I’m true to the original. Love Lee and the novel. Love Atticus! It’s hard to undo one’s understanding of the man. However, I get that her original was more of a feminist text as well. Not only generational in that a young girl could truly think for herself and better than men/adults (in the book).
Thanks for this investigation! Truly a lot of controversy.
Thanks, Kate! Yes, it is hard to unpick the first version and also I think when you first discovered the book, as many come to it through school and of course, we are all 'idealistic' at that point! Atticus was the father I wanted and Scout the rebellious girl I felt I was inside (although not quite as brave on the outside!) Thank you for reading and commenting :)
Love this post! I adored To Kill A Mockingbird as a kid and haven’t read the second book, though I walk past copies of it regularly in the used bookstore where I work. I’m not one of them, myself, but a lot of readers have an almost parasocial relationship with the authors they admire - they feel like they know the writer as a person, just through their books and their public image. So even without knowing the details, I get why there was so much controversy around this book, as to whether she really did write it or not. I understand why so many people want to believe she didn’t or else feel terribly disappointed that she did. I have no idea what to believe, but I don’t think I’ll ever read it, either way.
Thanks Rosalynn! That's so interesting what you say about the 'almost parasocial relationship' with an author, I've never heard of that. I can imagine that happening more now so many authors are online on platforms like this as well. The release of the second book always seemed like such a shame to me, appearing shortly before Lee's death.
A wonderful post, Kate. Takes me back to my early study guide writing days. I loved Mockingbird, such an incredible work, but haven’t read the sequel. I really like the photograph of her with Capote.
Thanks Kate. I remember being disappointed in reading the sequel. Posthumous publication can be tricky. Joan Didion wrote a great essay about the treatment of Hemingway’s unfinished work and personal letters.
Thanks, Sue. Yes, I agree, it always makes me uneasy when books are published posthumously. You can never be sure what the writer intended. Thank you for reading and commenting; I shall check out the essay by Didion as she is one of my favourite essayists.
Kate, great article. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books. I did not care for the second book at all, and I have deep reservations about whether that was actually Lee's work. I think to really understand the U.S. it is imperative to attempt to understand racial issues. The great sin of our nation was slavery, and unfortunately, those tensions persisted in our cultural narrative even after the institution was abolished. Lee's book brings this to life in a way that many others have been unable to. Thanks again.
Thank you, Matthew, for your insightful comments. I think so many people love this book, especially because they have often first encountered it when young, and so were very disappointed with the follow-up, particularly given the controversies surrounding it. As for the sins of nations, the UK don't fair much better on that, as my teenager's current A level studies in History and Politics are making all too clear! Thank you for reading :)
I’m true to the original. Love Lee and the novel. Love Atticus! It’s hard to undo one’s understanding of the man. However, I get that her original was more of a feminist text as well. Not only generational in that a young girl could truly think for herself and better than men/adults (in the book).
Thanks for this investigation! Truly a lot of controversy.
Thanks, Kate! Yes, it is hard to unpick the first version and also I think when you first discovered the book, as many come to it through school and of course, we are all 'idealistic' at that point! Atticus was the father I wanted and Scout the rebellious girl I felt I was inside (although not quite as brave on the outside!) Thank you for reading and commenting :)
I love this! I'm curious: What are some of the best books you've read about her?
Thanks! There are curiously few straight biographies of Lee, though The Mockingbird Next Door is interesting.
Love this post! I adored To Kill A Mockingbird as a kid and haven’t read the second book, though I walk past copies of it regularly in the used bookstore where I work. I’m not one of them, myself, but a lot of readers have an almost parasocial relationship with the authors they admire - they feel like they know the writer as a person, just through their books and their public image. So even without knowing the details, I get why there was so much controversy around this book, as to whether she really did write it or not. I understand why so many people want to believe she didn’t or else feel terribly disappointed that she did. I have no idea what to believe, but I don’t think I’ll ever read it, either way.
Thanks Rosalynn! That's so interesting what you say about the 'almost parasocial relationship' with an author, I've never heard of that. I can imagine that happening more now so many authors are online on platforms like this as well. The release of the second book always seemed like such a shame to me, appearing shortly before Lee's death.
A wonderful post, Kate. Takes me back to my early study guide writing days. I loved Mockingbird, such an incredible work, but haven’t read the sequel. I really like the photograph of her with Capote.
Thanks, Victoria! Yes, I thought the photo was good, too :)
Thanks Kate. I remember being disappointed in reading the sequel. Posthumous publication can be tricky. Joan Didion wrote a great essay about the treatment of Hemingway’s unfinished work and personal letters.
Thanks, Sue. Yes, I agree, it always makes me uneasy when books are published posthumously. You can never be sure what the writer intended. Thank you for reading and commenting; I shall check out the essay by Didion as she is one of my favourite essayists.
It’s printed in the collection “let me tell you what I mean”, possibly elsewhere too. She’s one of my favourite essayists too!
Thanks, Sue! :)
Kate, great article. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books. I did not care for the second book at all, and I have deep reservations about whether that was actually Lee's work. I think to really understand the U.S. it is imperative to attempt to understand racial issues. The great sin of our nation was slavery, and unfortunately, those tensions persisted in our cultural narrative even after the institution was abolished. Lee's book brings this to life in a way that many others have been unable to. Thanks again.
Thank you, Matthew, for your insightful comments. I think so many people love this book, especially because they have often first encountered it when young, and so were very disappointed with the follow-up, particularly given the controversies surrounding it. As for the sins of nations, the UK don't fair much better on that, as my teenager's current A level studies in History and Politics are making all too clear! Thank you for reading :)
OMG my badddd, I absolutely thought Harper Lee was a man 🤭
😄