Books
by Harper Lee
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Go Set a Watchman |
The temptation to cash in by publishing this draft of To Kill a Mocking Bird (bwl 24) must have been enormous; all Lee's fans would love it. Or maybe not. It's interesting to read and compare but beware - it's the opposite of redemptive. Here Scout is a judgmental twenty-something, Atticus a bigot, the trial ends in anti-climax. Fortunately Lee's editor saw the gold amongst the dross, encouraged her to rethink, rewrite, polish and produce her masterpiece.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 80 Spring 2016) |
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To Kill a Mockingbird |
If you've never read this classic, do read it now. Told by ten-year old Scout, she and her brother Jem live in a small-town community in 1930's Alabama. They and their friend Dill are terrified and fascinated by a mysterious recluse. Is he foe or friend? The answer will only be revealed as a result of the events surrounding the trial of a Negro accused of rape who is defended by their father. Deeply satisfying.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 24 June 2004) |
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