Yes, it is official, I have finally finished reading the second book by Harper Lee, Go Set A Watchman that came out earlier this year among a media frenzy! I know I work in a bookshop but hey, there are a lot of books! Is this the appropriate time to mention that I've never read the entire Harry Potter series let alone touched Twilight or Lord of the Rings? Sorry for putting them in the same sentence (no offense).
Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.
Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.
Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee's enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.
- Harper (haha what are the chances?) Collins
Second issue: it's not as good as the first. Well of course! How could it ever be? So highly acclaimed was the former, including winner of the Pulitzer Prize and beloved by many, not to mention has had 55 years just to stew in its greatness. The story and writing is actually okay and I never felt that I had to force myself to finish reading it but I think it's totally unrealistic to expect it to be as good as TKAM. What can compete with nostalgia and elevation to a pedestal? Nothing, unless it had been something more than 'perfection'. I feel like it's a bit sad in a way because you can't erase this part of the story now and it's just there. Maybe in a few years people will stop comparing and see past the hype to enjoy it for what it is.
I quite enjoyed the focus on Scout (maybe we can name children after her??) and I felt she was quite relate able as a character. Positively modern day in her vernacular and relation ship with Hank/Henry. She's strong and confident and isn't afraid to say no. Coming back to her hometown after all those years and seeing what has changed - has she? It's quite interesting I guess to see how your favourite characters have changed. Although JEM! Read and see.
I would recommend this book just to see the growth of character but of course if you really can't stomach the thought of Atticus, perhaps refrain.
Maycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
A historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel,
the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling
author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic,
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.
Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.
Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee's enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.
- Harper (haha what are the chances?) Collins
Maycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Maycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Maycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
aycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.9GlrKZjf.dpuf
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.9GlrKZjf.dpuf
aycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.9GlrKZjf.dpuf
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.9GlrKZjf.dpuf
Maycomb,
Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home
from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the
backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were
transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when
she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and
the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and
her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the
iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary
transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be
guided only by one's own conscience.
Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
First things first, yes we've all heard that Atticus is now a racist and so reading it it wasn't that much of a shock. What kind of freaked me out was the really seemingly 'rational' and calm argument he put forth as to why he had turned out so. Doesn't really make it any better but I suppose that the character evolved in this way so we have to accept it. As much as we wish we did, they don't belong to us! Although, I worry that there are whole generations of people named after Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird and now it's discovered he's actually a racist. That would really suck to say the least. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/harper-lee/go-set-a-watchman-9781785150289.aspx#sthash.iCP6pBRp.dpuf
Second issue: it's not as good as the first. Well of course! How could it ever be? So highly acclaimed was the former, including winner of the Pulitzer Prize and beloved by many, not to mention has had 55 years just to stew in its greatness. The story and writing is actually okay and I never felt that I had to force myself to finish reading it but I think it's totally unrealistic to expect it to be as good as TKAM. What can compete with nostalgia and elevation to a pedestal? Nothing, unless it had been something more than 'perfection'. I feel like it's a bit sad in a way because you can't erase this part of the story now and it's just there. Maybe in a few years people will stop comparing and see past the hype to enjoy it for what it is.
I quite enjoyed the focus on Scout (maybe we can name children after her??) and I felt she was quite relate able as a character. Positively modern day in her vernacular and relation ship with Hank/Henry. She's strong and confident and isn't afraid to say no. Coming back to her hometown after all those years and seeing what has changed - has she? It's quite interesting I guess to see how your favourite characters have changed. Although JEM! Read and see.
I would recommend this book just to see the growth of character but of course if you really can't stomach the thought of Atticus, perhaps refrain.
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