From the Bookshelf of Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)…

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

Start date: October 1, 2025

Finish date: December 31, 2025

Discussion: New School Classics- 1915-2005

Why we're reading this: Most Recent Read
Moderators Run Amok - 4th Qtr. 2025

Previous Reads
May 2014 Contemporary Classic Read (New…more
[close] Most Recent Read
Moderators Run Amok - 4th Qtr. 2025

Previous Reads
May 2014 Contemporary Classic Read (New School)
May 2016 Revisit the shelf
Feb 2023 Buddy Read

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 393 topics — 15,670 comments total

New School Classics- 1915-2005

Frenchman's Creek - No Spoilers
By Lynn , New School Classics · 23 posts · 62 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 10:33AM

To Kill a Mockingbird: NO spoilers
By Katy , Quarterly Long Reads · 87 posts · 323 views

last updated Sep 01, 2025 06:49AM

showing 1 of 1 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Mar 11, 2008 Terri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant book! Loved eveything about it, characters, story, setting, pacing! Dialog...

6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2008 Suvi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, _north-america, 1940-1969, deep-south

If a book is written from a child's point of view, I tend to skip it. That was the reason why I was putting this off, even though I was interested in the topic and liked the fact that it was set in the South in the 1930s. I also wanted to see why this is considered as one of the greatest American novels of all time. Well, I did see where people were coming from and why this is such a loved story, especially in the United States. It had this charming and nostalgic atmosphere, which made me want t If a book is written from a child's point of view, I tend to skip it. That was the reason why I was putting this off, even though I was interested in the topic and liked the fact that it was set in the South in the 1930s. I also wanted to see why this is considered as one of the greatest American novels of all time. Well, I did see where people were coming from and why this is such a loved story, especially in the United States. It had this charming and nostalgic atmosphere, which made me want to go back in time when I was a carefree child. Had I read this during the summer, I would have had a glass of lemonade in my hand while sitting on the garden swing in a warm breeze of wind.

Lee knows how to evoke the sweet childhood alongside the serious undertone of the trial and racial issues. It soon becomes clear that the prejudice and mean-spiritedness towards certain groups of people is incomprehensible to children, which I personally think shows that it is completely unnecessary and ridiculous. In the story one of the teachers abhors Hitler's actions, but at the same time says that it was about time someone taught the Negroes a lesson because they didn't stay in their proper place anymore. What a load of crappy hypocrisy, Ms. Whatever-her-name-was. I would also say (based on the book and my own experiences) that racism is a completely learned behaviour. Children repeat what they hear at home, they don't even necessarily know the meaning of the words they're spitting out, let alone why it is wrong to say such things.

However, had I read this earlier in life it would have probably worked a lot better for me. I'd say that this would serve its purpose in schools' compulsory reading lists. Adolescents at a certain stage in their lives would take out a lot from this. I understand why people love this so much, but at the same time I can't consider it as nothing more than one of many canonical classics. Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath for example is in my opinion many ways far superior, whereas Lee falls short in both her writing and characterizations (mostly with the children). ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 15, 2013 spoko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: race, history, fiction

Yes, I should have read this in high school; no, I didn't do so. I was a pretty big slacker, but I'm finally starting to make up for it.

It's a good story, and well told. I was a little disappointed, though, in a way that's not really fair: There's not much more here than there is in the movie. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that sticks quite so closely to the book. The problem being, of course, that I've seen the movie half a dozen times and I'm just now reading the book. I had hoped for a ...more

Like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: everyone-loved-it-except-me, 1001-books, pulitzer-winner, young-adult, classic, coming-of-age

from NPR poll of best Young Adult fiction.

A classic that I somehow never read, until now.

This book is at the top of so many lists, beloved by so many, said to be the One Book you should read before you die, acclaimed as an American Literary Masterpiece, and on and on .... And boy was I disappointed. Honestly, I'm afraid to even say that. I just, I'm out of step with every other reader in the country, I guess.

It wasn't bad, exactly. It just wasn't amazing.

ETA: No, I don't understand how it was ...more

Like · see review