Customer Reviews
Race and Class in the Deep South - By: J C E Hitchcock, 26 Nov 2008 
It is perhaps appropriate that this was the first book I read after the election of America's first black President. My real reason for re-reading it, however, was for the purposes of comparison with Faulkner's "Intruderin the Dust", which deals with a similar theme. Indeed, I recently came across an allegation that Harper Lee's novel was essentially a plagiarism of Faulkner's.
The book is setin Maycomb County, Alabama, during the depression era of the 1930s. It is a first-person narrative told through the eyes of Jean Louise Finch who, for some reason, goes by the nickname Scout. Although she is only a child at the time of the events described, the narrative voice is that of the adult Jean Louise looking back at her childhood from some pointin the future. The action of "Intruderin the Dust" is set over a few days & tells the story of one single incident, the murder of Vinson Gowrie; "To Kill a Mockingbird" is set over a period of about two years & essentially tells the story of Jean Louise's childhood between the ages of six & eight, although it concentrates on one crucial incident. The main characters, apart from Jean Louise herself, are her brother Jem & their friend Dill (another unexplained nickname; his real name is Charles).
Jean Louise & Jem are the children of Atticus Finch, a widowed lawyer. The book's central incident is the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson, for the alleged rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell; Atticus is Robinson's defence attorney. Like Faulkner, Lee uses a classic thriller plot- the fight to prove the innocence of a man wrongly accused- to explore racismin America's Deep South. Although Robinson is clearly innocent of the charge, the all-white jury nevertheless vote to convict him, largely because to admit that a white woman, even one as sluttish as Mayella, was capable of making false accusations would force them to abandon their cherished ideas about the purity of Southern womanhood.
Harper Lee's concerns are wider than just the race issue. The book also has a lot to say about attitudes to social class among the white community, contrasting affluent middle-class families like the Finches with the likes of the Ewells, who can quite literally be classified as poor white trash. The family livein a shack next to the town's rubbish dump, where Mayella's father Bob earns his living as a scavenger. A favourite saying of the liberal, tolerant Atticus, who believes that most people, when you get to know them, are essentially kind, is that you should never judge a man until you have stoodin his shoes & walked aroundin them. (At times the tone seemed quite preachy, as though Harper Lee were writing an extended sermon on tolerance).
Atticus applies this principle of non-judgementalism not only to racial issues but also to various acquaintances whom his children dislike or disapprove of for one reason or another. He applies it to Boo Radley, a simple-minded & reclusive, but inwardly kindly, neighbour, to the cantankerous old Mrs Dubose & to the Cunninghams, another poor white family but one who have retained a greater dignity & self-respect than the Ewells. The title of the book refers to a saying of Atticus that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they never do any harm, but it is a phrase which also refers to his philosophy of life. At various times several charactersin the book- Robinson, Boo Radley, the children- can be seen as "mockingbirds", harmless creaturesin need of protection.
One problem with the book is that Lee never really explores the tension between Atticus's liberal philosophy of life, & the problem of human evil as exemplifiedin the book by Bob Ewell, who is neither misjudged nor misunderstood but just plain wicked. Not only does he give perjured evidencein the hope of getting an innocent man sent to the gallows, & encourages his daughter to do the same, he also makes a vicious & cowardly attack on Atticus's children. Trying to standin such a man's shoes would not, I feel, be a very productive exercise.
My other criticism of the book would be that it explores the question of racism from an exclusively white perspective, albeit a liberal one. For a number of reasons I think that "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a better book than "Intruderin the Dust", the most important being that Harper Lee's prose style is much more fluent & readable than Faulkner's often impenetrable sentences. Nevertheless, Faulkner creates,in Lucas Beauchamp, a black character who is much more well-rounded than any of thosein Lee's book. Tom Robinson is little more than a plot device; the most prominent black character is Calpurnia, the Finch family's maid, who is that common literary stereotype, the faithful black servant. The book would have been better if Lee had given us a black perspective on the events she describes.
Those criticisms apart, I found this an excellent book, with a number vividly drawn characters, especially the spirited, loveable young Jean Louise & her father, who was memorably played by Gregory Peckin the brilliant film adaptation. Despite the limitations of his world view Atticus is an admirable character, who shows,in his defence of Robinson, not only great moral courage but also great physical courage as well. The immense improvement which has taken placein race relationsin America since 1960 is owed,in part, to men like Atticus Finch, & also to women like Harper Lee who were prepared to confront the endemic racist attitudes of their society.
Timeless - By: D. McFarlane, 17 Nov 2008 
This is my favourite novel of all time. I have read it so many times, I know it off by heart & also have the film.
The character of Scout is wise beyond her years & exposes the cruel, harsh, but contrastingly & most importantly, compassionate tendancies of the 1930s adult world. She reveals to us the true mockingbird (Tom Robinson) of the story & how someone that does nothing but selfless & honest work can be treatedin such a way by others that it elicits sympathy from any third party- e.g us as readers. The setting is also vividly described- you can imagine yourself sitting on the dusty porch with Atticus, watching the sun set & see Jem & Scout with Dill. The innocence of Scout,in its totality, is what allows the reader to follow the story to the very end & appreciate it as many generations before have done so.
There are possibly very few who would regret reading this novel. It is timeless & engrossing.
A little slow, but fantastic!! - By: reading fool, 30 Oct 2008 When I first picked up this novel, hearing that it was a classic, i thought it would too dreary for me as I was used to the quickly paced modern fiction. I was very wrong.
Even though the story is slow, you come to realise just how drenched the town isin prejudice. Harper Lee gets across the themes & characters very well.
A great read. Deserved to be called a classic.
To kill a mockingbird? - By: T. A. O'kennedy, 14 Oct 2008 An absolute 'MUST READ' - a real challenge to your consciousness & your thoughts about right & wrong - what a characterful & honest book - just couldn't put it down.
tolerance - By: OK, 15 Sep 2008 It's been ages since I've read this book so I'm not going to say much but this book should be read. Teachers have started not to study this bookin schools because it has the word niggerin it (wellin this country they have started to stop). It's more important now to read it them ever, this book promotes tolerance rather than racism. It's not the quickest book to read but it's a great book, I'm never going to give this book away.
