Books : To Kill a Mockingbird

Rating: - Not all that great
Must have been the times in which it was first released because this book did nothing for me. I just don't get why people rave about this book. This is one of those rare cases where you should watch the movie and forget the book.

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Rating: - Amazing Novel!!!!!
The novel is simply amazing! An amazing storyline to go along with a tremendous theme in human equality and rights. A must read for everyone who grew up in the south....actually a must read for every American period!!

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Rating: - A classic even among classics
Jean Louise Finch, better known as Scout, narrates this tale that covers roughly 2 years of her childhood starting from shortly before she started the 1st grade. The story is a mixture of many elements including a mysterious neighbor named Boo Radley, various coming of age issues regarding Scout and her brother Jem, and her father, Atticus, defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. As the story is set in Alabama in the 1930s, the rape case is particularly incendiary.

To Kill a Mockingbird is such a classic piece of American literature that most people read it in high school. I somehow missed that experience and curiosity prompted me to pick it up and give it a try. While there were a few descriptions of rural southern life that ran on a bit long for my taste, the novel was well worth reading. For sheer entertainment value, I enjoyed the Boo Radley subplot the most as it is both mildly suspenseful and immensely interesting.

Of course, the novel is most famous for the rape trial and this is also compelling in a fairly horrifying and very sad way. Harper Lee paints a vivid portrait of the extent to which African Americans were relegated to a status far below even second class in that place and time. Atticus Finch does a masterful job of defending the accused, but he knows that the all-white jury has practically cast their votes before ever entering the courtyard. The author uses the narrative voice of the children to highlight the blatant injustices and the outrage that any decent person would feel as a result. The technique is highly effective if not exactly subtle.

To Kill a Mockingbird is easy to recommend. The story is interesting, the characters substantial, and the subject is still relevant today. It's a shame that Harper Lee has not published a second novel but this single book is likely to ensure that her voice will continue to be heard fro many years to come.

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Rating: - A inspiring book to read it will touch your heart
Embrace The Light; a women's story through poetry to touch your heartThis book touched my heart. I highly reccommend it. A real classic. To foster peace and open the minds for others.

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Rating: - No, It Doesn't Teach You How To Kill a Mockingbird
This timeless novel by Harper Lee is a semi-autobiographical story about a girl named Scout Finch growing up in 1930's Alabama. When her father, Atticus, is assigned to defend a black man on trial for rape, Scout must learn to keep her head high in spite of the taunting and threats of a town gone "stark raving mad". Scout's brother, Jem, represents adolescence and its uncertainty, while her friend, Dill, provides a more naïve and straightforward point-of-view; with Scout's tenacity they form a balanced perspective on the discord that surrounds them. Their distant communication and friendship with the hermit Boo Radley teaches Scout that people are not always who they appear to be.

The first-person narration by Scout as an adult is effective in making the reader feel like he or she has truly lived the story, and in allowing adults, as well as kids, to relate to the theme of growing up while facing adversity. Atticus, truly the model father, shows through example the values of courage, honesty, and respect. The different ways that Scout, Jem, and Dill, respond to the injustices they witness allow for great insight into the human character. To Kill a Mockingbird is known as a high-school staple for its message of courage and tolerance, but readers of all ages have been and will continue to be impacted by this poignant narrative.