I have read Harper Lee's new (old) book and had a chance to think about it. The early reviews said that Atticus Finch is a racist....how doya like them apples? Well, as someone who lives less than 100 miles from Monroeville, AL and as one who lived through the times this book discusses, it ain't that easy an explanation.
This book captures the essence of small town Alabama in the early 60's in a way that no one else can. I can smell the honeysuckle and hear the squeak of the chain on the porch swing. Sorry if I sound snobbish but no one who has not lived in the area can really create the aura. Some actors try to fake a southern accent that only makes me want to cringe because its so phony. Harper Lee's accent is genuine.
Since this book was written before To Kill A Mockingbird, there is no way it could have been created to reflect current events.....but it does. Early reviews said that Atticus had attended a Klan meeting....but that is incorrect. He attended a Citizens Council meeting. Sound familiar? That was the forerunner of the Council of Conservative Citizens. Yeap, the same group that has received recent publicity thanks to Dylann Roof. Do we need any more proof that Harper Lee's writing is timeless?
I won't write a spoiler for anyone who plans on reading the book. I will say that it openly discusses the situation of the era. Race has never been an easy subject in the south. The book talks about the SCOTUS rulings of the time and its relationship to the Constitution. It deals with right & wrong and the difficulty that reality brings to change. The amazing thing is how relevant to today this book is.
I think this one is worth reading.