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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
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To: durasell
Yeah, but what has she written lately?

That's one of the many things I respect about Nelle Harper Lee. How many times have we read and loved a novel by an author who then kept cranking out book after book, each more disappointing than the one before? Somehow Lee seemed to know that she had one book in her, and one book only. And having produced near perfection on her one try, she didn't try again.

41 posted on 04/06/2007 6:36:30 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: twigs
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.

Yeah, get rid of that and put in C. S. Lewis' Narnia books instead. Much better reading for young minds.

42 posted on 04/06/2007 6:37:11 AM PDT by kevkrom (Tagline under construction -- please use alternate witticsims)
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To: Non-Sequitur

Either that or Capote didn’t feel like helping her with another...


43 posted on 04/06/2007 6:37:34 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: urtax$@work
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite movies.
44 posted on 04/06/2007 6:39:08 AM PDT by jude24 (Giuliani 2008 - because the War on Terror and the War in Iraq are what really matter.)
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To: tranzorZ

I think everyone who wants to be considered literate ought to either read the book or see the film.


45 posted on 04/06/2007 6:40:57 AM PDT by zook
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To: durasell

I heard somewhere that Capote actually wrote the book and that the neighbor kid is, in fact, Capote himself.


46 posted on 04/06/2007 6:42:13 AM PDT by zook
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To: zook

I think everyone who wants to be considered literate ought to either read the book or see the film.

Great line! LOL!


47 posted on 04/06/2007 6:42:15 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: carton253; urtax$@work
Personally I prefer Tequila Mockingbird

Tequila Mockingbird
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Tequila
- 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Creme de Menthe (white)
- Glassware: Cocktail Glass

Shake both the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

That said, yes To Kill a Mockingbird should be required reading. But, it's one of many that should be required reading.

48 posted on 04/06/2007 6:43:24 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (http://wardsmythe.com)
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To: zook

Dill was based on Capote. Lee and Capote were life-long friends. She helped him with In Cold Blood. I don’t believe he wrote the Mockingbird, but probably did lend a hand with the editing.


49 posted on 04/06/2007 6:44:05 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: CondorFlight
Exactly. It’s the same story just updated so that the colors are reversed.

Except Nifong is the polar opposite of Atticus.

50 posted on 04/06/2007 6:45:08 AM PDT by CharacterCounts
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To: durasell
Either that or Capote didn’t feel like helping her with another...

Capote himself denied any part in writing "To Kill A Mockingbird".

51 posted on 04/06/2007 6:46:21 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: zook

The Bangles 1980s hit, Walk like an Egyptian, was also based on Mockingbird.


52 posted on 04/06/2007 6:46:41 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: durasell
I read a bio on Lee and according to the book Capote didn't help at all. In fact, he was jealous and did not even want to talk to her about it.

And I know Dill was Capote but the Dill of the movie was alot more engaging than the Capote of real life.

53 posted on 04/06/2007 6:47:27 AM PDT by carton253 (Not enough space to express how I truly feel.)
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To: Non-Sequitur

Now there’s a reliable source.


54 posted on 04/06/2007 6:47:32 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: urtax$@work; carton253; SuziQ
I don't find either Atticus or Scout particularly plausible. The black characters are long-suffering and large-hearted in a way that, today, comes across as condescending. Scout too often sounds like no child I ever met — too smart, too spunky.

On the contrary, those characters are quite plausible as the book is somewhat autobiographical. Maybe Atticus is a bit romanticized, moreso in the film than in the book.

Scout is based on Harper Lee (herself) and the quirky neighborhood friend is based on Truman Capote. They did grow up together.

55 posted on 04/06/2007 6:49:34 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (http://wardsmythe.com)
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To: urtax$@work

My mom read the book first, then we saw the 1962 film afterward.

She was amazed that Peck was the exact embodiment of the character (Atticus Finch) in the book.


56 posted on 04/06/2007 6:50:53 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: carton253; Non-Sequitur

Nobody really knows what what on between the two. Remember, they were friends from the time they were seven or eight years old — or there abouts.

If I were to guess, I’d say he helped her edit — it has that “crisp” New Yorker magazine style.


57 posted on 04/06/2007 6:51:06 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: durasell

Now that I didn’t know. I’ve heard that song 50 times, but I guess I didn’t pay that much attention to the words.


58 posted on 04/06/2007 6:51:32 AM PDT by zook
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To: Jagman

I can think of nothing a person could do to turn kids off from reading quicker than forcing them to read Dante.


59 posted on 04/06/2007 6:53:11 AM PDT by Artemis Webb
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To: carton253

Capote was, supposedly, very engaging in “real life.” The talk show persona was something he put on. People tend to think of him as a “big city type.” He was actually a small town, southern type and took pleasure in challenging people. He was also, according to legend, weirdly strong.


60 posted on 04/06/2007 6:55:07 AM PDT by durasell (!)
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