To Kill A Mockingbird


First things first, this shall not be a review, as I believe classics such as these cannot be just 'reviewed'.

They say there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who've read Harry Potter and those who haven't. The same can be said about this book too. If a book has to continue to be a best-seller even fifty years after it was first published, that itself is an indication as to what substance the book is made of!

Plot: Set in the 1930's in Alabama in a fictional town called Maycomb, the entire book revolves around a central plot. Atticus Finch is the righteous, integral, honest lawyer trying to defend a black man accused of having his way with a white girl. The story is narrated from the angle of Atticus' six year old daughter. There also are a variety of characters who enter at different points of time through the course of the story.​

Why I loved reading it?

Actually there are many tiny bits about this book that I loved. The narration, the way things unfold steadily is one of the things that stands out. Lee's attempt to think and talk like a six year old is truly amazing. The setting is such that it gives a peek into what life was then. The neighbours and general town folk of Maycomb are described meticulously to the T, all in the little girl's words. The form of spoken English is nice too; words and phrases that we seldom get to hear now are used, like 'yessum', 'nome', etc. The prejudices of the white-skinned against the colored folks back then is put across; how it was perfectly normal to use words like nigger! The book is also loaded with humour, and on more than one occasion, I realised I was smiling to myself.

What amazes me is that how a book published more than fifty years ago is so relevant in today's times too! The hypocrisy displayed by various people can strike a chord with our day to day lives. So also, various misconceptions about others (races, beliefs, and the like), how people continue to be treated as outcasts for various frivolous and baseless reasons even now, etc. are quite comparable.

I rue myself for not having read this masterpiece earlier, and urge those of you who haven't read it already to do so at the earliest!

So, what are your reading plans for the month? What are you currently reading? 

(Picture sourced and the book bought from HERE)

Comments

  1. I read it after Oprah recommended it .... Greats like Mandela,Gandhi dedicated their lives to abolish regressive beliefs like Colorism, racism... .and I cringe everytime I see the fairness cream ads on telly and the arrogance of the actors who defend their decision to promote them....why not celebrate variety and diversity ? The story of 'The Mocking Bird..."was blood curdling....

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