The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" (Harper Lee): reviews. "Kill a mockingbird": a plot, a brief summary

Many people before trying to read a certain book, try to first find about her various reviews. "To kill a mockingbird" is a work that has gathered a huge audience of people, extremely pleased with the reading of this masterpiece and the ones left from it under deep impression, so it is quite natural that many try to learn more about it.

History of the author

Like many others, the author of this work is recognized as the "genius of one book". The thing is that the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was the only work of Harper, but for this book, which eventually received a full translation into almost all languages of the world, the writer was awarded the most honorable Pulitzer Prize.

Subsequently, the Library Journal recognized this work as the best novel written in America throughout the twentieth century, and over time, the author was also awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States.

The author herself repeatedly spoke about the success of her work. If we talk about what the novel "Kill a mockingbird" content, then this description of the main problems of the society of that time, as well as their vision from the child, and some success of this work, Harper did not even expect. Even more: the author believed that in the hands of critics the novel is doomed to a quick "death." But at the same time she thought that someone might like the book, and in the future still continued to write. In other words, writing "Kill a mockingbird", she hoped for the smallest, but in the end she got much more.

What is this book?

"To kill a mockingbird" is a novel that was published already in the relatively distant 1960. The author of this work is an American named Harper Lee, and it belongs to the genre of an educational novel. It is worth noting that, unlike most other masterpieces known today, this work was almost immediately recognized by the world community, and a year later received the Pulitzer Prize.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that the characters and the plot are based on personal observations of the author for his family and neighboring families near his native city. Basically, these memories, according to the writer herself, are taken from 1936, when she was only 10 years old. Despite the fact that the book was originally educational, it receives exceptionally flattering reviews from readers of all age categories. "Kill a mockingbird" today is part of the compulsory school curriculum of the United States, at the moment it is studied in about 80% of the total number of American schools.

Roman is known for many of his unique humor and unique warmth. Such an atmosphere of the work remains, even though in the process of reading such serious things as racism and rape are being discussed. The father of the narrator, who is called Atticus Finch, is a true model of morality for every reader, and also represents a unique example of an honest lawyer. As the domestic critic E. Kuzmin said, Harper Lee with his help gives a lesson of high human and civil courage, because Atticus, in fact, is an absolutely ordinary and inconspicuous person, but at the same time it is shown through the perception of children who are passionately worried about each His act and ultimately acquire something really important.

Perhaps, that's why even children leave positive reviews about this novel. "To kill a mockingbird" suggests that every child has a sense of justice that is innate, but over time, under the influence of the surrounding world, children begin to acquire all kinds of prejudices, which gradually dull this feeling more and more.

Awards and Prizes

According to the 2003 version of the Air Force, in the rating of 200 best world books, this novel took the sixth position, and at the beginning of 2016 its total circulation has already reached 30 million copies. The Russian translation of this work was carried out by Raisa Oblonskaya and Nora Gal, which, perhaps, will be of interest to those who remained under the positive influence of this novel and left positive comments about it. "To kill a mockingbird" is one of those books that are compulsory for each person to read. Officially, this opinion is supported only by the US government.

The author created heroes on the basis of real personalities, this is a well-known fact. Thus, the prototype of Dill, the friend of the protagonists, is an American writer named Truman Capote, with whom the writer was friends in her childhood, since he lived next door.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that Finch is not a randomly chosen surname, it's the nickname of Father Harper.

Basic messages

In the book "Kill a mockingbird" the story takes place around the touching story of a family who lives in a small town called Mayomb, Alabama. All the action takes place during the thirties of the last century, during the Great Depression, and the story itself tells us a girl at the age of eight.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" the plot shows readers an incredibly complex, ambiguous and contradictory world that opens up to the eyes of the child, and with it also rushes to the reader. In this universe there is everything: adult problems and childish fears, a bitter reality and an unrelenting thirst for justice, the complexity of this family and racial problems, extremely urgent at the time for the south of America.

