Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Go Set A Watchman

by

Harper Lee

Prior to listening to Go Set A Watchman I refreshed my memory by listening to To Kill A Mockingbird and I highly recommend to anyone that  it has been a while since they read To Kill A Mockingbird to re-visit the book prior to reading this one.  I did not read the reviews of Go Set A Watchman prior to enjoying the book and I am very glad I did not.  Some of the reviews are very critical.  I loved both books.  In fact,  I hesitate to admit it, but as an adult, I like Go Set A Watchman best.

The stories are set in the same setting but,  although Go Set A Watchman was written first,  it takes place 20 years later.   Scout is on vacation visiting her home town in southern Alabama from her residence in NYC.  Brown vs The Board of Education has been handed down by the supreme court and the white people in the south are angry.   A back lash is taking place and Scout finds her father on what she considers the wrong side of the argument.  For those of us who loved Atticus in Mockingbird it is a shock to see his idea of equality  has a separate but equal condition.   He falls off the pedestal for both the reader and for Scout too.  She is completely disillusioned with her father when she watches him participate in the local county Citizen's Council.  What follows that event is a breaking away for Scout of Atticus being one and the same as her conscious and the realization that she has her own belief system and opinions.  The title of the book is based on an Old Testament verse in Isaiah which is about setting standards in one's life.   

Please follow the links above by clicking on the book title,  author's name,  and colorized text above.  For those that know me,   you realize I re-discovered the following video recently and find it an especially good explanation of something my mother used to tell me.  She would say "One of the hardest parts of growing up is realizing that your parents are not perfect,  and then learning to love to love them anyway".    In this "coming of age" story Harper Lee is right up there with Betty Smith and her A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.  Go Set A Watchman is a great read.  Don't miss out.    

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird

by

Harper Lee

Since I was unable to remember how long ago I had read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee,  when her newly released book came out,  I decided that before I read it,  I needed to re-visit To Kill A Mockingbird.  I have been listening to it on audio and finished it on my way home from work tonight.     There was very little of the book that I remembered so I am very glad that I chose to "read" it again.   It is one of those classics that should be read by every American more than once.  It is the story of a family in the mid 1930's in Alabama that stand up to unfairness related to race.  It is a well written story that captures one's heart.  It was published in 1960 and made into a movie in 1962.  It has won awards and is so famous that I feel there is not a lot more I can say about it that has not been already said.  I am looking forward to it's sequel,  Go Set A Watchman,  even though the reviews say it will be upsetting.    Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information.  And enjoy the video of the movie trailer below.

Labor Day Afternoon At The Movies

I have been waiting on the new Robert Redford movie to come out for months and was very excited when it was released last week.  Not only do I adore Robert Redford still - but I admire his environmental work.  And Bill Bryson is a favorite author.  In fact,  I totally enjoyed the book he wrote that this movie is based on.  I do not remember so much foul language in the book or as many sexual innuendos but the book was a belly laugher and the movie was rolling in the aisle funny.  We barely got in because the theater was sold out for the showing we went to.  Don't miss this movie.  It is great fun.

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Flight Behavior

by

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver never disappoints me.  One of my goals is to read all her body of work.  Her novels capture not only my interest but also my heart.  Flight Behavior is no exception.   It is the story of a woman caught in a disappointing marriage in Appalachia.  The novel covers her struggles and her family's struggles but also her growing to know herself in a new and profound way.  Interwoven in the story are beautiful butterflies.  The book describes a fictional one time wintering over of the Monarch Butterfly in Appalachia instead of their usual winter home in Mexico.  I learned a new awareness of butterflies by reading this book.  This is a novel that I would like everyone to read.  It will surely make my top ten list this year.  Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.  This video shows Monarch Butterflies where they do really winter over in Mexico and visually shows what the book describes.