To Kill A Mockingbird

[hXc]

"...But remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird...Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

Great quote don't you think? If it does no harm, leave it be.

I've just read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
For those unfamiliar, it covers a wide range of societal issues which are ever present, from the beginning of man. Racial injustice, courage, death of innocence and coming of age are all in there.

The other one, the one that was most thought provoking for me, was the 'does no harm, leave it be' thing.
This is metaphorically represented in the above quote, but also in the character of Arthur "Boo" Radley.

It certainly was a good book and I recommend it.

[Usarka]

i thought it was ok but overated and only achieved its fame because it was an accessbile book written by a white person about race issues in America which was virtually unheard of in 1960. Still worth reading though as it is a classic.

[Nasty]

Remember it .. but only from being forced to read it at school .. is this what you have done hXC? ... Found it good .. but then I read craploads of books and enjoy most of them.

[Magua]

Remember it .. but only from being forced to read it at school .. is this what you have done hXC? ... Found it good .. but then I read craploads of books and enjoy most of them.

Instead of being forced to read the book, they showed us the movie in intermediate. _b

[Usarka]

If your into old school books check out The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists from 1911 I think, the socialists bible. good read for its time.

Speaking of classics, gotta go, the Mighty Boosh is on C4.

[hXc]

Remember it .. but only from being forced to read it at school .. is this what you have done hXC? ... Found it good .. but then I read craploads of books and enjoy most of them.Nope, read it of my own accord. Read the first page or so and got it out of the school library, genuinely interested. Glad I did too.

Was forced to read The Lord Of The Flies last year - hated it so much. And it was because we looked too in depth into the book and ruined it. Same with film studies and what-not. Ruins what is a good book or movie by studying it to death.

[Bullitt]

Remember reading the book at High School and watching most of the movie (They never showed the end for various reasons). Have seen the DVD cheap at the warehouse a couple od times but never quite bought it

[Nasty]

Nope, read it of my own accord. Read the first page or so and got it out of the school library, genuinely interested. Glad I did too.

Was forced to read The Lord Of The Flies last year - hated it so much. And it was because we looked too in depth into the book and ruined it. Same with film studies and what-not. Ruins what is a good book or movie by studying it to death.

Totally agree with you there .. but even with the analysis of both mockngbird and LOTF I still enjoyed reading them.

[hXc]

As part of English this year, we have to have read 9 books, all different, and then had to have written about them in a reading log. I haven't finished them (and they're due tomorrow), so I'm making up a reading log about The Bell Jar. This'll be interesting. I suppose I should go and get it out of the public library now, so I know what I'm talking about-ish.

[Brett]

Hahaha...that book. I studied it pretty in-depth (plus my mum is an english teacher so I was subject to much review of it as a literary piece while I was growing up) and I really love it. Can't remember too many of the quotes anymore...but bugger me did I have to write a whole pile of essays on it.

ANother good book was The Great Gatsby. Interesting commentary on the 1920's.

[hXc]

And, influenced by this novel, I have decided to entitle my latest composition as Ad Astra Per Aspera - "To the stars through difficulties."

It kind of sums up life really. The best we can become, is only reached through difficulties.

[gijoe1313]

And of course "Catcher in the Rye" and "Of Mice and Men" to join in that lot!

[Hitcher]

And of course "Catcher in the Rye" and "Of Mice and Men" to join in that lot!

Great books!

Also add "Slaughterhouse 5", "The World According To Garp", "The Grapes Of Wrath", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", and you're well on the way to having knocked off some of the great American novels.

[The Pastor]

cheer up emo kid!

[BuFfY]

As part of English this year, we have to have read 9 books, all different, and then had to have written about them in a reading log. I haven't finished them (and they're due tomorrow), so I'm making up a reading log about The Bell Jar. This'll be interesting. I suppose I should go and get it out of the public library now, so I know what I'm talking about-ish.

So you took my advice then huh!
It is quite a good book to write about. Has all the jazz that NCEA loves you to talk about, social injustice etc etc
Good luck and don't stay up too late!!

[Usarka]

Great books!

Also add "Slaughterhouse 5", "The World According To Garp", "The Grapes Of Wrath", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", and you're well on the way to having knocked off some of the great American novels.

Garp never done it for me. The other three I'll agree are great, especially Slaughterhouse 5 - a must read for anyone who doesn't like harry potter or tom clancy.

I was surprised at how easy to read Hemingway books are, i was expecting some ulysses type grind.

[hXc]

So you took my advice then huh!
It is quite a good book to write about. Has all the jazz that NCEA loves you to talk about, social injustice etc etc
Good luck and don't stay up too late!!I think I stuck to the theme of feminism, and how I learnt about how 1950's American women were restricted.
Good ol' Wikipedia.

[Hitcher]

I was surprised at how easy to read Hemingway books are, i was expecting some ulysses type grind.

Earnest Hemmingway is a "must read" for anybody who aspires to write. "Powerfully economic" is how I would describe his writing style. Read and learn.

"Tequila Mockingbird" is probably amongst the most analysed books of all time. So much so that I believe it has more read into it than its author originally intended.

[MSTRS]

Huh! Hark at you lot skiting about 'the literary gems' you've all plodded your way through...
I read The Cat in the Hat. Once. It was good. It had rhyming sentences.

[Hitcher]

It had rhyming sentences.

It follows an exact triple meter.

[Usarka]

Huh! Hark at you lot skiting about 'the literary gems' you've all plodded your way through...
I read The Cat in the Hat. Once. It was good. It had rhyming sentences.

Overated. Green eggs and ham was a much better literary example of Seuss's work.

I'd also recommend "Are You My Mother" by Philip Eastman which chronicles a birds journey to find it's mother and the highs and lows as he finds attachment with dogs, horses and diggers only to find that they don't provide the love that he needs.

[chris]

Cannery Row

[Brett]

If you want a really good read...cant go past Performance Bike:rockon:

[Kickaha]

"The World According To Garp"

I still rate that as one if the crappiest books I've ever had the misfortune to read right alongside "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"