Here is an article from the BBC website about the universal appeal of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. It's an article taken very much from the British point of view with regards to the book and they interview various people including school teachers on why this book is so popular.
Posted by Jess
Thanks for this - the article was great! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this great article! I love the comment about "The voice of Scout is part of a uniquely American tradition of young narrators, that appeals to teenage readers"
ReplyDeleteI hadn't really thought about that being an American tradition, but I love when books do that. I think it makes the material so much more accessible for teens.
Glad you both enjoyed the article.
ReplyDeleteAvid Reader - its funny because I didnt see that as an Americal thing but when I thought about great classics narrated by young people like Huck Finn, The Bell Jar, to kill a mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye I realised they were all great American novels! I have only read a couple of those as an adult but the young narrator still appealled and was something I could relate to, as you say the material becomes so much more accessible.
Thanks for the link, a fascinating article but I still didn't enjoy the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! I read TKAMB when I was 21 and loved it. It reflects the economic and social mood of the 1930s, especially in the south. Scout's voice was captivating to me. I never felt it was Lee speaking from an adult perspective. It felt like Scout was just a perceptive young girl. I think many discount the thoughts of children as all being very immature but that isn't always the case especially when they've undergone a hardship like Scout. I should really re-read this one.
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