Paperback, 287 pages
Russian language
Published July 18, 1988 by Лениздат.
One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the United States. 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.
Lawyer Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson -- a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Writing through the young eyes of Finch's children Scout and Jem, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of …
One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the United States. 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.
Lawyer Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson -- a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Writing through the young eyes of Finch's children Scout and Jem, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in small-town Alabama during the mid-1930s Depression years. 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.
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Don't mind me. I'm just bawling my eyes out at 6 am on a Friday because I spent the whole night reading.
(Review to come)
Si hay algo que me asombra de Harper Lee, es que tras parir este libro, que desde luego está escrito de una forma tan tradicional que parece transgresora, no publicó ninguno más, hasta recientemente que ha escrito lo que podría ser la segunda parte, que aún no he leído. No es que yo valore los escritores que apenas escriben, sobre los que escriben mucho, pero sin duda, desde que se inventó el reciclaje de papel, me temo que muchos escritores actuales, crean sus nuevas historias sobre las cenizas aún calientes de las antiguas, ya no van con el francotirador sino con la metralleta. Esta historia, leída en este caso, en su idioma original, es todo un festival de acentos, maneras de ser y de hablar que harían feliz a Tom Wolfe. Todo esta narrado bajo el punto de vista de los hijos del Mr Finch, que se nos presenta, visto …
Si hay algo que me asombra de Harper Lee, es que tras parir este libro, que desde luego está escrito de una forma tan tradicional que parece transgresora, no publicó ninguno más, hasta recientemente que ha escrito lo que podría ser la segunda parte, que aún no he leído. No es que yo valore los escritores que apenas escriben, sobre los que escriben mucho, pero sin duda, desde que se inventó el reciclaje de papel, me temo que muchos escritores actuales, crean sus nuevas historias sobre las cenizas aún calientes de las antiguas, ya no van con el francotirador sino con la metralleta. Esta historia, leída en este caso, en su idioma original, es todo un festival de acentos, maneras de ser y de hablar que harían feliz a Tom Wolfe. Todo esta narrado bajo el punto de vista de los hijos del Mr Finch, que se nos presenta, visto por sus hijos como un hombre inteligente, valiente y justo, en torno a esta figura, veremos como el jardín salvaje y descuidado de esa américa que parece que vuelve porque nunca se fue lidia con los problemas del racismo y la pobreza. Resulta bastante atractivo que lo que siempre se destaca como tema principal en esta novela, esta siempre relativizado por los ojos de los narradores, por los que aparte del famoso juicio, aparecen otras aventuras y personajes, en una novela que para mí resulta más el relato de una época, que un alegato intencionado y machacón. Sólo me queda darle las gracias a Harper Lee por parir su gran obra de una vez y no distraernos con otras que sin duda serían menores. Recomendadísimo
Liburuaren bizkarreko laburpena irakurrita epaitegiak eta abokatuak oinarritu dituen liburu bat espero nuen eta egia esan ez ninduen gehiegi erakartzen. Hala ere, irakurri ahala ezusteko oso atsegina hartu dut. Lege kontuek badute pisua liburuan, batez ere liburuaren erdi aldera, baina nagusiki XX. mende hasierako AEBetako hegoaldeko herrixka baten eta bertako biztanleen erretratua da, neskato zuri baten ikuspuntutik kontatua: arrazismoa, klasismoa, sexismoa, itxurakeria... Amaitu ondoren kritikak irakurtzen aritu naiz, eta egia da ikuspuntu zuri batetik idatzia dagoela, baina bere garairako oso aurreratua iruditzen zait, eta dirudienez eragin handia izan zuen AEBetako beltzen eskubide zibilen aldeko mugimenduan.
The book represents a point of view of a child during the 30's written by someone who was a child during the 30's, which brings valuable historical authenticity. It was published in the 60's and due to its immediate success it was a part of a shift in attitudes regarding the civil rights movements of the 70's. Reading the book with this context in mind is an interesting experience because to a contemporary mind, the 60's is in many ways more absurd than was the 30's to the author.
