To Kill A Mockingbird (book)

I have to read this book by Harper Lee for English - we're studying characterisation and so forth. I have only managed to get past the first chapter. I find it horribly hard to get into and so far I don't the the characters very much.

This book is a huge success and is of significance - no doubt. Have you read it? Does it get better? What's your opinion of it? Will I enjoy this book?

It's a book that I don't want to dislike because of it's significance and how celebrated it is. Just tell me your thoughts of it.

I know there is a movie adaption as well - but I got told not to watch the movie before I read the book. Have you seen the movie?

EDIT: Can someone move this to The Lounge? Accidently created it in wrong section. Sorry!

Yeah it gets alot better in the middle and especially towards the end, although some people will still call it boring. I always loved the book.

And the movie lives up to the popularity of the book. Gregory Peck portrays Atticus perfectly.

I feel that usually with celebrated books, how I should like it, but I can't stand it (like Of Mice and Men and Lord of the Flies, ugh), but I really loved this book. When we read it in class, I'd always go home and read ahead in it in school because I enjoyed it so much. :)

I first read it a couple of years ago. At first I found it hard to get into; the first chapters were pretty boring and rough. I needed to start again a few times because I was having a lot of trouble trying to follow what was going on. However, once the story had hooked me I found it a great book and a great read. Definitely worth getting into.

The movie is pretty good, too. As I Took the Red Pill said, Gregory Peck does Atticus perfectly (pretty much just as I imagined Atticus), and it was Atticus that kept me interested in the story.
I think it's better to save the movie until you've read the book (but this is what I usually think in times like this).

I must admit, however, that I never studied the story in English class, so I most likely know less about it than anyone else.

Keep at it, Rusty. I hope you can enjoy the story like many others have. :)

I watched the film before the book and I do agree, Peck is a great actor for Atticus (I love that name!) and I just love how you are transported right there, in the court room, at the school, etc. You will enjoy it Rusty, its a masterpiece.

It was the only 'required reading' I think I've ever enjoyed.

great book AND great movie (which is rare) atticus is my hero

i usually enjoyed all required reading, but i'ma hugenerd

(should this be in the lounge?)

I can see it being a bit slow for some people...it somewhat matches the flow and pace of life in the small-town South it tries to portray.

However, it's one of my favorite books, and Atticus is one of the most "heroic" literary characters IMHO.

Definitely watch the movie too, but after you read the book.

EDIT:
The American Film Institute ranks Atticus Finch as the number one movie hero of all time.

One of the few school literature texts that's worth reading.

I read it a while back. It is somewhat thought provoking and entertaining. Not one of the best books I have read, but certainly relevant.

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Originally Posted by Rusty

I have to read this book by Harper Lee for English - we're studying characterisation and so forth. I have only managed to get past the first chapter. I find it horribly hard to get into and so far I don't the the characters very much.

This book is a huge success and is of significance - no doubt. Have you read it? Does it get better? What's your opinion of it? Will I enjoy this book?

It's a book that I don't want to dislike because of it's significance and how celebrated it is. Just tell me your thoughts of it.

I know there is a movie adaption as well - but I got told not to watch the movie before I read the book. Have you seen the movie?

EDIT: Can someone move this to The Lounge? Accidently created it in wrong section. Sorry!

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I personally had a lot of trouble getting into it, also. However, the book eases you into the plot, not there is anything that haven't seen before. to me, though, it more about teaching you about life's lessons rather than it relying completely on the plot. At the end of the book, I loved it, but I still sold it.

It's a great piece of literature, and even if you don't end up liking it, you'll probably still respect it enough to either see it to the end, or value some of the finer things in life (finer as in more intricate and nuance).

The movie isn't a big deviation (if any at all), and still promotes the general feel of the book.

Im reading the book right now in english class aswell! it's good but I heard theres this ....part in chapter 25 thats kind of disterbing. don't think I found it! everyone in my class was looking for it and I just wanted to get in on the hunt.

I've read this book a few times. It is my favorite book. I'd have to say it's not the biggest action packed book if you like that, but it says a lot about life and people. I'd suggest even if you don't like it to read it.

I also had to read the book for English class. I can't say that I really like the book that much compared to my favorite books, but it gets a lot better in the end.

And in my English class, I had to watch the movie, too. I'd say the book is better, though.

I read it a few years back, it definitely gets better after you get into it a bit. I think I enjoyed it pretty well (it's been a while though), but at the very least, as others have said, it is a good book to have read.

It was freakin useless. I gave me no information on how to kill mockingbirds!

But seriously, it was a very good book with an excellent moral. I had to read it for 9th grade english, which seems like forever ago.

I had to read it in my first year of high school. I was very bored by it, things like that just didn't interest me that much. There were a few good parts in it though. I felt the same way about Lord of the Flies. I did enjoy Of Mice and Men and A Midsummer's Night Dream. This year it's the Crucible......

I only saw the movie but i liked it. I love atticus if he wasn't just a book character i would so give him a hug and a smiley face.:)

I heard somewhere that attickus was named the greates movie hero at some point.

I really loved the book, although I also had trouble getting into it at first. The first few chapters were such a chore for me to read. After that, though, and having a good English teacher at the time pointing different things out and challenging me, I ended up really appreciating it.

I didn't like the movie, though. I like Gregory Peck, but his Atticus wasn't mine. Very different! And the rest of it...eh. I didn't feel as though it was as effective as the book. It didn't hit me as hard. But hey! something

I didn't finish watching the movie, but the book is a brilliant bit of literature. I read it a loong time ago when I didn't even know what 'rape' meant. We've never done To Kill A Mockingbird in English, strangely enough, but I know it is every English teacher's dream xD That being said, it isn't one of my favourite books in the world. I need to be in a special mind-set to be able to read, so it doesn't exactly fall under the category of "pleasure reading" for me.

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Originally Posted by Ender

EDIT:
The American Film Institute ranks Atticus Finch as the number one movie hero of all time.

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damn right they should

I enjoyed the book a great deal. I beleve that it's the only book Harper Lee wrote that had a great measure of sucess.

While I prefer fantasy novels, I like this one. And a Boys Life. :)

I was kinda pissed that I couldn't get into this book. I wanted to like it so much because of what it meant, and I just hated it. They way it was written or something just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't even finish reading it for English last year. I cheated. As I did with Lord of the Flies. Bleh. But I loved A Midsummer Nights Dream. I had read that before we had to in class.

Ooo. I can't wait to read the Crucible in English this year. :)

I love reading. :love:

OOOOO The Crucible! AWESOME!

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Originally Posted by ValkyrieWing

I enjoyed the book a great deal. I beleve that it's the only book Harper Lee wrote that had a great measure of sucess.

While I prefer fantasy novels, I like this one. And a Boys Life. :)

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I think it's the only book she actually ever wrote :o But I'm not entirely sure on this one.

And Arthur Miller -- fan-tas-tic! :D I love the guy. We're doing "A View from the Bridge" in English now.

I can't believe it's been 15 years since I read this book. I've never seen the movie, but we watched one of the final court scenes in my law school orientation last week. I didn't really like the way Peck portrayed Atticus, but I hardly remember the details of the book enough to really complain.