Forum Book-Discussion To Kill A Mockingbird

What makes the great books great? This forum is meant to explore that question. So what is it that makes this book great?

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Pernnial Moderns Classics)

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Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South -- and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, served as the basis of an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father -- a crusading local lawyer -- risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.


Next Week's Book- Pride and Prejudice

This book is such a hard one to give it a just description, because it is such a classic.

I think it's fantastic because it down right points out our chosen flaws as human beings and the boundaries we force between ourselves and other people. I think if everyone followed Atticus' way we would be living in a much better more understanding world. Atticus is the perfect display of bravery especially in the era this story was written. While in the background of the story Scout's having some conflict of her own with Boo Radley and it ties into the same type of theme. "You're different so I don't like you, or am afraid of you."

I cried, not only the first, second and third time I saw this movie.

It was fantastic and so well written and true to the times. It was wonderful because it was the truth right in front of your face.

It has been such a long time since I read this book that I can't mention any specifics, however, I do remember it having a impact on me when I read it in 7th, 8th grade? I do remember that I loved it and bought it for future rereading, which has yet to happen. It still sits on my shelf along with other classics, but I know that it outshines many of them.

beautiful book, dark and charming, the american gothic of books

It's the quintessence of a childhood story. It's coming-of-age, which everyone can relate to. And Harper Lee writes very honestly and yet with language that isn't hard to grasp. It's a story for everybody.

Not sure what else I can add to the discussion. I read this in 8th grade and it blew me away. At that time, all of the books that I'd had to read for school that weren't called "The Outsiders" I had hated (and actually still hate to this day), but TKAM struck a cord with me. Beautifully written with believable characters. The movie is astonishing as well, quite possibly Gregory Peck's finest performance, most assuredly one of the finest lead actor performances ever.

I always wonder why Harper Lee never published anything else after this.

This was one of those books, for me, when back in school it was a required read. I didn't read anything that was required, so when I actually read this book, it was monumental. Fortunately, I read a book that I actually came to love and enjoy.

There are bits about the movie that are memorable, to me. The Atticus courthouse bit was amazing, and I felt an unrelenting disappointment when the case was lost. However, I also loved how his "protector" side came out when the mad dog was found roaming the streets. When he unflinchingly shoots the dog down, I thought it helped expand just the kind of person he is, when it comes to his family as well as to others.

But one of my most favorite bits was when Boo Radley shows up at the end. Here is this character whom, because of rumors, has been made out to be some kind of monster; but when the time comes for the character to appear, he goes against the word and saves Scout's life. I have always loved the way a character is portrayed through other characters, and then proves them wrong by being portrayed through the character himself.

Amazing book. Will definitely have to read it again, sometime in the near future.

::biggrin::

This is the book that inspired me to be a writer. A teacher gave it to me in when I was in seventh or eighth grade while the rest of the class went after "Ramona" and "Sweet Valley High" books in library. I read it vigorously and when I was done, I sent my mother out to rent the movie with Gregory Peck. It was in reading this book that I discovered for certain that all I wanted to do in life was be a writer.

Sadly I was never given this book to read in school and didn't discover it until about 5 years ago. I've read it several times since.

It makes me feel like a child again. Looking through Scout's eyes at the world around her just draws you in. You really do start to think the way the children do, especially about Boo and Mrs. Dubose. Only to find out later you were completely wrong about them. The ending just blows me away, like the children I never saw it coming. The darn thing makes me cry every time.

I've only seen the movie once, it too made me cry, but it's just one of those where given the choice I'd rather read the book as there's so many small moments that endear you to the children that aren't in the movie.

Classic is all I can say. Not Classic such as 'The Good Earth' but Classic such as read it once and you'll always remember. Memorable characters that pop up again and again in modern media, great plotline that got this poor author laughed and even sneered at for years.
Why was it her only one? Probably because she got trashed so hard for her work that she just lost interest in ever contributing to the publishing world again. Maybe it was the only one because To Kill A Mockingbird was all she had to do in order to become immortal.

I read this book for the first time when I was 7 or 8 years old, and it was an instant favorite for me. Since then I have read it so many times that I had lost count. By the time I was required to read it in high school, I knew the story so intimatly. Harper Lee's one contribution to the literary world was nothing short of a masterpiece. It is a book that I always have in the back of my mind when I dream of getting published. It really is an example to me that literature does have an impact on society, and can make real waves. Everything about that story is absolutely brilliant.

A great book, absolutely a classic. And in one of those very rare exceptions, they made it into a great movie. If youve never seen the movie I highly recommend it; it's very faithful to the book and the performances, direction and writing are all outstanding.

Just to give a point of reference, in high school I was a super sci fi geek, and if a book didn't have 'Star Wars' in the title or Michael Crichton as the author, I usually passed it up. Then comes a day during my sophmore year and our teacher hands out our reading assignment for the month and I think to myself, "Great. More pretentious bullshit." But when I read the first line of the book, the one about Jem breaking his arm (can't repeat it verbatim), something struck a chord with me. Obviously, there is a huge generation gap here between Scout and Jem and me, but somehow their stories reminded me of my own early child hood: The strange yet wonderful friend who only shows up during the summer; the family that everyone talks about behind their backs; the house every one crosses the street to pass. Even more profound, however, were the things that were the complete opposite of my life, and managed to stir a kind of jealousy in me, mainly the standard that Atticus sets as the father. Before reading this book I thought my Dad was Superman. Atticus makes him look like the village idiot. Reflection, however, from this point in my life, reveals my Dad as just an average man, a good man. In anycase, no other book before or sense has caused me to look so hard at the world around me.

I think in a way, it is a shame that this book is touted as a children's book. I watched it when I was much older and the thing that reaches down and grabs me everytime is when the mad dog is running about town. The dog is symbolizing the town's bigotry and hatred and no one had the courage to shoot and kill it but Atticus. Same as in the courtroom. Wow.....amazing movie and book. If you haven't read it recently, pick it up as an adult and give it another read.....you'll see what I mean.

Taryn

got to agree with everyone on this one: its a Classic.
its Classy, is what it is.
represents something PURE, only enhanced by fact that its the only one she ever wrote!
dont do the sequel Harper, just let it be baby...

It's a classic for the reasons that everyone else's has said, but one of the things that really struck me was the way Harper Lee brought Maycomb and its inhabitants to life. It felt so real and distinctive, and because of that I felt more connected to the setting and characters. It could have been easy for Lee to just portray the racist Southerners as bad people, but instead she made them so complex and gray, and I think that's one of the reasons why the book is so effective.