Name: Matthew Jackson's review of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Item: To Kill a Mockingbird
Rating: 4
Author: Matthew Jackson

Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird

Voted America's Best-Loved Novel in PBS's The Great American Read Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South—and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Gabi🌸🌷

Htio sam da vidiš što je prava hrabrost umjesto da povjeruješ kako je hrabrost muškarac s puškom u ruci. Hrabrost je kad znaš da si izgubio prije nego što počneš, ali svejedno počneš i ostaneš ustrajan.

Sramota je ubiti pticu rugalicu. Ptice rugalice ne čine ništa, osim što nam pjevaju. Ne uništavaju nam vrtove, ne gnijezde se u kukuruzu, samo pjevaju. Zato je grijeh ubiti pticu rugalicu.

"Until i feared i feared i would loose it, i never loved to read. One does not love breathing"

Ida :)

Never, never, never, on cross- examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby-food. Do it, and you'll often get an answer you don't want, an answer that might wreck your case.

To Kill A Mocking Bird

Ausrine Blazyte

 Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.

Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks. 

That's what I thought, too, he said at last, 'when I was your age. If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something, I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time it's because he wants to stay inside.'

The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a court-room, be he any colour of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box. As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.

In our courts, when is a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.

 There is not a person in this court-room who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman with desire.

Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women black and white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race ot men.

Nour

[…]You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - […] - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.

baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you. 

To Kill a Mockingbird - Hhp EDT

Get it Miss Maudie. She gives me old lady with 500 cats at home vibes

Nina Koen

People in their right minds never take pride in their talents

Atticus was the definition of a great dad

I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put sometimes- baby, it's never an insult to be called what someone thinks is a bad name. It just shows how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you.

Eternal Endeavor

marie

Josephina Lucke

Matthew Jackson

Traci Wilbanks

Everyone should read this book! 
We all need to be reminded to be empathetic. 

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” - Atticus Finch

Shape Mismatch

One of the best books I've read. I'm not even gonna try writing a review as the emotions it invokes aren't yet categorized and put in the right boxes. A must read.

Erik Wallace

Roisin Ramdhayan 

“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—” “Sir?” “—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

altlovesbooks

Like literally every other child in the United States (maybe elsewhere?), I had to read this for school and I don't think I really appreciated it or understood a lot of what was going on behind the scenes when I did so. I remember liking the book a lot when I read it, but before revisiting it I'm not sure I could point to exactly why that was. I read the chapters, checked the boxes, took the quiz, and apparently walked away with a memory of really enjoying the book.

I'm incredibly glad I revisited it as an adult, because there was just so much I didn't pick up on as a kid, I'm sure. I really appreciated reading about the complex racial issues here through the literal eyes of a child, especially as we got to follow them growing up in years and in maturity. I liked that the writing was simultaneously easy to follow and also hiding a lot between the lines and left unsaid.

I'm glad I revisited this as an adult with my book club, and would be open to tackling other notable books I read for school in order to give them a fair shake. Except for Ethan Frome , I won't go back to that one willingly.

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️3.5 - 4

I have no real issues with the book. This is one of the few classics I have enjoyed this year so far. The pace of the book is okay; it is sometimes wordy, especially when discussing the history of families in rural Maycomb or the general history of Maycomb. 

In spite of this, I felt that each chapter contributed to the overall story. The book generally was easy to understand and follow, which is not always the case with literary classics.

A lot of the action of the book happens in the second half, when Atticus is tasked with defending and supporting a man named Tom Robinson. It was particularly interesting to read about the court and jury proceedings. To conclude, I must say that I thought the book ended beautifully, in fact the whole book was well written.

4.5 stars
a beautiful and well-crafted novel, but at the same time extremely centred on a white perspective and - to use a cliché phrase - this book is definitely a product of its time. 

The black characters don't often feel fully realised on their own and apart from their relationship to the main (white) characters (compare Calpurnia to Mrs Maudie for example), there are ableist undertones, and the book ultimately presents a white saviour narrative. I think Harper Lee is a very skilled writer, and this is a very good book. Nearly perfect, in fact. Yet, the fact that it was written in the 1940s by a white woman brings up points that I think are important to note.

Still, the characters were so wonderful and loveable, Scout was a brilliant narrator who added so much humour and emotion to the narrative, and the plot was exquisitely crafted and very gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Bilge Ince

5 stars are just not enough for this book 
 Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

Terrible things like rape, false accusation of rape, sexism, and racism really should have never had a place within our world and society. However, it does. Racism against colored people is something I'm not familiar with, however, in this book I understood it and I felt sorry for people who had been through this. Other than that, I loved the book and became one of my best of all time. I found peace and my childhood inside the world of Scout and Jem. I couldn't stop reading from beginning to end. Highly recommend.

 Ladies seemed to live in faint horror of men, seemed unwilling to approve wholeheartedly of them

Jonathan Tysick

A classic for a reason. This is an inspiring, angering and funny coming of age story about seeking empathy and justice regardless of personal cost. While acknowledging valid critiques around white-saviour narratives, I'm still captivated and inspired by Atticus Finch.