The novel own its own merit is greatly delivered, with enough character building and contextualization that by the time the main plot arrives my metropolitan millennial mind is decently acclimatized to a completely alien society and culture. The naive, progressive-household-raised, clean slate kid point of view gives the narrator plausible bewilderment when facing the pervasive racial injustice and hypocrisy the book …
The book represents a point of view of a child during the 30's written by someone who was a child during the 30's, which brings valuable historical authenticity. It was published in the 60's and due to its immediate success it was a part of a shift in attitudes regarding the civil rights movements of the 70's. Reading the book with this context in mind is an interesting experience because to a contemporary mind, the 60's is in many ways more absurd than was the 30's to the author.
The novel own its own merit is greatly delivered, with enough character building and contextualization that by the time the main plot arrives my metropolitan millennial mind is decently acclimatized to a completely alien society and culture. The naive, progressive-household-raised, clean slate kid point of view gives the narrator plausible bewilderment when facing the pervasive racial injustice and hypocrisy the book aims to criticize.
But this book too is a product of its time and one can immediately recognize the white savior angle. The white gentleman class is displayed one cut above the white trash that are no better than also-poor-but-black folk, and raises itself a toast for being so intellectual. A pat on the back for being kind enough to employ honest colored folk and defending the sanctity of written law. The expectation is overwhelming gratefulness in return, even if the result is still injustice. The portrayal of "the good blacks" is subservient and forgiving, and the weapon of choice to build empathy is pity and the analogy with the sin of killing a creature that is dedicated to servitude and entertainment - the mockingbird.
Five stars as an expertly crafted novel with admirable goals and celebrated impact, one star as modern literature on racial injustice. I don't think the two aspects have equal weight but lacking better utilitarian formulation I'm averaging to 3 stars.
Romanzo per giovani adultǝ scorrevole e di forte impatto, ma capisco perché molti americani non apprezzino: vederselo obbligato come libro sul tema razzismo nelle scuole non mi sembra proprio il massimo, visto che se lo si analizza con minuzia cade talvolta nella narrativa del salvatore bianco.
Good book, especially for YA readers, but can appreciate as an adult too.
Such a classic, one of America's best-loved novels, and I hadn't read it yet! Off I went, without knowing much about this book beforehand.
I soon found out why many people love it so much: A steadfast and relatable first-person narrator, a young girl, who observes the world around her, especially the racist environment in her Alabama hometown, her wise father, a lawyer too!, and the plethora of neighbors and relatives, some nice, some less so. This book's central themes are clear: Narrow-mindedness and racism, growing up, innocence and threats against it.
I enjoyed reading this book, but less than I had expected. Again I realized I'm not a fan of books narrated by children, even though Scout is quite wonderful. The narration didn't thrill me - one paragraph is about one thing, the next about something different just to jump back to the first topic. Characters that are central …
Such a classic, one of America's best-loved novels, and I hadn't read it yet! Off I went, without knowing much about this book beforehand.
I soon found out why many people love it so much: A steadfast and relatable first-person narrator, a young girl, who observes the world around her, especially the racist environment in her Alabama hometown, her wise father, a lawyer too!, and the plethora of neighbors and relatives, some nice, some less so. This book's central themes are clear: Narrow-mindedness and racism, growing up, innocence and threats against it.
I enjoyed reading this book, but less than I had expected. Again I realized I'm not a fan of books narrated by children, even though Scout is quite wonderful. The narration didn't thrill me - one paragraph is about one thing, the next about something different just to jump back to the first topic. Characters that are central in the first half of the novel don't show up at all until 150 pages later. It seemed to me that the actual plot of the novel only started after the 40% mark. All of these aspects lowered my pleasure while reading this book - so I can't give out the five stars that "To Kill a Mockingbird" deserves for its impact on American culture (or at least, education) and its overall positive and impactful message.
