A few years ago I was in an airport - not sure which one even - and bought a copy of a biography of Harper Lee. It seemed like it would be interesting, but it was kind of tedious, so I never finished it. Then at a Scholastic Bookfair at the school where I taught, I found another bio of Ms. Lee called I Am Scout. I bought it - and read it almost in one sitting - it was that compelling!
I later discovered that both books were by the same author - and the one I had enjoyed was an adolescent version of the one I had found tedious!! Gotta love adolescent lit - never lets you down!
The book was revealing also - telling the story of how Harper Lee took her manuscript to a publisher, who suggested that the story had potential - that there was a thread they could develop and flesh out into a full fledged novel.
She worked for 2 years with the editor who believed in the story's potential - and the result was To Kill a Mockingbird. The initial manuscript was Go Set a Watchman.
Harper Lee never wrote another novel. The bio delved into that issue with some suppositions, but the truth was, Harper Lee was a very complex woman. She was also highly influenced by her sister Alice. Alice encouraged her to write, but not necessarily to publish. It was only after Alice's death that the initial manuscript was published. There are those who feel that Ms. Lee has been taken advantage of - and I suspect she has been. But that doesn't alter the existence of this first writing effort by Harper Lee.
The critics have been fierce in their condemnation of this book. I had ordered it on Kindle a while back when the news of the publication first surfaced. But after reading the reviews, I worried that I might be sorry if I read it. Lots of people were saying we should protest and not read it.
Let me just say that I don't entirely agree with the critics - and I honestly feel that because I read the bio, I have a different feeling about the book and the many responses it has engendered.
Atticus Finch is a Klan member - but the focus is on the idea that he has to be one to prevent them from doing really bad things. He believes that black people are inferior - but he also believes that his way will help them overcome that inferiority. He has become "political" - but believes that is the only way to protect his beloved South.
To Kill a Mockingbird is by far the superior work. Like one critic noted, Go Set a Watchman is an apprentice work. Regardless of the content - which is problematic often - Harper Lee is a fine writer. Both novels bear the unmistakable stamp of her skill as a wordsmith.
I'd say give it a read!!
I knew I needed an "airplane read" so I went to the library and gathered up a few Kristin Hannah novels. I had so enjoyed The Nightingale, I thought I'd enjoy some other works by her. Home Again is one of her earlier novels - and maybe she's improved - because it's hackneyed, cliche-ridden, almost unbelievable - but it was a good way to pass the time! Also, I found myself predicting - accurately - what would happen next. Fiction that transparent is hard to enjoy.
I am giving another one a go - but may not go beyond that!!
