My review of āTo Kill a Mockingbirdā by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest titles ever given to a book.
I know a lot of Americans read it during high school and learned a lot from it, but Iām not American, so my POV is from the outside.
Now, Before getting into the thematics of the story, I want to talk about the writing.
Harper Lee is a magnificent storyteller and writer ā- so much so that my body shakes with envy. Her prose is as delicate as it is simple. She doesnāt overdo poetic lyricism, but she also doesnāt fall short of clever wordplay and dreamy descriptions.
I was rather surprised by the structure of the book. Every chapter felt like an episode from a TV show. In the first part especially, no scene really felt connected to the next. At times, it even felt like characters were introduced exactly when needed to move the plot along, which made the book feel a bit too crafted. It was confusing at times and disrupted the rhythm but despite everything, Harperās use of scenes and quick transitions made the book fun and engaging to read.
Also, can I just praise Harper for writing from the perspective of a five year old girl ??? and making it believable???? Thatās insane! Almost all of her characters felt genuine, lively, and real.
Harper built herself a small town with its own system, history, and people, and showed it to us through the lens of a young girl. How could you not like the world she created?
But that world does have its flaws, and they become most evident in the second part of the story.
Harper has her beliefs and views about the world, and she was not shy about showing them. I donāt mind when writers put their agendas into their work ā I even expect it ā but I donāt like to be lectured. I donāt like when itās shoved in my face without giving me space to think for myself what is right and wrong. And especially, I donāt like when a writer uses their characters to make a statement. It always feels like a betrayal of the characters.
Black = hopeless people with nothing but good intentions.
White = complicated ā some good, some not.
And in my opinion, for someone who wrote a book against racism, thatās one of the most racist things you can do.
Even the oppressed are complex. Not everyone is good. Even within the Black community, there is conflict, there are flaws, there is humanity in all its messiness.
The whole ācourt sagaā felt unrealistic and too easy. Even though Harper built it beautifully ā Atticus struggling, the town gossiping, Scout stepping in, the courtroom itself ā all of it was masterclass in writing. But the lack of complexity ruined that entire section for me, and at times, the book as a whole.
Now, the characters ā thereās not much to say except how much I loved them.
Scout is a dear, dear soul to me.
Jem reminds me so much of James Potter that my heart exploded.
Atticus is such a hot daddy I could snack on him for hours (though his extreme views sometimes made me want to smack him. Some people are bad, Atticus. Not everything can be explained away with empathy.)
The whole Boo Radley storyline was heartwarming and satisfying. And the town itself felt like one big, messy family I had the pleasure of living with for a while ā which was probably my favorite part of the book.
At last, I do recommend this bookāif not for anything but my good friend Scout, and for the strange, beloved family she calls a town.
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