Some novels come and throw the literary would upside down. Harper Lee and her novel To Kill a Mockingbird did just that in 1960. Now, most high school kids have to read the classic novel even as it is banned in many schools. Find out why his novel has connected with millions of readers and is still as popular as ever today!
To Kill a Mockingbird: Summary
Narrated by six-year-old Jean Louise Finch, we are taken to 1933 to the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Jean, who goes by the nickname Scout, spends the summer with her older brother Jeremy, who goes by Jem and their friend Dill who vacations in Maycomb every summer. And Lastly, there is Scout and Jem’s widowed father Atticus Finch, a lawyer.
The children try to spot the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley, a neighbor who none of the children have ever seen. Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. The towns people of Maycomb are not happy with Atticus defending a black person and insult him.
Atticus decides to keep defending Tom even though that means he is ostracized by everyone. To Atticus, what is important is the truth and not the race. That quality of his puts him and his family in danger. Tom’s life is also threatened even though there is little proof that he committied the crime.
Despite the hellstorm, Atticus holds onto his principles and defends Tom. Seeing the events through the children’s eyes showcases the opacity of racism in the south and all across The United States. Will the jury find Tom guilty just because of his skin color or will the right of law prevail?
The Success of To Kill a Mockingbird and Its Sequel
Many people read this novel during high school and I am glad that I did. Harper Lee wrote one of the greatest novels ever and it became my first favorite novel. This was her only book for decades until Go Set a Watchman was released in 2015.
Lee felt immense pressure following the success of To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. That may have been the worst thing as Lee failed to write another book to live up to the success of her first novel. When Go Set a Watchman was released, it set the record for the highest soldadult novel for one-day sales at Barnes & Noble.
Go Set a Watchmen may have been released after To Kill a Mockingbird but it was originally a first draft. And that was for the best. While To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic, To Get a Watchman is flawed and would never have done as well as the former.
Harper Lee Hated Her Newfound Fame
Nobody could have expected Lee’s first novel to be as popular as it was. She was a first time author and was shocked when she won the Pulitzer Prize. Over the years, Lee was known to keep to herself and would rarely do interviews.
“I never expected any sort of success with ‘Mockingbird,” said Lee in an interbiew. “I was hoping for a quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers but, at the same time, I sort of hoped someone would like it enough to give me encouragement. Public encouragement. I hoped for a little, as I said, but I got rather a whole lot, and in some ways this was just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death I’d expected.”
Harper Lee
Harper Lee and Truman Capote’s Friendship
A lot of the novel was inspired by true events and people. And Lee’s childhood friend in the novel may have been based on Truman Capote, her childhood friend and neighbor. Just like Dill, Capote would visit every summer.
They were good friends for a while and Lee even helped him do research for his novel In Cold Blood. But Capote didn’t give Lee any credit when the novel was released. Capote was said to have been jealous of the success Lee’s novel achieved, leading to their fallout.
The Novel That Made Me Love Reading
For many people, there favorite novel that made them love reading comes early in their life. But for me, the novel that made me see the magical world of literature was To Kill a Mockingbird. It was one of the first times I got lost in a book and began to read avidly.
I remember vividly being tranported to the setting of the novel, relating to the point of view of Scout. That decision alone sets the tone for the novel that Lee never lets go of. Few novels are perfect and this is one of those novels. We have a different version of this novel in Go Set a Watchman, proving just how much revision and work was needed to make this novel the classic novel that it is today.
Conclusion
The pressures of following up a novel like To Kill a Mockingbird may be why we never got another novel from her not including To Set a Watchman. Anything in comparison would not be good. But I believe she should have still done it because as readers, we enjoy reading from our favorite writers and really wish the cirtics would disappear sometimes.
One of my favourite books! I always recommend it to first time readers, too.
Mhm great way to keep them interested in reading!
Love the review. Not a book I have read but one to add to the list
Its great read!
Your blog and mine review similar books! Did you know that Dill is based on Truman Capote? When I read some of Capote’s short stories based on his childhood I started to put two and two together, did a little research, and found that Lee had created the Dill character to write Capote into the novel.
Yes I found that out while writing the post! A lot of the novel is inspired by her own events
A book I have yet to read. I must get a copy.
You won’t regret it!
FYI: it’s “Go Set a Watchman” (not “To…”). Otherwise, excellent job on your reviews!
Even though I didn’t get a chance to pick it up in school, I’m glad I chose to pick it up myself a few years later. It is an unforgettable classic and opened my eyes a little more on the harsh realities of racism. That was great commentary and I really enjoyed reading what Lee thought when the novel first came out! I am glad to have decided not to read Go Set a Watchman!