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4.64 out of 5stars
(22 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
07/15/2021
Nice, very useful book
Very good book, nice cover and good size print.
ElizafromCA

Most helpful negative review

2.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
08/15/2021
Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I'm…
Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I'm not American and a lot of the cultural meaning is lost on me, having said that I think that classic should be universal and To Kill a Mockingbird definitely isn't. It was too idyllic for my tastes, for all their peculiarities the characters are extremely flat, the book tries to tell us that people are complex and no one is totally good or evil but it shows us a different thing, every character can be clearly defined to be on the good or bad side of racism and discrimination in general. And what about the sexism? For all the good... morals it has about racism nobody seems to talk about how nasty this book is to women, I wouldn't care if it wasn't so lauded as a pure can-do-no-wrong book. There isn't a challenge in this book, there isn't a resolution, nobody really grows, everything and everyone is in perpetual stasis, nothing really happened, nothing really changed. It was slow, the writing wasn't anything special, for me the town didn't came alive as real and living and breathing instead it seemed more like a doll house full of plastic people.
Rose999
14 reviews
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  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/21/2022
    Tightly written with a message for everyone
    Harper Lee was encouraged to write some of her childhood memories. What in the beginning seems like the story of three childhood friends in the depression era Macomb, Alabama, turns out to be packed with insights into the makeup of humankind. This story is intriguing on many levels from the history of the area to the stereotyping of people. Most of all every turn was a surprise as told in the first person from the view of Scout Finch. And instead of telling the story in a six-year-old vocabulary, she uses an exceptionally large repertoire to describe the people and events. This story is not as slow passed as one may guess at first glance as every remark and every action will be needed for future action. A major controversial part of the story is the trial of Tom Robinson. Hoverer this is just a catalyst to help Scout understand the nature of people including her father Atticus and you will find that as important as it is just a part of the story with other major characters such as Arthur "Boo" Radley. Even though it appears that Scout is the recipient of the insights, I believe we the reader is the real recipient. I can truly say that this book has changed my outlook on life.
    Berrnard
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/11/2022
    What a beautiful story. Apparently I…
    What a beautiful story. Apparently I "read" this in 9th grade, however the more truthful statement is ... I skimmed it enough to pass the test in 9th grade English. A month ago I picked up "Go Set a Watchman" the sequel by Harper Lee and it inspired me to revisit and "officially" read To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm glad I decided to reread this and fall in love with the plot and characters. I truly love Atticus.
    mandarella
  • 2.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    08/15/2021
    Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I'm…
    Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I'm not American and a lot of the cultural meaning is lost on me, having said that I think that classic should be universal and To Kill a Mockingbird definitely isn't. It was too idyllic for my tastes, for all their peculiarities the characters are extremely flat, the book tries to tell us that people are complex and no one is totally good or evil but it shows us a different thing, every character can be clearly defined to be on the good or bad side of racism and discrimination in general. And what about the sexism? For all the good... morals it has about racism nobody seems to talk about how nasty this book is to women, I wouldn't care if it wasn't so lauded as a pure can-do-no-wrong book. There isn't a challenge in this book, there isn't a resolution, nobody really grows, everything and everyone is in perpetual stasis, nothing really happened, nothing really changed. It was slow, the writing wasn't anything special, for me the town didn't came alive as real and living and breathing instead it seemed more like a doll house full of plastic people.
    Rose999
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/15/2021
    Nice, very useful book
    Very good book, nice cover and good size print.
    ElizafromCA
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/11/2021
    I just finished reading this book. It…
    I just finished reading this book. It was hard to put it down. The book is told in the first person by the youngest child of a lawyer in a small town in Alabama during the Depression. Several themes are explored: racism, standing up for the truth, living in a small town in the South, coming of age(well, sort of....) all come to mind. I recommend this book, but I am not sure if I would really want to read it again. I found part of the thrill of reading the book was the suspense of wondering what would happen next. The scene in the courtroom was particularly engrossing. One note about the language in this book. The 'N' word is used constantly, making me think that this book would not have been accepted for publication in this our day of political correctness. The language and the testimony given during the trial give this book a rating of 'Adult' for this book.
