To Kill a Mockingbird
The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System is holding The Big Read, in which the city reads one book. This year’s book is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I just returned from tonight’s event, in which Alabama historian Wayne Flint discussed the historical reality of Alabama in the 1930s. At one point he asked everyone who had read the book to raise their hands.
I raised my hand, but strictly speaking, I haven’t read it. I had it read to me. One summer when we lived in a little camper in Texas, my dad read To Kill a Mockingbird to Andrew and me. We would huddle in the bunk bed that was crammed against the roof at the front of the camper, listening to Harper Lee’s prose while the Texas heat seeped in through the walls. Whenever I think of that book, I hear my dad’s voice, reading it softly to me.
I’m curious: have you read To Kill a Mockingbird?
Related posts
Comment by Misty
I have read it and it’s been a long time. I think I would much better understand the social significance of this work now than I did when I was in ninth grade.
Posted on April 19, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Comment by Jon Rosebaugh
Yeah, I read it in middle school. My favorite part of the book is when Zorlak 7 makes use of the ancient discoveries of Archimedes to move the Moon.
Posted on April 19, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Comment by Bishop
I read it in school, forget which grade. Middle or early high school, I think. I don’t remember it too well, although I picked up a new copy which was being given away so I’m meaning to reread it. I watched the movie relatively recently, but that’s not the same.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 12:37 am
Comment by Jessica
I’ve never read it, strangely enough.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 6:11 am
Comment by LB
I’ve read it, but I saw the movie before I read it and I liked the movie better.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 8:15 am
Comment by katre
I read it when I was a kid, but not for school. I still remember how powerful it was for me, though.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 8:52 am
Comment by duchess
I actually read it about three years ago. I was realizing how many books that are considered “school classics” that I never read, so I started getting them from the library. To Kill a Mockingbird was my first, and I liked it a lot. It feels like one of those books that I can pick up repeatedly, and find something new that I’d missed previously.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 9:00 am
Comment by Andrew
Your post evoked wonderful memories for me , and I realized that, like you, I’ve never technically read it. It makes me want to go back and revisit it.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 10:46 am
Comment by Limax
I have read it twice. This was one of the only books I got all the way through when I was taking High School English (I fudged a lot of the time with the others), and back when Silverduck and I ran a book club, this was one of the books of the month to read. It’s still a very good story and I really enjoy it.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 10:58 am
Comment by Joyous
I read it in ninth grade, too. I must have had a very good teacher, bc I remember parts of it crystal clearly.
I especially love Scout asking Atticus to pass her the damn ham.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 11:43 am
Comment by Asai
I’ve read “To Kill A Mockingbird” and liked it a lot… Very intense story and the courtroom scene was one of my favourite parts… During year 11, I was a stage techie for the school production of the book… On the night last show when the courtroom scene unfurled, the actor (forgot his name) who played Atticus was reciting a rather long but intense monologue… For some reason the actor had completely forgotten his lines and for a moment there had the look of utter fear yet managed to improvise the entire monologue, based on his memory of the book and the film… Oddly enough that look and his improvisation made the scene even more intense and had all of us in awe…
But I’ve digressed… But yes, I loved the book, the film less…
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Comment by Duckie
I read it in ninth grade, if memory serves correctly. Wonderful book.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Comment by Stephen
Huh. Last night, Wayne Flint claimed that “To Kill a Mockingbird” was so widely read that almost anyone you talked to will have read it. I was skeptical, so wanted to ask y’all.
Posted on April 20, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Comment by Geof F. Morris
I haven’t read it. Not sure why.
Posted on April 21, 2007 at 10:30 am
Comment by Kari
At least half a dozen times. It’s one that’s definitely worth revisiting again and again.
Posted on April 22, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Comment by Danielle
Never read it… but I love listening to Dr. Flynt….
Posted on April 23, 2007 at 8:14 am
Comment by kat
I read it back in 8th grade. It was a really good book. One of the few I remembering truly enjoying reading for school at that age. I’d like to reread it now because, like Misty, I think I would appreciate the social aspect of the book a lot more nowadays.
Posted on April 23, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Comment by KiiM
I HATE THIZ BOOK!!!!!
Posted on May 21, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Comment by Stephen
I’m curious: what about it did you hate?
Posted on May 21, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Comment by Geof F. Morris
:gets a bag of popcorn and a beer:
Posted on May 21, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Comment by Stephen
Nah, Geof, there’s no rule that people have to like all of the same books. I truly am curious, and I’m not out to win converts.
Posted on May 22, 2007 at 11:24 am
Comment by Geof F. Morris
I’m just wondering what kind of cogent response someone who posts “I HATE THIZ BOOK!!!!!” is going to give you. That’s all.
Posted on May 22, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Comment by brittany
i HAD TO READ THiS BOOK FOR 11TH GRADE ENGLiSH HONORS, AND i LiKED THiS BOOK, i LiKE HOW iT DEALED WiTH RACiSM AND NOT JUDGiNG PEOPLE BY THEiR OUTWARD APPERANCES OR BY WHAT YOUVE HEARD. iTS A GOOD BOOK.
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 6:27 pm