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A review by taulkstoomuch
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I don't know how to feel about this book to be completely honest.
I've always heard of this book as a 'classic' and a 'must-read', so I (as one would) assumed that it was one of those books that had to be read to truly understand the black experience during the 1930s. Much to my surprise, the author is a white woman; maybe this was the reason that it took me so long to get around to read it.
Not only this, but the choice to write a story regarding the mistreatment of black people through the perspective of a young white girl, one that is so naive to all the happenings of her society, was an odd one. It feels like a convenient mechanism to make the audience forget that Scout's family, hence white poeple, would undoubtedly benefit from their environment at the time, and even now. The story reeks of white saviour complex - are we supposed to be proud of Atticus for standing up for the right of black people? It is his job as a lawyer, but also a person to instill those morals into his children. Expecting a commendation for such a basic moral code (being the best out of a bad (incredibly racist) bunch) seems odd, so I feel unjust in rating this book anything higher than I have.
Subject matter aside, I found the book to be quite dull in general. I felt like it dragged through the first half in the name of character building. It took me a long time to get through the book because of the writing, and I was listening to it in audiobook (let's not even talk about the language and how uncomfortable it made me to listen to a white narrator say slurs over and over again).
That is not to say that this book doesn't have any positives. I can appreciate that it is a classic and highly revered within the education system. It does bring into question why this, out of all the others books on racism, is the classic. There are so many beautiful(-lly depressing) books about the experiences of black people during this era, written by black people themselves. Perhaps we should be highlighting those experiences and reading books by them to have a more accurate view of history.
I've always heard of this book as a 'classic' and a 'must-read', so I (as one would) assumed that it was one of those books that had to be read to truly understand the black experience during the 1930s. Much to my surprise, the author is a white woman; maybe this was the reason that it took me so long to get around to read it.
Not only this, but the choice to write a story regarding the mistreatment of black people through the perspective of a young white girl, one that is so naive to all the happenings of her society, was an odd one. It feels like a convenient mechanism to make the audience forget that Scout's family, hence white poeple, would undoubtedly benefit from their environment at the time, and even now. The story reeks of white saviour complex - are we supposed to be proud of Atticus for standing up for the right of black people? It is his job as a lawyer, but also a person to instill those morals into his children. Expecting a commendation for such a basic moral code (being the best out of a bad (incredibly racist) bunch) seems odd, so I feel unjust in rating this book anything higher than I have.
Subject matter aside, I found the book to be quite dull in general. I felt like it dragged through the first half in the name of character building. It took me a long time to get through the book because of the writing, and I was listening to it in audiobook (let's not even talk about the language and how uncomfortable it made me to listen to a white narrator say slurs over and over again).
That is not to say that this book doesn't have any positives. I can appreciate that it is a classic and highly revered within the education system. It does bring into question why this, out of all the others books on racism, is the classic. There are so many beautiful(-lly depressing) books about the experiences of black people during this era, written by black people themselves. Perhaps we should be highlighting those experiences and reading books by them to have a more accurate view of history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Murder and Violence