Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is To Kill a Mockingbird a must-read?
Houston Chronicle ^ | 4/6/07 | me

Posted on 04/06/2007 5:32:09 AM PDT by urtax$@work

If there's one book you should read before you die, it's To Kill a Mockingbird. That's not my opinion. Apparently I was sick back in ninth grade when every other American kid read Harper Lee's novel of racism, moral courage and coming of age in 1930s Alabama. I read it for the first time only this week and have my misgivings.

But according to the Guardian newspaper's Web site, a 2006 poll of librarians — British librarians — put To Kill a Mockingbird atop the list of books every adult should read before they shuffle off. Ahead of the Bible. Ahead of Huckleberry Finn and Pride and Prejudice and even Harry "the Franchise" Potter.

Go to link to see rest of article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4691912.html

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: books; culturewar; houstoncomical; racism; southernculture; tokillamockingbird
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 241-249 next last
To: SoftballMominVA

Was the Bible tied with to Kill a Mockingbird?


21 posted on 04/06/2007 5:53:36 AM PDT by carton253 (Not enough space to express how I truly feel.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

22 posted on 04/06/2007 5:55:03 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

It’s a good book, but I could come up with a list of at least a hundred that are better.


23 posted on 04/06/2007 5:55:29 AM PDT by tickmeister (tickmeister)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoftballMominVA

Not one book by Nabokov?
Do yourself a favor, pick up his, “The Defense”, “Palefire” or “Laughter in the Dark”. Perfection.

To Kill a Mockingbird? It’s okay if you like one-dimensional, cookie-cutter characters. And a sitcom ending where everything is wrapped up neat as a pin, “Leave it to Beaver” style.


24 posted on 04/06/2007 6:06:36 AM PDT by slackerjack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: slackerjack
The “cookie cutter” ending is about the only kind I can deal with. There are exceptions, but with all the problems in the world isn't there enough tragedy? I feel the same way about movies.
25 posted on 04/06/2007 6:13:20 AM PDT by tranzorZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: slackerjack

oops, cookie cutter was for the characters. eh, I still liked them. I still think I got my point across about endings


26 posted on 04/06/2007 6:14:32 AM PDT by tranzorZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

I took a lot of lit courses in college, and read a LOT of short stories. It wasn’t until at least an entire year into it that I noticed, “Hey! At least HALF of these short stories are about really, really, really, mean and racist white people, being really mean to poor, yet hard working and EXTREMELY dignified black people way down south.”

This was in the days before I was politically aware, but I still remember how stunned I was when I realized what a HUGE percentage of short story collections have this theme.


27 posted on 04/06/2007 6:15:24 AM PDT by RayStacy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tranzorZ

I have loved Mockingbird for more than thirty years. I always wanted Atticus to be my dad! :-D


28 posted on 04/06/2007 6:20:48 AM PDT by freepertoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: freepertoo

How else will children learn about Lydia Pinkham?


29 posted on 04/06/2007 6:22:04 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

I went through junior high and high school during the 70’s, in Staunton, Virginia and in the rural Augusta County. We were never assigned this book or some others that I have read kids were assigned. I read this as an adult after four years in the Navy. I liked it and I think it is well written. However, it seems to be used to say “this is what the entire south was like.” I read Black Boy by Richard Wright and thought that was more indicative of race relations during that time. After reading the review, I am now somewhat envious of Harper Lee. It would be great to write one book, and then retire for the rest of your life.


30 posted on 04/06/2007 6:23:33 AM PDT by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work
Funny, I thought it was about impressions people carry... and how they are often wrong.... How is Boo a symbol of southern apologies? How is a randy vixen accusing an innocent man of rape a sign of southern apology? Last I checked a bunch of white boys at Duke were accused the same way, but the accuser was black...

Some themes are timeless.

31 posted on 04/06/2007 6:25:21 AM PDT by Porterville (All hail the Prophet Gore, an ass dressed in a lion's skin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoftballMominVA

For 7th grade English class, we had to read Wuthering Heights. Not a good book for 7th grade boys, IMO. Never did finish it and it turned me off from gothic novels ever since.


32 posted on 04/06/2007 6:26:37 AM PDT by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

Anything but ‘Catcher in the Rye.’ That book is awesome when you are 15 or 16, and utterly unreadable once you cross over into adulthood. Really a remarkably bad book.


33 posted on 04/06/2007 6:26:46 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking until you do suck seed." - Jerry 'Curly' Howard)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoftballMominVA
how could a group of BRITISH librarians come up with a list that excluded Shakespeare?

Good question. And I can't believe that Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy are listed. They are dark indeed. Pullman absolutely hates the church and Christianity and uses these books to poison children's minds about them.

34 posted on 04/06/2007 6:27:44 AM PDT by twigs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work

Amazingly, I didn’t read it until I was in my 40’s; I couldn’t put it down.

The themes are as true today as they were when it was written. Engaging storyline and terrificly fleshed-out characters.

There’s a reason it’s a classic.


35 posted on 04/06/2007 6:28:56 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoftballMominVA

Bump for later note taking. ;)


36 posted on 04/06/2007 6:30:00 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: urtax$@work
Is To Kill a Mockingbird a must-read?

Hell yes. If it isn't the best work of fiction by an American author then it's at least in the top 10.

37 posted on 04/06/2007 6:30:21 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: twigs

“Last I checked a bunch of white boys at Duke were accused the same way, but the accuser was black...”

Exactly. It’s the same story just updated so that the colors are reversed.


38 posted on 04/06/2007 6:30:41 AM PDT by CondorFlight (I)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

Yeah, but what has she written lately?


39 posted on 04/06/2007 6:31:07 AM PDT by durasell (!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: SoftballMominVA

Notice how they did have the chestnuts to put any Hemmingway on the list. They’d probably die from testosterone exposure if they even walked into a room with any Hemmingway.


40 posted on 04/06/2007 6:33:27 AM PDT by bolobaby
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 241-249 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson