Although I did not read this work in connection with school, I have heard several people (mostly North-Americans) complaining online about this novel, saying how it is a tedious job to analyze it. I ordered the book online pretty cheap; I had heard of it before, and thought I would give it a try. To what extent is To Kill a Mockingbird actually as boring and uneventful as students claim it is?
The novel was published in 1960, and is supposed to take place in 1936. The story is based on the author's own experiences when she was 10 years old. The story takes place in Alabama, USA, where we follow the main character, Scout, and her brother, Jem. Their father, Atticus, is a lawyer who has been given the task of defending a black male convicted for molesting a white woman. The novel discusses racism to a very large extent merely through this part of the story. Class is also discussed, and the school system at the time. Considering the time it was set, the author does not spend much time mentioning Hitler and Nazi Germany, and instead chooses to focus more on prejudice in the American society.
The novel is in no way difficult to understand. Because we follow the perspective of a child, the language is simple and straightforward. The only thing I found "difficult" would be to read between the lines when there are things happening that Scout does not understand. A lot of this is cleared up later in the story, however, so even that is not really a problem. Also, despite many complaints about this book being tedious and boring, I was never once bored while reading it. Perhaps it is about preference; some people like fast-paced entertainment, while others are satisfied with stories that spend more time building up the tension. All in all, I liked reading the stories Scout had to offer, and I was never bored reading the work.
On the other hand, it may be worth noting that the novel is pretty long, meaning that you probably should not read it if you do not have the patience for it. If you want action and quick pacing, this is not the place to look. The story has been written in a very realistic way, and though the climax is very rewarding and really makes you think, the rest of the novel may not be as exciting for everyone.
My rating for this book is 5/5, mainly because I was sitting here trying to find anything negative to write about it except for the fact that it may not be the most exciting book in town. I absolutely loved reading it, and I would definitely read it again sometime just to see if there was anything I missed the first time (most likely). I loved it, and I recommend it to most people who are interesting in novels about history, racism and gender discrimination.
The next review will be on Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
- Charlie.
PS. Sorry about the big gap between the reviews. I will try to write more frequently from now on.
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