affection. Miss Maudie is amazing. Arthur "Boo" Radley is my favorite character though. I wish I could have been Scout leading him around the house, and when he went back to his own, I could have cried.

I think I subconciously based my first story off of this book's style when I started writing. When I realized it, I went back and read the book again to find out what made me do that. Most of it was the small-town feel and semi-light-heartenedness of the first half of the book.

Too bad Harper Lee didn't write another book...

Originally Posted by Mike C

I'm 45 and I've only just got around to reading it. It's not required reading in the UK.

It is now. We've been given it for our GCSE Closed book exam. It sucks I have to read it with the likes of my class, and I'd rather read it first to my preference and then re-read it with the teacher to discover some points I may have missed. Altogether though, the great stuff I've heard about it has got me on the edge of my seat.

Tom.

You'll love it no matter what, Tom. I re-read it recently. So fucking good.

You were right Malone.

I ended up skipping ahead and reading it at home. Three reads later and I am, truly a fan. Very inspiring, clever and enjoyable, and unlike past books, the analysing of certain parts helped to understand the real 'affect' of the book.

Originally Posted by Malone

I watched that Capote movie with Phillip S. Hoffman, and learned that Harper worked with Capote and wrote the book as kind of a side project. Most of the literary community at the time wrote it off as a joke and didn't take it seriously. She seemed to be Capote's anchor and did a lot of the practical stuff while they researched In Cold Blood.

In fact, the character Dil in To Kill A Mockingbird is based on Capote. They were childhood friends, Capote being raised by his aunts who lived next door to Lee.

Not my type of book and still I liked it. We had to read it for english, we analized it deeply and all. It's quite good in its own way.

I was disappointed in Flannery O'Connor -- one of my favorite authors -- when I recenlty read what she had to say about it. She ripped it -- called it a "children's book." I think a little less of her now.

I've recently read it with my English class at school and to be honest (you're all going to kill me ) I found it quite tedious. I enjoyed the ending scene and the court case but found the main part of the book quite dull. Sorry!