Eleri melsome 

It took me a while to finish this book (due to no fault of its own), but WOW was it worth it.

I love Scout, she’s a wonderfully written character along with the rest of her family. Even characters that only appear, perhaps, twice in the book have such depth that I felt I knew them from my own life. I almost felt like I could relate to Scout, she just captures the image of a little girl who is curious and wise. I can still hear her voice and accent in my head.

To Kill A Mockingbird really gives you an insight on southern 1930s USA and the racism and prejudice present at the time. Including, horrific language against black people, that is not acceptable today, that really makes you recoil. Although the offensive language is terrible it tells you just how terribly black people were treated in their day to day lives back then and how little justice they received.

Would truly recommend and has changed the way I think.

Selina 

It took me a while to finish this book (due to no fault of its own), but WOW was it worth it.

I love Scout, she’s a wonderfully written character along with the rest of her family. Even characters that only appear, perhaps, twice in the book have such depth that I felt I knew them from my own life. I almost felt like I could relate to Scout, she just captures the image of a little girl who is curious and wise. I can still hear her voice and accent in my head.

To Kill A Mockingbird really gives you an insight on southern 1930s USA and the racism and prejudice present at the time. Including, horrific language against black people, that is not acceptable today, that really makes you recoil. Although the offensive language is terrible it tells you just how terribly black people were treated in their day to day lives back then and how little justice they received.

Would truly recommend and has changed the way I think.

Shaimaa Emad Fekry

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs. They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

When i first picked this book i thought the name was sure catchy but i certainly didn't think it would discuss such an important matter, racism. *i suggest you read the book synopsis* 
.
To kill a mockingbird is one of those books that leave something inside you when you're finished. Not only the idea that Harper Lee beautifully and strongly put in this book that will affect you but you'll definitely get attached to the characters! I can't decide which one was my favourite but Mr Finch will of course be one of yours.
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The setting of the novel is one of my favourite things,
Also on a side note the court chapters were definitely my favourite chapters *reminded me of the movie 12 angry men* loved em.
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The language was a little too difficult for me, idk if it's because it's old or because it's not my native idk but that was the only thing that annoyed me, oh and the n word for sure.
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Over all this must be on your list if you didn't read it already.

Krystyna 

If you haven't read this story....please go read it! It is such a great novel. The writing, characterization, themes,etc. It is definitely a favorite and on my re-read list for sure.

Finally got round to reading this classic in audiobook form, and it is compelling, touching and superbly written.

Laura Dobie

To kill a mockingbird

Colleen

Somehow, embarrassing as it is may be, I had never read this book before. I never picked it up on my own, and I never had it as assigned reading in school. Perhaps in moving and switching schools I somehow eluded making acquaintance with this classic. The closest I ever got was discussing the impact of this book on the Civil Rights movement in American History. Anyway, I've finally gotten around to reading it, and I am so glad I did! 

There isn't anything I can say about this book that hasn't already been said, so I will keep this short. Whether you like this book or not, there is no denying it's impact on history. And so many years later it still has a profound influence on people. Perhaps because while many things change, the propensity to judge anyone who is different or anything they don't understand is still rampant in many hearts.

The lesson in this book is driven by the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. Though he is not the type of father to kiss boo-boos, Atticus strives to raise his children to be unbiased and to understand that "different" does not mean "wrong." Though Atticus's character may seem idealistic, he teaches a powerful message. As he says:

"Do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what's going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness , and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Nergo comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand... I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough."

Though the writing may be a little simplistic, it is earnest, straightforward, and heartfelt. It tells the story from a young girl's point of view without being too childish. And though Scout is headstrong, cantankerous, and impish, she never crossed the line to aggravating or impertinent. 

Though the book revolves around racial prejudice and is very character driven, it is still definitely a page-turner. I could hardly wait to find out what happened next. I was certainly much more on the edge of my seat with this story than several modern big name thrillers.

And finally, this book is another example that a first person narrative can be extremely compelling if well written. This book will undoubtedly continue to be one of the most influential in history and one that everyone should read at least once.

Although I still have no idea what a scuppernong is...


This review fulfills the "Pulitzer Prize-Winning Book" category of the Popsugar reading challenge. http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its oritinal publication in  1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.
(back cover)

bernard black

This book is why i know i'm not a lesbian. Thanks Atticus Finch.

This book is how I know I'm not a lesbian. Thanks Atticus Finch.

Arjo Gupto

My 9th reading of one of the 5 greatest books ever written in English Literature! Thank you Ms Lee. God bless. Looking forward to Go Set A Watchman now. :)

Jacob Salyer

traumatised me because grade 9 english class but atticus is a dilf

sahana 

Atharva Bedekar

I read this in school and even ended up reading it again multiple times after. Such a classic. 

Victoria Maier 

Kristof Revilak

Caroline Oestergaard

This was my first time reading this classic and let’s just say I definitely understand why it’s a classic now. This was extremely difficult to read at times, but what an incredible and important read.

Matthew Jackson &
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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