But first, I wanted to tell you why I loved this book. As I mentioned, I loved how it was written. It was clever and funny and very thought-provoking. I like that it was written from Scout's perspective. And to me, it was believable that it was from her. Because of who Scout was and her upbringing and the influence of her father and her brother, I found it convincing. I also loved how it made me think about how I treat others and why. It reminded me of a quote I recently read. It is has been attributed to two separate authors.
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet
is fighting some kind of battle."
is fighting some kind of battle."
And going along with this idea, this was my favorite passage of the whole book:
"Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done
any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..."
any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..."
His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover,
tucking it around me.
tucking it around me.
"Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them."
I'm not sure I take enough time to "see" people. I want to do that.
Okay, enough of my thoughts. Your turn. But what kind of book discussion would it be without a question or two?
1. How do you think Bob Ewell was killed?
2. At the end of the book, what did Scout mean when she said, "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"
2. At the end of the book, what did Scout mean when she said, "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"
Hope you enjoyed the book.
Have a Happy Halloween and a wonderful November!
4 comments:
Okay...I'm slow, too, and I'm not quite finished reading yet. Even though I read this book years ago, it has been so great to pick it up again. I agree with Linn; it is such a BEAUTIFULLY written book. I'll be back, soon, to answer these questions. But, in the meantime, I thought I'd share two things:
1) When I asked my local librarian in which section I could find this book, he told me, but then said, "You know, I think the movie is much better than the book." Are you kidding? That came out the mouth of a librarian??? While I'll admit I do like the movie, too, I'm glad I didn't take his word for it and skip re-reading this. It is excellent!
2) I read somewhere that this is Harper Lee's only book? Could it be true? She is such a lovely writer...I wish she would have had more stories to tell. Incidentally, I just realized the Harper Lee is a woman...I thought all these years it was a man? No wonder she can capture the view of a young girl so well!
I thought Harper Lee was a woman also, Ade. Until I read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee
Very interesting and informative.
Oh, and the most common comment I received after telling someone that I was reading the book again was, "Oh, watch the movie again also. It is wonderful!" Your librarian is not alone.
I hope you don't mind me joining the discussion without reading the book. (Actually I have read the book, just don't remember it-Junior High I think)
I love the thoughts you posted Linn! It is so easy to pass judgement quickly without knowing where the other person is coming from. It is important to see into the hearts of others!
Also, two words why the movie is loved so much: GREGORY PECK! Just sayin!
Yes! I can comment! I really enjoyed this book and at the end, it was a real page turner! Of course, the romantic in me says Arthur "Boo" Radley killed Ewell. He left the house the only time he could, in complete darkness, and being observant he saw Jem and Scout and was there to protect them. I loved the character of Atticus. Not too many people like him in the world. His emotions run deep but he keeps them hidden. I was touched by the chapter where he sends Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose to help her overcome her morphine addiction. I would like to assimilate qualities of Atticus: non-judgmental, quiet wisdom, never losing his temper with his children. I'm going to incorporate his phrase with my daughter, "Do you really think so?" It's almost inconceivable this treatment of blacks where it's a good sign when the jury takes hours to deliberate before finding the obviously innocent black defendant guilty instead of an instant verdict. Yet, you know it had to have happened in order for people to write about it, sing about it (Strange Fruit), march about it, etc. Thanks for the pick. It was great! With Gregory Peck, I may very well check out the movie!
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