    19vatermit64
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/11/2021
    A lot is made of the racism in this…
    A lot is made of the racism in this book, as it should be. But Lee does a good job of juxtaposing the race issues with class issues and I wonder why that is not discussed more. If leaves one wondering if class and race issues can ever be separated. Overall, I liked the message at the end of the book about "most people being nice when you really see them." If the author had taken a more pessimistic bent this work would not be nearly as powerful. It's nice when optimism wins out over cynicism.
    perlle
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/10/2021
    I first read this book waayyy back…
    I first read this book waayyy back when I was in elementary or Jr.High school and before I had seen the movie. I remember it being one of, if not THE first book we had a real discussion about. I loved it! Soon after that, when I saw the movie on TV and put definate faces to Scout, Jem and Atticus... it was even better. I recently re-read it for about the 3rd time and enjoyed it like the first. I recommend this to everyone.
    SunnieB
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/10/2021
    It was great to approach this book…
    It was great to approach this book without having prior knowledge of its content. It was as fresh as it could be when I began reading it. Atticus Finch is the hero of this book, and about him revolve the lives of his 2 children. Scout- a tomboy with a strong sense of right and wrong, and Jem her older brother, who is learning to fit in to the adult world and not liking what he sees. It is through Scouts eyes that we see the world, and her mature perspective let us get both quite adult insights along with the innocent and sweet musings that are universal to children. The first half is all about growing up, long summers hanging out, new classrooms at school, negotiating parental boundaries and getting into mischief, the chief source of which is curiosity. It is a real immersion into the kids' lives, and feels so real. The second half is all about the trial of a local black man. It is about the injustice and the ingrained prejudices a society holds. It is about a lot of things. It is a smart and sensitive story, and told so well. I very much liked it.
    LovingLit
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/10/2021
    I absolutely loved this book!!! With…
    I absolutely loved this book!!! With all the reviews done of it, it is very hard to find anything new to add. If you take away anything from this book, it should be Atticus' belief in respect for all humans regardless of race or abilities. It definitely should be required reading in all high schools.
    punxsygal
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/10/2021
    If you were to ask me if I had read…
    If you were to ask me if I had read To Kill a Mockingbird before 2009, I would have replied "Of course." Of course I read it in high school. Honestly, I can't remember a thing about it, so obviously it didn't make an impression, but nonetheless I read it. Now, I'm not so sure that I ever did. Perhaps I skimmed it. Perhaps I saw the movie. Maybe it just didn't stick with me at that point in my life. Or, it could be, I just didn't read it. Whatever reason, reading it this time was like reading a new book. Everyone has read the 1961 Pullizer-winning novel, so I won't go in to all the details. My impression: I really liked it. Initially, I loved it, but that began to wane in the last hundred pages as the story became bogged down by its preachiness and anticlimax. Equally, I was disappointed with the stereotypical characters, none of whom seem to have grown much by the end. Despite my minor differences with the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is an impressive piece of writing, especially being the author's first. The child-like perspective is very well done and easy to relate to. The story itself is well constructed and beatiful, but not as profound as I had hoped. Overrated? Perhaps a little, but I feel comfortable calling Lee's only novel a classic. Don't ask me about it in another 15 years, though; I may not remember having read it.
    chrisblocker
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/09/2021
    This is a classic novel about a young…
    This is a classic novel about a young girl named “Scout,” who narrates the story through her eyes. Her father, Atticus, is a genuine lawyer who represents an African American in a court case during the Great Depression in the 1930's. This is a book that anyone can connect with because it deals with the issues of stereotypes, racism, the importance of family, and so much more.
    Backus2
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/08/2021
    Excellent look inside the south. It…
    Excellent look inside the south. It pains me to know that things haven't much changed when it comes to PoC and whites. Not just in the south, but all over this country. It's a book that should be read by everyone, and be required reading in high school. Things will never change if they don't change from the core. The mockingbird in this story was convicted and died because of the color of his skin, and because he had the misfortune of living in the wrong place at the wrong time. But who's to say this wouldn't happen all over again, in today's world?
    LilyRoseShadowlyn
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/27/2021
    This is one of those novels I was…
    This is one of those novels I was supposed to read as a youth, but never got around to it. In this case, the consensus is right. Mockingbird Courageously looks at the Jim Crow South and the damage it did to white and black citizens alike. Told from the viewpoint of a precocious girl who has a strong sense of right and wrong, it is reminiscent of Hucklebery Finn in that Lee like Twain uses the innocence of a child to skewer an adult society built on racism and classism, and the adults who sustain it. The characters are alive and real, and the story is exciting even though I have seen the movie and knew what was coming. Now that I have read it once, I imagine Mockingbird will reward my rereading.
    dasam
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/22/2021
    I started this classic several times…
    I started this classic several times over the past year, but had trouble really getting into it. However, once I got past the first few chapters I started to enjoy the excellent writing and the narration from the viewpoint of Scout, a young girl. A true classic!
