Tuesday, July 14, 2015

So Many Rambling Thoughts


For thus hath the Lord said unto me,
Go, set a watchman,
let him declare what he seeth.
Isaiah 21:6




Boxes were opened at midnight; sales began today. 
 No book, in my lifetime, has been awaited with greater excitement or skepticism as Go Set a Watchman.   I had a "what was I thinking" moment yesterday when I realized I wouldn't have my own copy on the day of it's release.   There was a reason behind my madness when I walked into Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, last March, and ordered my book, which now seems silly and a little embarrassing.  Today, I'm having a few regrets, as I would love to have this book in my hot little hands tonight.   

Will Harper Lee's new work be as impactful as To Kill a Mockingbird?  Will Atticus keep his hero status, or will we discover he is human, fallible and an ordinary man of the time?  When we return to Maycomb, Alabama will we be able to put the events (though not a reflection on Alabama or isolated to the south) of the past year aside, and remember this book was penned decades ago.  Or will today's temperature alter our reading? 

When I ask "what is your all time favorite book?", so many reply To Kill a Mockingbird.  I wonder if this is because of Lee's near perfect prose, or is there that little piece of something in us that wants to be the brave one who stands up against the masses, popular beliefs and all odds, and just does the right thing.  Or, is it simply a good story told by a great storyteller.

 Yes, To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite of mine.  To be honest I can't tell you how old I was the first time I read it, but I remember the sadness, the heaviness of heart, it brought.  I am sure I was quite young because it opened my eyes to the meaning of having  two entrances to the movie theater, why there were different schools and churches, and why there were two sides of the railroad track.  It was the first time I understood things were not just different, but wrong.  This may have been my "coming of age" book, the one which forced me to see my small world in a different light.  

I always wanted my dad to measure up to Atticus Finch.  Daddy was a fair man.  He believed a person should be judged by merit.  I never heard him talk down to anyone, and he was always willing to step in to help someone in need.  But, I also know he was a man who grew up in a certain time and fought his own battles with ideas he was taught.   He was a man who kept his opinions to himself and out of other's business.  I've read we will see a different side of Atticus in this book.  We may find him not to be so noble, but more vulnerable to the temperament and thoughts of the time.   Perhaps I'll find my dad and Atticus nearer alike than I thought, and I am okay with that. 

So here I sit awaiting the delivery of my copy of Go Set a Watchman, I think I might reread To Kill a Mockingbird while I wait.

Is it on your "to read" list?
Are you reading it now?

14 comments:

  1. It's impressive that one book could alter view of things so fundamentally. That is a true testament to the power of writing.

    I hope you enjoy, "Go Set a Watchman".

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    1. Yes, writing and storytelling have always had the power to change lives. It is good to hear from you!

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  2. "To Kill a Mockingbird" meant much the same to me as it seems to have meant for you. I'm still deciding whether to read it or not. I hope you'll share your thoughts after reading.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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    1. I have been excited about this book since the rumor of a second book began. How is your summer going? I hope the settling process is still going well!

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  3. After reading some reviews, I have decided that I do not want to read the book. Too many things that we hold dear are later shown to be not what we believed. I do not want to read of Atticus with feet of clay; I want to always think of him as a hero.

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    1. I have no choice. Reading this is a must for me. I don't mind so much we might find Atticus to be flawed....for me. I have no idea the picture this book is going to paint. But we already know Atticus stood up against injustice.

      I hope you are having a good week. I always love hearing from you. Hugs!,

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  4. I have decided not to read Go Set A Watchmen - at least not now. Judging from my instagram and twitter feeds last night, I am pretty much alone in that. Some memories are sacred, and I can't bear to think of a less than noble Atticus Finch.

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    1. I don't think you are alone. I am so excited by it on so many levels. I have always been curious as to why Lee wrote only one novel. Will the newly released book have an impact on the iconic first? Now there is rumor of a third forgotten manuscript!

      Thank you so much for your comment. I love reading your opinions.

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  5. awwww, i am seeing the downside to you being "prepared" and a little over zealous!!! i love reading about your enthusiasm toward books and reading. i share your enthusiasm toward yarn and knitting ;)

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  6. I think I will wait also. . . . . . I read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' late in life, probably because it wasn't required reading in English schools - in fact I never heard of it as a child. It was quite a story, more like an American history book to me, and I immediately passed my copy to a teenage granddaughter and insisted she read it - of course she already had!!!!

    I hope you will enjoy it Bonnie. I wonder if it too will be made into a movie at some point in the the future.

    Mary -

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  7. It's quite embarrassing to admit but I haven't ever read To Kill a Mockingbird! It's on my fall reading list to be followed shortly by the new one! I hope it lives up to your expectations!

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  8. Dear Bonnie - I am not sure I want to read this sequel. Some books just don't need a follow up and I think this wonderful classic should just leave us where it did. May change my mind if you read it and tell me it is good though! Hope you are enjoying the lazy days of summer before you return back to school. How fast this summer has gone. Hugs!

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  9. There has been a great deal of press coverage about this book in the English press, at first rather negative regarding publishing motive and more considered and positive now that the novel has been read. I shall not be able to resist reading it no matter how much I want my image of Atticus to remain uncorrupted. It will be fascinating to read because it was written before Mockingbird and projects into the future of that story.
    Mockingbird is one of the few books that has been made into an equally impressive film, favourites of mine in both mediums. (Our younger daughter was very cross that we hadn't named her 'Scout'!)

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  10. I've been dubious about the book since its discovery was first announced. It's unlikely that I'll read it (I just have too many negative thoughts about it), but it has definitely been a publishing event. I'll look forward to your book review.

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