Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

 

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

The Decision:

To Kill A Mockingbird has been my favorite book since the moment I finished it when I was 15 years old. Its one of the few books that I have read that touched me to my very core. I learn something each and every time I read the book. Harper Lee is a wise woman who sees more than the average person in the human spirit. She sees a hero in the shut-in neighbor.  She sees courage in the cranky old lady down the street. In a world where we all judge based on the least amount of information given, Lee sees the other side. Its a lesson I need to hear over and over again, and no one reminds me better than Harper Lee.

When I heard about Go Set A Watchman, I had many mixed emotions: Excitement, nervousness, and disgust. I was so excited at the prospect of reading another Harper Lee book, since To Kill A Mockingbird was the only one. I was nervous that the book might not be very good or might change how I felt about certain characters. And I was disgusted at the alleged way in which the book was likely published without Lee's approval.

From what I have read, Lee never wanted the book published. In fact, her lawyer sister (whom she always referred to as her Atticus), protected her from greedy literary agents. But her sister passed away.  Suddenly the book was being released. Did someone take advantage of an elderly woman who was not fully aware of what she was doing? The answer is purely speculation. And without someone there to protect the book for the rest of eternity, the book was eventually going to get published. Was it not Sylvia Plath who hid her writing all throughout her home and it was published after her death? But does this excuse someone from taking advantage of this woman?  Absolutely not. I do believe, that if it is true, that agent will get their comeuppances. Here's the whole story, if you are interested.

In the end, I decided to read it. I was going to hear about the book no matter what. So, instead of hearing what someone else thought, I decided I wanted to form my own opinion. I was going to read that book, and I was going to read it as soon as I could, before I could hear anything about it. But of course, I didn't get to read it before I heard the worst news ever: Atticus Finch was a racist.

I can't lie, I was devastated.  Atticus? Atticus Finch, the perfect picture of integrity, racist? Could I possibly read this book and destroy my view of the character I hold so dear to my heart?  If I read it, I may never enjoy To Kill A Mockingbird ever again.  But if I don't, wouldn't that thought always be in the back of my mind? Wouldn't I always wonder how he was racist?  Yeah, I would, so again, I decided to read it.

The Plot:

In the book, Scout (now going by Jean Louise) is the all grown up and living on her own in New York.  She is still the wild spirit we all know and love. She is coming home to Maycomb because Atticus is getting older and can no longer function on his own. Jean Louise knows its only a matter of time before she'll have to return for good to care for him.

However, Maycomb is not the place she remembers. The Supreme Court has recently ruled on Brown vs. The Board of Education and the town has turned into Whites vs Blacks. Tensions are at an all time high, something she has not really witnessed living in New York. But when Jean Louise learns that her father is going to meetings known for trying to keep the Blacks from voting, her world is torn apart. The man she idolizes is a cold racist. Jean Louise, who always thinks "What would Atticus do?" when faced with a tough decision, is devastated. Everything she has ever known is lie and she is torn to pieces.

At this point in the book, I was torn about continuing. Much like Jean Louise, I wanted to run away a pretend it never happened. I wanted to pretend I never valued Atticus. Clearly he was not the man I had grown to love. But like Jean Louise, Atticus once again, taught me a lesson.

I will warn you now, beyond this point is significant amount of spoilers. PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!!! (The next section is spoiler free.)

Jean Louise goes about getting upset and rants and raves (much like she does as a child), but fails to go to the source of the issue to get answers. After talking with several members of Maycomb who are full blown racists, Jean Louise throws Atticus into the group. If he's not with her, he's with them. He's a racist who doesn't value Calpurnia and thinks himself better than anyone of color. She is going to write him off as nothing more than a bigot and head back to New York, when she finally is confronted by Atticus.

After a long discussion, Atticus explains his point of view. He is not racist and does support ending segregation. But he's been around long enough that if you take two groups that have been separated, toss them together and tell them they have to get along, you are simply pitting them against each other. By forcing segregation to end in the South, Atticus truly believes they have actually made things worse for both sides. Atticus' answer is that things should happen slower. Blacks will get full educations and become part of a community. Whites will get accustom to Blacks being around and see them for more than their color. Then the Supreme Court can slowly start giving them more and more rights until they are equal.

Jean Louise disagrees completely. She believes that the Blacks should have full rights now and that anyone that believes otherwise is a racist.

After storming off and getting ready to leave town forever, Jean Louise is visited by her uncle Jack. He explains something to her: Atticus let her believe he was racist and did not defend himself so she would learn to think for herself. He didn't want her to think "What would Atticus do?" anymore.  He wanted her to think "What would I do?". And guess what?  She did. She formed her own opinion and stuck to it, even though it was different than her daddy's. She didn't need to look to Atticus anymore for guidance. He knew he was going to die soon and he really needed Scout to stand on her own. And she loved him all the more for it. She still disagreed, but she finally saw the good in the disagreement.