I was not too surprised to find some harsh criticism regarding the portrayal of relationship between Black and white characters in this novel - there aren't many fleshed-out Black characters, the most visible one is a household help, and then white people come along to save the day. Reading the novel with a 2022 perspective leaves a stale aftertaste, and the book probably would not be as widely known and successful if it was published today.
If you haven't read "To Kill a Mockingbird", by all means, go ahead and do it! If you do, please read [b:I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings|13214|I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)|Maya Angelou|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327957927l/13214.SY75.jpg|1413589] right afterwards. Personally, I was more captivated by it and its narrator, young Maya Angelou: Both books share many themes, and the direct comparison is striking.
We never read this in highschool. I guess my homeschool curriculum focused on different stuff than most.
It's an enjoyable, easy read. Lee's opinions come through the voices of the child protagonists a bit more heavy-handed than I like. Despite agreeing with his message, I strongly dislike putting your opinions into the mouths of babes, as if they are the natural truths a pure and innocent child is born knowing.
I wish my daughter will look at me as Jem and Scout look at their father, Atticus Finch. There are a few things I have learned from him.
“Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him.” Atticus knows his kids are looking at him, observing what he does and learning from him. So he has to keep his head straight, do the right thing, no matter how ugly it is. Only that he can earn their kids’ respects.
You also need to understand the kids, and know how to give them a lesson when they did something wrong. So when Jem cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned because she said Atticus is a nigger lover, Atticus said to Jem, “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries …
I wish my daughter will look at me as Jem and Scout look at their father, Atticus Finch. There are a few things I have learned from him.
“Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him.” Atticus knows his kids are looking at him, observing what he does and learning from him. So he has to keep his head straight, do the right thing, no matter how ugly it is. Only that he can earn their kids’ respects.
You also need to understand the kids, and know how to give them a lesson when they did something wrong. So when Jem cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned because she said Atticus is a nigger lover, Atticus said to Jem, “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries about me lawing for niggers, as you say, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable. I strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose.” There is no harsh words, only advise. What a father!
And you also need to know when to not overreact to kids behaviors. When uncle Jack was mad at Scout speaking dirty words, Atticus was fine because he knows that “Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.”
Oh, you also have to have something which your kids can boast about. Atticus was the deadest shot in the county!
Mrs. Dubose is another figure in the book I found admirable. She was addictive to morphine because her doctor prescribed it as the pain-killer (similar tragedies happen pretty frequently in the U.S. today). When she knew that she only had a few months to live, she decided to break the addiction and die free! The process was unbearable, but she died “as the mountain air,” and was" conscious to the last". We all know that breaking a bad habit is very difficult, not mentioning the morphine addiction. Maybe it’s the time for us to say no to our own addictions, as Mrs. Dubose did, and to be a confident freeman?
read this in highschool so maybe i was just an idiot. but i dont really like reading about racism told through some white guys perspective. "white savior narrative" or so they say
I thoroughly, completely love this book. Scout, Jem, Calpurnia, and especially Atticus. In many ways, it's a simple coming of age story. But it is more than that, too. It's about equality, and prejudices, and hatred. And I loved it. And I just might have a big huge crush on Atticus Finch.
I'm not sure what else to say. If you haven't read it, please do yourself a favor and read it now. It's a classic for a reason.
Simply stunning! Why hasn't Harper Lee written more? Such a shame as she makes reading and picturing the story so easy.
Scout, Jen and Dill are a great group of kids, some of the stuff they get up to is really fun, brings back memories of being a kid and doing similar sort of stuff.
The story is very moving and has the ability to make you so angry during the court scene.
I can certainly see why this is usually at the top of best books lists.
От лица маленькой девочки её языком автор рассказывает о людях, которые живут верой в справедливость.
Brilliant !!
Questo libro è considerato universalmente un classico e devo ammettere che per i temi trattati, il titolo sia sufficientemente meritato. La storia non è il massimo dell'originalità, però i due giovani protagonisti sono davvero simpatici e, sebbene con un tocco di leggerezza, si parla del razzismo e di ciò che più bieco produce. Da leggere.
