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A review by mariakureads
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I remember first reading this book years ago in school as part of an assignment like most kids do which I'll be honest, made reading the book unenjoyable in a sense because it was forced upon but now as an adult, I decided to revisit this classic.
Read by Sissy Spacek, her warm voice depicts the first person perspective of Scout Finch as that imaginative young mind that is trying to make sense of the world around her as she is seeing her town in a very different light as her father, a very prominent lawyer, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman in a small southern segregated town. Spacek's tone was great; showcasing a range of emotions varying on the words she brings you into the story and ride along with Scout as this trial progresses and becomes a focus of the town.
I believed it then and will say it now that the first person view point of the book is what still catches my eye as this is told from a younger perspective, one who has yet to know all that they will later but also one that has ever had to worry about skin color so having the book in that viewpoint, Scout questions, remarks, and sees that not all things are as they should be which leads to her father trying his best to give the answers by word and deed as he tries his best to defend Mr. Robinson against all odds.
For a book written in 1960, it saddens me to think that very little has changed, based on geography, there is a mass racial disparity in our nation and one that many can no longer ignore. Here is a book that still creates discussions, still questions, and still makes it clear why the harder topics should not only be discussed but should be a focus for change and raises that awareness which is why some schools still talk about and remove from school curriculums and yet is still read, still a topic, and further more showcases many life lessons that we are still in need of.
Read by Sissy Spacek, her warm voice depicts the first person perspective of Scout Finch as that imaginative young mind that is trying to make sense of the world around her as she is seeing her town in a very different light as her father, a very prominent lawyer, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman in a small southern segregated town. Spacek's tone was great; showcasing a range of emotions varying on the words she brings you into the story and ride along with Scout as this trial progresses and becomes a focus of the town.
I believed it then and will say it now that the first person view point of the book is what still catches my eye as this is told from a younger perspective, one who has yet to know all that they will later but also one that has ever had to worry about skin color so having the book in that viewpoint, Scout questions, remarks, and sees that not all things are as they should be which leads to her father trying his best to give the answers by word and deed as he tries his best to defend Mr. Robinson against all odds.
For a book written in 1960, it saddens me to think that very little has changed, based on geography, there is a mass racial disparity in our nation and one that many can no longer ignore. Here is a book that still creates discussions, still questions, and still makes it clear why the harder topics should not only be discussed but should be a focus for change and raises that awareness which is why some schools still talk about and remove from school curriculums and yet is still read, still a topic, and further more showcases many life lessons that we are still in need of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, and Stalking