My Opinion:

Now, part of the reason that To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favorite books is because I adore Atticus. I adore him because he reminds me so much of my own father. My dad is my Atticus. He's the hero who always stands for what is right. He's the one who leads me to be my own person. Much like Atticus, I know my dad is proud of me for having my own opinions, even when they are different than his own.

There comes a time in every child's life, when they stop seeing their parent as perfect super hero, and start seeing them as a person. I remember that day vividly in my mind. I must have been 15 or 16 when I learned information about my dad that no longer made him perfect. But this only made me love my dad even more. It's like my whole debate about Superman vs. Batman. Superman has super strength, x-ray vision, and the ability to fly. With all those abilities, anyone could be a hero. Batman is just a guy who wants to do good. He's flawed, broken, and real. But the biggest difference: Superman isn't human. Batman is human.

Superman is the view I had of my dad as a kid. Batman is the guy I see now. Both are heroes, but one is human. I believe the same is true of Scout. To Kill A Mockingbird is how Scout saw her dad as a kid. Go Set A Watchman is how she sees her dad as an adult. At the end of both, he's a hero.

While not nearly as good as To Kill A Mockingbird, I really enjoyed Go Set A Watchman. Filled with flashbacks that stayed true to the original and left me thinking "I love Atticus!", this book was above par and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend.  

Goodreads rating: 4/5

Rating: PG-13 (excessive amounts of the "n" word)

Recommended for those who enjoy: coming of age stories, difficult parenting decisions, and moral dilemmas.

The Goldfinch: 4 Stars

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Theo Decker was 13-years-old when he was suspended from school. Since it was just him and his single mother, she took the day off for the meeting with his principle. While usually very close, that morning they were distant and he barely spoke. With time to spare and a rainstorm pouring down on them, they decided to stop into the Metropolitan Museum of Art to waste some time. And that changed everything.

There was a loud bang and Theo lost consciousness. He awoke to a scene from a movie. There was rubble, smoke, and bodies everywhere. His mom was in another room, so he couldn't find her.  But he did find the old man that was there with the cute young girl. He was awake and trying to talk to Theo. He hands Theo his ring with instructions and points off in the distance. Theo looks up to see The Goldfinch, the painting his mother loved more than anything. Confused that that was what the man was talking about, he feels that he must save it. After the man passes, Theo grabs the painting and leaves, heading home where he hopes he'll find his mother. But she will never make it.

Theo's life becomes a series of changes.  Every time he becomes accustom to where his life has ended up, it changes drastically and he is left to adjust without anyone there to lean on. Who he becomes, is a product of the tragedy that has surrounded him.

I chose this book because it was a Pulitzer Prize winner. The last couple that I have read have been disappointments, and when I saw that this one was nearly 800 pages, I was dreading it.  Even though I never read the synopsis or even had a clue about the plot, the idea of reading an 800-page book that might be dull or boring just made me want to nap!  But I finally bit the bullet at got it from the library. I am so glad that I was wrong.

The book drew me in almost immediately. The author goes above and beyond to describe everything Theo sees and feels so that you are know him well. You feel the love he had for his mother, who was an incredible person who gave up many of her dreams to make his life better and never regretted it. You feel his fear and heartache when she doesn't come home that night. You feel his fear when he realizes he stole a priceless painting. The character development was intense and wonderfully done.

The amazing thing about this novel is that I was never a big fan of Theo, but I was okay with that.  I never hated Theo by any means, but I was never fully on his side.  I think that was okay, because I think (and I may be way off base) that that was the author's intention. Theo's life was surrounded by horrific tragedy.  This made his life more difficult, but it was Theo's response to each and every tragedy that ultimately lead to all of his problems. While Theo was never one to come out and tell people his woes and bask in their pity, he supplied plenty of pity for himself. In his mind, he was always a victim, even years after the tragedy had passed. He used this as an excuse for all the bad things he did. There's a quote I once heard by Joyce Meyer that reminds me of Theo.  It says, "Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don’t have to sit on it."  Theo was the king of sitting on the cactus. Then there was Pippa.

Pippa was the young girl who lost her father in the bombing, was orphaned by the explosion, and was severely injured. These were injuries that she would have to deal with the rest of her life. She then is shipped off to live with her aunt, who is cold and less-than-matronly, even though she'd rather live with Hobie, her dad's business partner. She ends up in a foreign boarding school for troubled girls, thanks to her minor brain injury. Her life was even more tragic than Theo's, but Pippa never let it be an excuse for her actions. Pippa made the best of each and every situation, even if they weren't great. She didn't let the tragedy that struck her dictate who she became. She hid her struggles well, rather than letting them consume her in a vat of self-pity. I think this is why Pippa is the shining beacon that Theo always looked to.

Another shining star in this novel was the side characters.  My goodness they were phenomenal!  I love Hobie most of all, but Boris and Pippa were amazing characters as well. They were well developed and so much fun to read about. I missed Boris and Hobie when they weren't in the story. I would recommend this book based on the side characters alone, they were THAT great!