    Darwa
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/20/2021
    To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's…
    To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's amazing Pulitzer-winning novel, is a rare and luminous novel that cannot be made trite no matter how many times it is assigned in high school. This book is quite funny in places, incredibly sad in others, and just plain real everywhere. It's our sad imperfect world seen through the eyes of a child — and thus rendered hopeful. It seems silly to summarize the plot of such a well-known work, but briefly, this is the story of two white children in Alabama circa the 1930s whose father, a respected lawyer, is appointed to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The subject matter sounds brutal but it never descends to the merely ugly for several reasons. One is because of the narrative voice: funny, honest, innocent, eight-year-old Scout. Another reason is that the evil is balanced — overshadowed, even — by the good people in the story, especially Atticus. But more on him later. Lee is leisurely in her pace and tells all kinds of anecdotes about Maycomb County and its inhabitants before getting down to what we might call the real story. But as I savored the anecdotes this time, I realized that they are an essential part of Lee's world-building. I felt as though I had been given a slice of 1930s Alabama, tasting as good and as bad as real life. The characters are perfectly written, always believable in their complexity and motivations. There are a lot of "good" characters who are imperfect and display prejudice at times, and some "bad" characters who turn out not to be so bad after all. There is a character who seems completely irredeemable, without a spark of virtue to spice his wickedness. And then there's Atticus. Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes I've ever met in literature, the kind of man you want to name sons after. I've heard Atticus called the worst kind of Southern patriarchal white supremacist, because instead of starting a revolution and demanding change, he worked within and appeared to accept the flawed system of his time. This, of course, is rubbish. There is a time and place for militant demands... and there is also a time and place for personal integrity lived out quietly and without fanfare. Atticus does what he does because it is his best chance for saving Tom Robinson. Starting a public campaign to remedy all the ills ever suffered by the black population in Alabama and America and the world would not help Tom. Leading by example is such a cliché, but a character like Atticus Finch restores meaning to it. He is the moral center of this story and yet never loses his humanity. One profound thing about To Kill a Mockingbird is that it has something to say not only about the evils of racism, but also about the honorable way to treat those who subscribe to views we would consider prejudiced. There are plenty of books out there that rail against prejudice, but very few that offer an unflinching ideal for interacting with both its victims and perpetrators. Again and again Atticus affirms that the people of Maycomb are still good people at heart, despite their ugly and illogical racism. He says that their views are worthy of respect even if he doesn't agree with them. Sometimes this seems a little unfair; letting Mrs. Henry Du Bois off the hook for her nastiness just because she is a sick woman doesn't seem right to me. But maybe this is grace in action, and Atticus almost a Christ-figure — forgiving even (and especially) when forgiveness is not deserved. Religion is a thought-provoking theme in the story. Hypocrisy and legalism receive their due by being shown for what they are. And there are some very funny caricatures of religious sentiments (J. Grimes Everett and the missionary society come to mind here). But religion is not universally condemned; Atticus is certainly sincere in his faith and sits alone in church every Sunday so as not to be distracted by his children. It's clear that his faith is intensely personal and heartfelt. Calpurnia's church is a place where the people are earnest in their beliefs and exhorted — strongly — to live out their faith by helping one another, even sacrificially. I love the part when Reverend Sykes orders that the church doors be closed until they have collected enough money to help Helen Robinson! In several places, Atticus and Miss Maudie talk about being Christian as a good thing, a standard that many fall short of. Atticus' final plea to the jury on Tom's behalf invokes the name of God. For this reread, I listened to Sissy Spacek's narration on Recorded Books audiobook. It was superb. Her gentle Southern drawl was just enough and not too much, and she really understood the characters. I could tell that she enjoyed the humorous parts, and was fearless in the heavier moments. I know there are a couple audiobooks out there for this book, but this has to be one of the better ones. Spacek is fantastic and her work perfectly complements the story. To Kill A Mockingbird is a brilliant book, the kind that stays with you forever. Powerful and compelling.
    atimco
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/05/2021
    Great childrens book
    Read this as I was a kid and loved it and now I can share with my own kids. Would never have picked up this book on my own, but read it in school and it is a story to remember for sure
    Sts1127
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/15/2021
    I wore out my other copy so bought this one as replacement.
