To Kill A Mockingbird Review

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a classic, a book that almost everyone has read.  However I had never read it - I decided to change that last year and I finally read it.  I wasn't going to write a review on this as there are so many about but I visited a Modern Art Gallery in Oxford yesterday and a sign said the wonderful thing about books and art is that everyone can add something new to it.  In that spirit, here's a few thoughts: 

Set in 1930s, Malcomb Alabama from the perspective of tenacious and curious Scout To Kill a Mockingbird explores race relations in the South by following the trial (and ramifications in the community) of Tom Robinson - a black man accused of beating and raping a white woman.  

I found the first few chapters slow and hard to get through - and it took me a bit to "get" the Boo Radley storyline.  However, from the introduction of the Tom Robinson, his alleged crime and Scout trying to understand how the community was reacting to them I was hooked. 

Using a child as the narrator was very powerful, it meant that as a reader I was forced to fill in what was left unsaid with my own understanding of race relations in the South.  It also led to some really effective descriptions - like court scenes. 

For me, the most impactful scene overall was when Atticus was waiting at the jail to protect his client and ensure that Tom got his day in court.  This demonstrated the moral message of the book - that you should do what is right, even if it is difficult - and Atticus' commitment to doing what is right.  It also showed the nuanced relationships and community dynamics when Atticus spoke directly to his fellow townsfolk.  

On a lighter note, Scout and Jem's relationship was written brilliantly.  It was super authentic, funny and heartwarming - especially with Scout's tomboy tendencies! 

In today's world I think To Kill A Mockingbird is a powerful and deceptively simple book with an important message.  In 2017 the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI announced that white supremacist violence is the leading domestic terror threat in the USA (reference here).  With that and the ongoing aggressive political rhetoric I would urge everyone to read or re-read this book! 

I also filmed some of my rambles and thoughts on my YouTube channel

Have you read To Kill A Mockingbird?  What did you think?

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