Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To Kill a Mockingbird, April 25, 2005
A Kid's Review
This 1960's classic, taking place in the Southern town of Maycomb, tells the story of three children as they grow ever stronger as they overcome many obstacles- including racism, moral values, life without a mother, and a court trial against Tom Robinson- a black man accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell- and his attorney Atticus Finch- the father of two of the characters, Jem and Jean-Louis (Scout) Finch. Jem and Scout must learn to deal with the harsh disapproval the town and the rest of their family has with their father. Their best friend Dill Harris, who lives in Mobile, joins the Finch's in the summer. The three friends make up to play outside, to make the summer days pass in a pleasant manner. But when summer's over, it's back to school where Jem gets along fine, but Scout struggles to get along with the other students who make fun of her father and her teacher, Miss Stephanie Crawford. Fires, gunshots, threats, lies, and a dramatic court case cause uproars in the town, and the three friends grow closer everyday.
When I read this book, I couldn't bear to put it down, and was often dying to pick it up again when I had the chance. If you would like to hear a story about growing up, human dignity, virtue and wisdom, compassion and cruelty, love and hatred, wit and misery, lose yourself within the pages of this award-winning best seller!
The New York Times: "Marvelous... Miss Lee's original characters are people to cherish in this winning first novel."
Harper's Magazine: "A novel of great sweetness, humor, compassion, and of mystery carefully sustained."
Boston Herald: "Has pace and power... overflowing with life.
The New Yorker: "Skilled, unpretentious and totally ingenuous... tough, melodramatic, acute, funny."
Tyler Jacobson: "Dramatic, clever, thoughtful... a great read for Junior High and High School students."
New York Herald Tribune: "Tender and searing... splendid."
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tightly written with a message for everyone, September 15, 2006
Harper Lee was encouraged to write some of her childhood memories. What in the beginning seems like the story of three childhood friends in depression era Macomb, Alabama, turns out to be packed with insights to the makeup of human kind.
This story is intriguing on many levels from the history of the area to the stereotyping of people. Most of all every turn was a surprise as told in the first person from the view of Scout Finch. And instead of telling the story in a six year old vocabulary she uses an exceptionally large repertoire to describe the people and events. This story is not as slow passed as one may guess from first glance as every remark and every action will be needed for a future action.
A major controversial part of the story is the trial of Tom Robinson. Hoverer this is just a catalyst to help Scout understand the nature of people including her father Atticus and you will find that as important as it is it is just a part of the story with other major characters such as Arthur "Boo" Radley.
Even thought it appears that Scout is the recipient of the insights, I believe we the reader is the real recipient.
I can truly say that this book has changed my outlook in life.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Story?, October 31, 2009
What can you say about Harper Lee's bittersweet tale of growing up in the deep south? That it's the perfect story told in a manner that is thoughtful, insightful and heartbreaking in its examinations of the lives of three children who live in this town and tale.
Harper Lee has taken the times and places of her childhood and woven them into a tale that transcends both time and place. The lessons, foibles and fables of the story have, over time, come to symbolize the struggles of all people who are striving to make themselves better and are bravely facing fear and hatred.
This is a book that will change the mindset of most thinking persons. If you do not come away from this book with some thought as to what is bravery and what is the cost of that bravery then you need to go back and reread this incredible book.
I know that it changes my life and mind each time I read it. It reminds me, as it should remind us all, that life is precious, people are people, and we all are basically the same if we allow ourselves to be and we should revel in those differences!!!
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