Introduction

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel of modern American literature. It was written by

Harper Lee and was published in 1960. The novel won Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Thus, it was
an immediate success.

The novel contains 31 chapters and it is divided into two parts; 11 chapters in part 1 and the
remaining 20 chapters are in part 2.

It is an excellent novel with valuable lessons and life-changing quotes.

Book Review of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

Like every other reader as they say it; when I started the novel, I found it quite boring. I
found it hard to follow the story. In other words, the story took time before it would reveal
itself to me. However, in the latter part of the book, it becomes an interesting read.

The novel is mostly narrated in the first person from a child’s perspective ‘Jean Louise
(Scout) Finch’. She is an intelligent girl. When the novel starts, she was six years old.
However, later on, we find her nine years old. The novel is centered upon her.

As I said, the story takes time to reveal itself, it was after reading almost half of the novel that
one finds the theme and the storyline. Mostly, readers quit reading this novel because they
find it boring in the initial stage. But, this novel is a must-read. It becomes a real pageturner.

To Kill a Mockingbird is banned in most of the states of America over racism concerns. The
main story is about the trial and prosecution of Tom Robinson (a Negro) charged with a rape
crime. He was indicted for raping a white girl. But, he was innocent. Overall, the novel
depicts the persecution of the colored (black) people at the hands of white.

Atticus Finch is another main character of the novel. He is the father of Scout Finch, the girl
that we have talked about above. He is a lawyer who fights the case of Tom Robinson in
court. Atticus is a thorough gentleman and an ideal character who inspires the readers. This
character is the one prominent reason why one should read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

What makes the novel boring at the start?

The novel fails to hook the attention of the reader at its start. The childhood adventures of
the siblings along with Dill (another child character) of making Boo Radley (whom they are
afraid of) come out of his house are uninteresting.

Moreover, the first two paragraphs of the novel can only be understood after completing the
novel. Even, the starting line of the novel reveals no sense to the reader. To understand it,
one has to end the novel.

When he was nearly thirteen my (Scout’s) brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the
elbow…
As the story is narrated from the child’s perspective, it slightly appears immature in tone.
Moreover, the other characters like Aunt Stephanie Crawford, Walter Cunningham,
Reverend Sykes, etc. introduced to us in the novel appear dull and boring.

Lastly, the novel has an unwanted narration of multiple disconnected incidents/events that
one might find boring.

What makes the novel interesting?

First and foremost, the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ teaches us multiple life lessons.
Especially, the character of Atticus Finch is so refined. He is an ideal father, an ideal lawyer,
as well a citizen. His way of looking at things changes our own perceptions of things. He
understands the psyche of people. Further, he is quite capable of looking at positive sides in
negative circumstances. In short, we have many lessons to learn in his character alone.

Moreover, the trial of Tom Robinson and Atticus’ way of cross-examining the witnesses is
interesting. The novel also depicts how blacks are/were treated in America. It shows the
racial discrimination in that society.

The novel also introduces us to children’s psychology and their way of looking at things.

What does ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ symbolizes?

Mockingbird is a songbird found mainly in tropical America. It is an innocent bird that does
no harm to anyone. In the novel, it mainly symbolizes Tom Robinson (who depicts the
situation of negroes in America). In short, the title of the novel symbolizes the persecution
(killing of Tom Robinson) of black people by white in America.
Final Thoughts
This review of To Kill a Mockingbird is based on my personal views and opinion of the novel.
I would highly recommend this novel to you. Even if you find it dull and boring in the
beginning; you will get hooked to it somehow near its mid.

Novel Rating
On Goodreads, the novel is rated as 4.28/5.

On Common Sense Media, it is rated as 5/5.

I will rate this novel a 3.5/5.

To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view …
Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”
“Things are never as bad as they seem.”
“You can choose your friends but you sho’ can’t choose your family, an’ they’re still kin to you
no matter whether you acknowledge ’em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you
don’t.”
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man
with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin
anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
“It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how
poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you.”
“As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me
tell you something, and don’t you forget it…Whenever a white man does that to a black man,
no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is
trash.”
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
“There are just some kind of men who-who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve
never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”
“People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.”
“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to
try to win.”
“The best way to clear the air is to have it all out in the open.”
“Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose
circumstances you know nothing about?”