Friday 22 May 2015

To Kill a Mockingbird by: Harper Lee

Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction 
Published: May 23, 2006 by: Harper Modern Classics
Pages: 324 
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars


To Kill a Mockingbird is the heartwarming classic story of two children growing up in a small southern town, right at the height of the discrimination of African Americans. The children not only witness the mistreatment of black people, but they also witness their own father: Atticus Finch, take a stand against it, when he defends a black man convicted of a crime that he may have not committed. It is a constant battle of doing what’s right, or what’s expected.

 Obviously everyone and anyone have read this book, and many have adored it. I found some parts to be very interesting, but some parts were just underwhelming.

I really liked the characters of this book. Atticus Finch was an amazing human being to stand up for what he believed in, and he was setting a great example for his children. Scout and Jem were very adventurous and curious, and I loved how out-spoken they were.

I also loved the end of this book. From the trial, onward, I was captivated by the writing and it was so powerful. I found it to be extremely interesting how in-detail the trial was, and I was biting my nails to hear the verdict. I felt as though I was in that courtroom as well.

What I didn’t like about this book, is the fact that the beginning and the middle were extremely slow. I couldn’t understand what was going on, and I feel like the real climax happened at the end. The entire book was just leading up to this trial, which really sealed the book for me.

Overall the message of this book was emotional and powerful. What Atticus did for his community was extremely incredible, and he proved that everyone deserved equal rights. I just kind of wished that there was more rising action in the beginning and the end. That is why it got 3.5 stars. 

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


Emily @ Paperback Princess

16 comments:

  1. Gaaahhhh! My favourite book of all time!!^.^

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  2. To Kill a Mockingbird is such a touching novel! I only read it last year, because in Greece we don't have to read it for school, and I wish I could have read it much earlier! Atticus is one of my all time favourite characters and father figures in literature. I like very much the way Scout sees Boo.

    Aeriko @ http://thereadingarmchair.blogspot.com

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    1. Atticus was my favourite part of the entire book! He treated everyone with dignity and respect.

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  3. This is one of my favourite classic novels! I read this strangely when I was 11 years old and I seemed to understand the book and its message fully. The book did have a bit of a pacing issue but it is a wonderful read.
    Naomi @The Perks Of Being A Bookworm

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    1. I agree with the pacing but the message was incredible :)

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  4. There have been so many glowing reviews for this, so it's interesting to see someone who was right in the middle. It sounds like it had an amazing message and moral but that it was a bit slow to get into. Definitely going to have to give this a try to see what all the hype's about! ;) Thanks for sharing, and wonderful review! ♥

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. Thanks, Zoe! I really was torn, but it was still quite brilliant.

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  5. I actually just saw the theatrical version of it about two weeks ago and it was amazing. I hadn't read the book in a while so I couldn't remember a lot and it was great to see it all again. To be honest I didn't really find any of it that slow but that was probably because it was a play as opposed to a book. Still, the message is incredible and the characters are great. It definitely has some of the most memorable moments in literature (Atticus's speech at the trial, and him stopping the lynching to name two) and I'll definitely re-read it at some point.

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    1. I agree, there were parts of the book that were extremely remarkable. I'd love to see the theatrical version, it must be so interesting!

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  6. I liked this book :) I think it was 2 years ago when I first read this one, and I don't really remember what happened because this book is a little thick (and the text is so TINY!), but now that you mentioned it, I do remember the courtroom scene. :) You're right, the beginning was kind of slow, but I wasn't too bothered by it though. For some reason, I liked it haha! :)) Great review Emily!

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    1. Thanks Jillian! It was quite thick which is why I think I really tried to push through it. I invested so much time into it lol!

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  7. I really should read more classics and I actually have this one and even started it but couldn't concentrate on it (I miiiight have started it in class) so I put it down and for some reason I still haven't picked it up again. Anyhow, based on your review it sounds really awesome and educational. Can't wait to read it this summer. :)

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    1. It was very informative and interesting! I don't read many classics either, its something on my repertoire.

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  8. I think I read this novel back in middle school, at first I did like it a lot and thought it was quite accurate to historical fiction. I never picked of up after that even though I have a copy of it, it didn't really make a strong impact on me now that I think of it. It was interesting to see a mixed reviewed when everyone seems to adore this book. Lovely review <3 Benish| Feminist Reflections

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    1. There were definitely some likes and dislikes, but I did find that I was impacted by this book :)

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