Book review: To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I've had so many problems with my internet the last few days, so I finished this book on Saturday but have only been able to type this today!  During GCSE, half my year studied John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, and the other half did To Kill A Mockingbird.  I did Steinbeck, and so I read this book in my spare time during sixth form, since I was a bit gutted I missed out on studying it. Then a couple of weeks ago I found it on my bookshelf and thought I'd give it another read.

Pretty much everyone and their dog has read this, but to sum up: To Kill A Mockingbird is about a white family in Maycomb County, Alabama.  Jean Louise (aka Scout) lives with her older brother Jem and their father, Atticus Finch. The novel details the controversy surrounding their family after Atticus (a defence lawyer) defends a young black man who's been charged with raping a white woman. The novel deals with the racism and prejudice prevalent in the American South in the 30's, as well as the hypocrisy from certain members of the community when it comes to their idea of democracy.

I'd completely forgotten how much I enjoyed this book, and there were quite a few bits I didn't remember from reading it the first time so it was kind of like I was reading it with a new pair of eyes.  I love Scout as the narrator; just viewing the same events through a child's eyes gives a completely different perspective. Scout is so questioning and eager to learn from her father, and placing a white family at the centre of a novel about racial prejudice offers a different and interesting perspective, showing the way that values and beliefs are indoctrinated and culturally enforced. 

To Kill A Mockingbird reminds me a lot of Richard Wright's Native Son, which I read this year for my American Literature class and which I also loved. I'd definitely recommend reading that one if you enjoyed Mockingbird! 

Steph xx

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