glasfryn
cleaning up cat sick
Rest in Peace good lady
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Harper Lee
- Thread starter glasfryn
- Start date
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
One of the great writers even though she only wrote one novel (apart from the second one)
But Mockingbird was a masterpiece
But Mockingbird was a masterpiece
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
RIP - although she should never have written that follow up to 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. It's just awful and has Atticus Finch as a racist. Completely spoils the whole raison d'etre of the first book and it hurts to think of Gregory Peck as a bigot.
Edit - a bit of Harper Lee trivia, she was a childhood friend of Truman Capote.
Edit - a bit of Harper Lee trivia, she was a childhood friend of Truman Capote.
jonny.rainbow
Well-known member
- Oct 29, 2005
- 6,603
Go Set a Watchman was a draft of To Kill A Mockingbird, so if Lee had never written it there would be no raison d'etre to spoil.
Besides, Atticus is not a racist in Go Set a Watchman. He holds segrationist views based on his mistrust of the Supreme Court and the NAACP.
Last edited:
I've read To Kill A Mockingbird twice - once aged 12 and again last year. To me, it is one of the most overrated and frankly dull books I've ever read. So poorly edited. But Harper Lee's always had my total respect for not selling out. A dignified lady. RIP Harper Lee.
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
In my eyes Watchman is set after that book with references to people and events in the first so I would argue that Watchman was written after the first but I'll happily concede the point as the major plot themes were in the original draft and so I was wrong.
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on Finch being a racist though and I think you're in the minority view. All the US and UK broadsheet reviews made a big thing about Finch's racism.
Watch the film "Infamous" starring Toby Jones as Truman Capote. Their friendship is featured quite heavily in that film. Great film about Capote's obsession for the murderer Perry Smith who he fell in love with while writing the book "In Cold Blood" about the murders Smith had committed. Harper Lee assisted Capote while he was researching the book and she was played by Sandra Bullock.
Harper Lee is also featured in "Capote" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as Capote, but I've never seen it so I don't know how much she is featured.
Skaville
Well-known member
Always or until last year?
jonny.rainbow
Well-known member
- Oct 29, 2005
- 6,603
It's debateable how much she knew about the publication of Go Set a Watchman.
Are you saying she sold out with watchman? If so, that's a bit harsh given her age and health
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
It is established fact that she wrote Go Set a Watchman before she wrote Mockingbird.
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
Yup, I was wrong.
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
I haven't read Go Set a Watchman but I suspect Harper Lee was the epitome of the saying "Everyone has a novel in them"
Unfortunately, they missed out the bit "but usually only one"
Unfortunately, they missed out the bit "but usually only one"
Bombadier Botty
Complete Twaddle
- Jun 2, 2008
- 3,258
Bizarrely donated TKAM to a charity shop just yesterday. Really tried with that book, but it was just too tediocre for me.
BUTTERBALL
East Stand Brighton Boyz
Could do a job 
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
Yup, I'd agree with that.
My point was there aren't that many authors who have written more than one really oustanding book.
And of the ones who have - Grisham, Clancy, Forsyth, even Jeffery Archer - there tends to be lots of similarities between their books.
Even the greatest of them all in my opinion - P.G. Wodehouse - used pretty much the same plot line in the vast majority of his books.
Doesn't mean they weren't enjoyable though. If you find a winning formula stick with it.
I've read virtually all of John Grisham's books and will continue to read any new ones he writes, but when he deviates from his normal format I think he misses a trick.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,221
