Book Snapshot: To Kill a Mockingbird

This summer, I've been trying to read some more classic books.  Three of them are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy.  Even as I'm typing this now, I'm realizing the vast diversity of this little collection.  The settings range from the mid-20th-century deep south to Russia.  The characters range from a couple of school kids to a dying man who ponders whether or not his whole life has been worthless.

And yet they are all classics.

I thought it might be fun to highlight a couple things about each of my summer books, so I'm going to give you a little snapshot of each of these books.  I'll post one at a time to avoid having a monstrously long post.

First up, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This is a very famous book, even in spite of the fact that Harper Lee never wrote another novel.  It's known as a book that honestly and insightfully comments on the injustice of racial prejudice in the south during the Civil Rights movement. 

But as I started reading the book, I was surprised by the broad focus it has.  I had expected it to focus in on the Civil Rights movement almost exclusively, but instead, it gives a genuine and poignant glimpse into life in the south through the eyes of a child.  The main character, Scout, does witness racial injustice, and that is a part of the story, but the story also includes the adventuresome escapades of Scout, her brother, Jim, and their friend, Dill.  I really enjoyed the enchanting yet starkly honest view of the south as depicted in this book.

However, there are some things about the book that I liked less.  One was a "thematic element" that would be inappropriate for children and young teens.  I'll spare you the details, but if you skim over the SparkNotes description or find some other description of the book, it should be pretty obvious.

Another thing that disappointed me about the book was the ended.  The concept of "killing a mockingbird," while very winsome and insightful when it is introduced in the book, is, in my opinion, taken too far in the ending.  But I'll let you judge for yourself.  If you have read the book and have any thoughts about it, I'd love to hear!  The comment section is wide open.

Quick notes: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a well-done commentary on what life in the south is really like.  It is an entertaining read and makes some very insightful points, however, there are some elements of the book that are less than ideal.  Recommended for ages 15+ (but if you're a teen, ask your parents about it first before you read it!).

Next time, I'll tell you about My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.  Come back tomorrow!