Good evening fellow readers! So of course I found a new challenge to participate in the hopes of proving myself better than the last. I picked up this challenge from The Chronicles of Radiya and very much look forward to 30 consecutive (hopefully, gulp) days of blogging.
Day 10: Favorite Classic Book
This can be said without any hesitation, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Let’s face it, they don’t call it the novel of the century for nothing! In case you don’t know what the novel is about, here is the blurb on the back of the book:
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”– A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel– a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man’s struggle for justice– but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.”
I think that what I love most about his novel is the fact that it’s told from 6-year-old Scout’s point of view. For some reason, a child’s perspective paints an accurate picture of reality in way that an adult’s perspective can’t. It’s because a child is still innocent and not yet swayed by adult notions. The best example of this is the scene where a group of men are on the verge of hurting Atticus and Scout stops them by asking after their children. She doesn’t see the danger and it is because of this that she was able to save him.
While the story ends sadly for a few characters it also provides a good amount of laughs (like when Jem was proud of the fact that he knew the Egyptians invented toilet paper). The reader gets to follow Jem and Scout on their adventures and watch as their innocence is stripped away when an innocent black man goes to trial for rape.
It’s truly a novel that everyone should read for anyone can take something away from it. “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” This novel is the back bone of American literature and I definitely recommend it!
Related articles
- My Favourite ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Quote and Me (tofretwell.wordpress.com)
- Thoughts: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (roofbeamreader.com)
- Harper Lee and Introductions (thepoeticsproject.com)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (cgfewston.me)
- A Review: To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) (jessdrain.wordpress.com)
- To Kill A Mockingbird: Chapter 15 (taylaandamockingbird.wordpress.com)
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – review (guardian.co.uk)
- 7.34.13 … To Steal a Mockingbird? … (teaguenc.wordpress.com)
swimlindsey.wordpress.com 
It’s been years since I read this book, but I remember liking it a lot.
Yes it’s really a great book, I think Scout is pretty much the best protagonist ever! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I read this when I was in ninth grade and it was one of the books we read as a class that I actually enjoyed reading. Great choice!!
That’s also what I like about this classic, is that you don’t feel like you’re struggling to understand what is going on. Harper Lee writes so well that all generations can relate to it. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Omg, that is it. I’m picking this up as my next read! It’s the most bizarre thing, but for no apparent reason for the last two weeks I have been pondering picking up To Kill a Mockingbird, and then within the last week over FOUR people have randomly mentioned how good it is to me. I can’t take it anymore, I want to read it! 😀
I really should read City of Bones first because the film is coming out, but I don’t want to pick it up and be wishing the entire time I was reading something else.
Great post, I hope I like the book as much as you do.
Haha yes I think that’s definitely a sign from the book gods saying to read the book. Trust me you won’t regret it, the novel is amazing and leaves you with thoughts to mull over for days. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Hehe book gods, I wonder if Dumbledore and Gandalf are two of them. I mean, they’re kind of the epitome’s of literature’s most knowledgeable characters. 😛
Thank you. 🙂
Omg, make that at least five people! Someone just mentioned it on my post a their most reread book. Signs everywhere. 😛
Haha well you can’t defy Dumbledore and Gandalf when they send you signs, so I would start reading it immediatley! I don’t even want to think about what happens if you defy them… 🙂
Becky, read this book!!!! 😀 as Lindsey says, do not defy the book gods lest they smite you! (“I smote his ruin upon the mountain side…)
Heehee I will I will! I am going to pick it up next, I don’t dare argue with Dumbledore, Lindsey or Gandalf’s knowledge, and I’m too terrified to go up against someone who wins a revolution before she’s even eaten breakfast. 😉
That is brilliant. I will now tell people that’s the meaning of my blog because quite honestly I don’t even know where I pulled the title from! XD
Really? How funny because it’s a brilliant title! It really fits you too because I can tell you’re always passionate about the topics you talk about! 🙂
Agreed, someone who wins a revolution before breakfast means business. 😉
Love the concept of your 30 day challenge and hope you are successful.
Thank you, it’s a struggle sometimes but definitely fun. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This is one of my favorite books without a doubt – and favorite movies, too. (Yeah, I really gotta stop comparing movies and books!) I haven’t read it in a longgg time, I think it was 8th grade, but you’re right, Scout Finch is one of my favorite narrators and she’s awesome! I have often contemplated naming a daughter Scout for this reason… I like to think that’s why Demi Moore named her daughter Scout. I think you’re also right about the significance of this book in American literature – it explores themes of racism and social judgement that we should never overlook.
Great choice and great post!
Oh, I’m glad you love it as much as I do! I haven’t actually seen the movie yet (compared to you I haven’t seen any movies it seems), but I heard it did the book justice which makes my heart smile. You should totally name your daughter Scout!!! She would be the most awesome person of her generation, no doubt! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Very good review! I did one for Mockingbird also because it’s just brilliant! Youre very talented at writing, check out my blog while you’re here… http://jessdrain.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/a-review-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/
Thank you xxx
Thank you I appreciate it and thanks for reading! P.S.– I checked out your blog and you’re a very talented writer yourself! 🙂
Thanks for the link to poeticsproject! 🙂
No problem, thank you for reading! 🙂