To Kill a Mockingbird [Full Review]

"Shoot the bluejays of you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"

The plot:
I have to say I was kind of disappointed at the plot and the narration of this novel. If you intend to read this novel, you have to be very patient because at least the first half of the novel is quiet boring and pointless-at least to me. The chapters are very slow-paced and you need to take out what you can in order to finish them and get to the good parts.

The language: I kind of thought it was hard to read, and for a person who has much admiration for literature and language like myself, the language was poor, not of the narrator's, but of the era itself; I didn't really mind it as much as I thought it was hard and sometimes not understandable.

Characters: Mostly, I loved the father, I really admired his patience and the way he was trying to raise his kids and make it up to them for having lost their mother at a young age. I admired his calmness and the way he handled frenzied situations. His way of analyzing and defending at the court, knowing that it's a lose-lose case. Away from the two main characters, who are the girl and her brother, I think the father is the most important and beautiful role in the novel.

I don't really have much to add to this novel, I didn't think I would be so eager to finish it only to know what's gonna happen not because I was utterly enjoying it; overall, I think I can give it 2.5/5, but I still gotta say I enjoyed how the author, Lee, put out the ugliness of racism in the 30s. It's a good-but-not-great novel.

P.S I remembered "Broken April" and "Chronicle in Stone", both for Ismail Kadare while reading this and I couldn't help but compare, I probably haven't read several poetic novels for one author as for Kadare.
"Chronicle in Stone" was also narrated from the heart of a young boy, but the humor was felt more than this novel.
"Broken April" also had to do with the killing of the innocent only because they committed the sin of living in this world.

Lastly,
Quotes to remember:

"I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it ــــ seems that only children weep. Good night."

"You got it backwards, Dill. Clowns are sad, it's folks that laugh at them."

"The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious - because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority.We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe-some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they're born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others-some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men."

"In the name of God, do your duty (out loud). In the name of God, believe him (to himself)."


P.S Never miss out contemplating chapter 20, I'd say it's probably the best chapter in the whole novel (:


3 comments:

Noor | March 7, 2011 at 8:43 PM

This makes me want to re-read it even more. I remember not being extremely impressed but it mainly because I didn't understand it because of the language. Just one of those books I read at the wrong time.
I really loved your review of course, because you always give a detailed explanation stating why you thought of the novel the way you did. I can only seem to say whether I liked it or not, and always fail to express myself as well as you do. Of course that's not to be helped, you're a great writer and you're extremely promising to become a book reviewer!! ;)
<3

sucks or not, it's mine | March 7, 2011 at 8:50 PM

Did you get who was the killer in the end?That's the thing that I remember about the novel since I've read it when I was very young, the thing that I remember is not knowing who was the killer lol so for that I do think like Noor that I should give it another read.
I liked the quotes you chose ;)

Nema | March 7, 2011 at 10:38 PM

@Noor, Oh, I'd love to be a real book reviewer :) I'm only good because you think I am <3

@Huda, Well, I thought he did kill himself .. ? :D I didn't really understand why the author mentioned nothing about Jem in the last chapter, I don't know, will you explain please? :D I feel like I have missed something lol

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