I decided to give this book only four stars because I thought the ending fell a bit flat. But you'll have to read it for yourself to see if you agree!

Rating: R (language and drug use)

Recommended for those you enjoy: great character development, coming of age stories, and moral dilemmas.

Things Fall Apart: 3 Stars

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Okonkwo is a respected man in his tribe in Africa, but fears that he may some day end up like his father, who he felt was lazy. Due to a horrible crime, Okonkwo adopts a young boy who he loves dearly and treats with greater respect and love than his own son.  But when the tribe decides that the boy must die, Okonkwo even helps carry out the murder. He shows no emotion, afraid of appearing like his father, and bottles his emotions. This causes him to be increasingly violent and abusive to his wives, children, and others.

When Okonkwo accidentally kills a young boy, he his exiled from his tribe and forced to go live in his mother's homeland. There he learns about the impending arrival of white, Christian missionaries. When the missionaries arrive, the tribe soon becomes divided. Some men have converted but mostly due to being outcasts in the tribe. Others refuse, too afraid to anger the many gods they believe in. But when Okonkwo's only son decides to convert, the anger that Okonkwo has held inside can no longer be contained and his world soon falls apart.

This book was an interesting read in that it villainized neither party. I expected the Christians to be either looked at as villains or heroes, yet the author took neither approach. The Christians clearly had a misunderstanding of African culture and the difference in tribes, but were not horrific people. On the other hand, the Africans were not written as silly people with silly cultures that should be dropped or needed to change.

The main character of the book, Okonkwo, was also neither a villain or a hero.  He was man who struggled with who he was and how he was perceived. Okonkwo faced many of the problems that we as Americans face, but in a very different setting. He struggled with the concept of success and what that meant as well as being accepted and what he had to sacrifice to make that happen.

I found that one of the strongest characters in the book was Ezinma, Okonkwo's daughter and favorite child. She was very beautiful and could have married any man she wanted and lived a life of respect and wealth. Instead, she chose to stay with her mother, a woman who was very mistreated by her husband. Eventually, despite her father being viewed negatively, she sticks by his side and returns to his original tribe with him to find a suitor.

The downside to the book, is that is gets a little dull in the middle. It's not until nearly the end of the book that the Christians arrive and the action really picks up. While the rest of the book is thought-provoking, it's a little dry and dull.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: cultural differences, moral dilemmas, and family drama.

The Road: 4 Stars

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Imagine the world has gone to hell. It could be after an epic World War that wiped out most of civilization.  It could be after a zombie apocalypse. It doesn't really matter.  All that matters now is survival. Kids don't get to be kids anymore. They get to learn how to survive or they die. That's it.

One man faces this world alone with his young son. He regrets the life his child will never get to have, but at the same time knows that if he doesn't teach his son properly, it might cost him his life.

McCarthy paints a very dark picture in the post-apocalyptic world. There is no hope and no future.  There is only surviving. The description of the man's internal struggle between wanting his son to enjoy an innocent childhood and learning to live in the chaotic and deadly real world is heart breaking. The agony that he feels every time his son asks questions about the past or is faced with horrific scenarios is felt on every page. You understand the man's battle, and know that there is no way this story will end happily.

The book was wonderfully written and filled with emotion. McCarthy doesn't sugarcoat the man's tragic dilemma and horrific life. Rather than focusing on what happened to get the world to this point, McCarthy deals with the aftermath of such an event. It was a unique, although devastating, read.

After reading this book, I was in great need of something light-hearted and happy.  I highly recommend that you keep a happy book nearby as you read this one.

Rating: R 

Recommended for those who enjoy: post-apocalyptic tales, moral dilemmas, and difficult parenting choices.

The Light Between Oceans: 3 Stars

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Tom and Isabel live a quiet, isolated life on an island in a lighthouse. While they are typically very happy, Isabel has been unable to carry a child to full term, losing three babies during pregnancy. Two weeks after her third miscarriage, a miracle happens. A boat washes ashore with a dead man and a crying infant. Isabel is convinced that this is God giving her a child. Tom isn't so sure, but can't bear to watch his wife lose another child. But the "miracle" isn't all Isabel thought it would be.

Heading to shore two years later, Tom hears of a woman who's husband and child disappeared two years earlier. Still heartbroken, the woman is constantly looking for her missing daughter. Tom knows that his daughter is really her daughter, but what can he do?  To confess the truth would be to lose his own daughter and break his wife's heart.

From the start, you knew there was no way this was going to end happily for anyone involved. It was a tragic story and you knew it was going to end in a heap of heartache and tears. The author did a great job of showing the pain that each character was feeling from Tom's guilt, Isabel's longing, and the birth mother's heartache.

While I thought the story was well told and ended the only way it could have, I felt the author was often long-winded and gave far more details than were necessary. We learn so much about things that just don't relate to the story or add to it. There were more than a few parts that I felt could have been left out or reduced in text. They were just boring and delayed the story, which took away from the emotional journey.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: family drama, moral dilemmas, thought-provoking books.