    Bunnie
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    08/13/2019
    Somehow I made it thru high school and college without ever being assigned this book. This summer, my son had to read the book for his advanced English class and have a paper ready to turn in on the first day of school. I decided to read the book so that I could help edit his paper and know what he was talking about when he reviewed what he read for the day. I can see why this book is a classic! It was written back in the 1960s but is so very relevant today. It deals with prejudice and innocence. Jem and Scout have the distinct advantage of having Atticus as a father. He is a lawyer by trade. But more than that, he never talks down to his children. He treats them as people, not inferiors he has to put up with. Yet, they are always free to ask him for a more simple explanation - and he always knows how to simplify things for them. His basic lesson is about empathy. Rather than judging someone you don't know, or a situation you don't know anything about, imagine yourself walking a mile in their shoes. It changes everything. He also teaches them about the legal system and how it isn't really fair for everyone, but it is the best we have and that has to be enough, at least for now. One thing I really liked was how the author was able to voice the book using Scout's voice, but still, have the intelligence of someone much older. So many times when you read from a youthful perspective that is all you get. This had so much more to it. I just loved every minute of it!
    Lisa5127
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/20/2019
    My son recently read To Kill a Mockingbird for school so I decided to reread it. This time around, I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Sissy Spacek. The book is narrated in first person from Scout's point of view and Spacek's soft, natural Southern voice is perfect for it. I always struggle writing an actual review for a classic novel because it's usually been reviewed and analyzed to death. I'm going to tell you my thoughts anyway! Like I said, To Kill a Mockingbird is written from the first person point of view of Scout Finch, who is around six years old when the story begins. She lives in Maycomb, Alabama with her father Atticus and her brother Jem. Atticus is a lawyer and is the most respected man in town. When Tom Robinson, a black man, is falsely accused of raping a white woman, the town's judge appoints Atticus to defend him. The chances that Tom will be acquitted are slimmer than slim but as Atticus says, real courage is, “when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” That's why the judge appointed him. He knew that Atticus was the only lawyer who would give his all to defending Tom even though it was a lost cause. Meanwhile, Scout, Jem and their friend Dill are obsessed with the Finch's mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. They delight in daring each other to get close to the Radley house. To Kill a Mockingbird is full of life lessons. Atticus is pretty much the perfect human and the wisdom he imparts to Scout and Jem is profound. I liked how Harper Lee took her time building up to the actual trial. She shows us years of life in Maycomb so that the reader can truly understand the South in the 1930s. There is a rich cast of supporting characters, all vividly drawn. It's tragic to realize that not all that much has changed in how our country treats black people since the time of this book. Black people are still treated unfairly by the criminal justice system quite often, resulting in America's huge mass incarceration problem. I'm so glad I reread To Kill a Mockingbird. I had forgotten just how much I loved it. There is so much about it that is timeless and Atticus's lessons still resonate today. If by chance you haven't read this book, I highly recommend that you do.
    mcelhra
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/09/2019
    I make it a habit when...
    I make it a habit when reading a book I can't put down, to go to Amazon and take a look at the less than positive reviews. Imagine my surprise when reading about this CLASSIC -that someone said the novel Divergent which is listed as a child's novel (is it really?), should be substituted in school for TKaM. That Divergent would teach better life lessons. Well, I have never read Divergent nor do I want to (yet) but I can't imagine that it would teach the lessons TKaM teaches us in all of its gritty glory. TKaM is a classic and one of the things that means is that the lessons it teaches spans generations and centuries and will be as important to learn in 1950 as it is in 2050. Since I am 60 years old (ahem), I come from *near* the era this book was set in -my parents and Grandparents; exactly this era - I am still living with the repercussions of the mindset and politics of those closest to me. If you all know what I mean... At any rate, this book really teaches a hard lesson for that era and one that I was surprised to be taught. I loved this book for giving me so much -a lesson that everyone is created equal, a lesson in small-town politics (which is just as true today as it was then)that we can't really know about someone else until we walk a mile in their shoes and that when needed most, help will come from unexpected directions. I can understand that the beginning of this book can be boring to those who are used to more action, I just look at it as yet another lesson this book is teaching me -to be patient since all good things come to those who wait. Read this. I don't think you'll be sorry.
    Cats57