The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" contains in the center of history the trial of a black man who is accused of a crime that was not committed by him. However, the father of the protagonist, working as a lawyer, still decides to stand up for the young man and struggles to achieve justice. Although for many it causes only mockery.

It is this kind of "Kill a mockingbird" that can roughly describe the main messages of this work.

Plot

The book begins with a story about the ancestor of the Finch family, whose name was Simon. He was a methodologist, and at the same time tried to avoid religious intolerance in England in every possible way, which ultimately led him to Alabama. Here he acquired his fortune and, despite having certain religious convictions, decided to acquire several slaves. Actually, this is only a tie, which is told so that the reader can understand the origin of the family of the main characters. So begins Harper Lee "Kill a mockingbird." What the book is about, this beginning does not give a complete picture.

The main story begins about three years after the most difficult period of the Great Depression and unfolds in the city of Mejcombe, which is fictional and is positioned by the author as "tired of a long life". According to the narrator, this city is in the state of Alabama.

As the main character in the novel appears Jean Louise Finch, who turned eight years old and who lives in the same house with her father Atticus and older brother Jim. Her father works as a lawyer, and according to the book, as mentioned above, it is positioned as an invariably fair, wise and kind person with stable moral principles.

Jim and Jean suddenly meet a boy named Dill, who visits Meikomb every summer to visit his aunt. It turns out that all the children are extremely frightened by their neighbor named Radley, and even gave him the nickname Scarecrow. Radley himself is a recluse and rarely shows up.

Adults Meikomba, in principle, try in every possible way to avoid discussing the Scarecrow, and for many years only a few have seen it, but children actively excite each other's imagination with various rumors about his appearance, as well as possible reasons for his so strong seclusion. In particular, they fantasize about how you can try to get him out of the house. After two summer holidays, together with Dill, Jim and Jin saw that someone regularly left them small gifts in a tree near Radley's house. Thus, several times a mysterious man gives them obvious signs of attention, but the children are disappointed that he still does not dare to appear before them personally.

At this time, Atticus decides to take on a deliberately losing affair, trying in every possible way to defend the rights of Tom Robinson - a black woman, who is going on the charge of raping a young white woman, despite the fact that most citizens do not adhere to the position of a lawyer and even oppose her categorically. Other children constantly tease their brother and sister because of the actions of their father, and Jin tries to defend his dad's dignity, although he told her that it should not be done. Atticus himself encounters a group of people who are going to personally lynch Tom, but this danger is over when three children shame the crowd, forcing them to look at the situation from the point of view of Tom and Atticus.

Because Daddy did not want to bring his children to Tom Robinson's case, Dill, Jim and Jin decided to hide on the balcony. Atticus noted that the prosecutors, who are Mayella, and her father, Bob Ewell (who was also a local drunkard), are trying to slander his client, and it turns out that a single Mayella tried to molest Tom, but after her father caught it This, he brutally beat her. Despite the existence of very substantial evidence of the innocence of his client, Atticus never succeeds in persuading the jury, as a result of which Jim and Atticus are greatly disappointed in US justice, because Tom is already being shot in the near future when trying to escape.

However, this does not end the story "Kill a mockingbird" - the author (Harper Lee) is trying to restore justice. Despite the fact that this case was won, Bob Ewell's reputation was finally destroyed, and so he decided to take revenge. On the street at the meeting, he publicly spits in the face of Atticus, and after that he tries to break into the house of the presiding judge, also threatening the wife of Tom Robinson, the remaining widow. After that, he decides to attack the absolutely defenseless Jean and Jim as they go to their homes after the graduation party for Halloween. Suddenly, someone comes to help the children, and a mysterious person takes Jim with a broken arm into the house where the boy realizes that in fact he was helped by that same Scarecrow Radley.

After this, the culmination "To Kill a Mockingbird" begins. The author (Harper Lee) tells how Sheriff Maycomb sees Bob Ewell dead in the fight, then argues with Atticus about Jim's prudence or Radley's responsibility. The lawyer eventually decided to accept the sheriff's version of the fact that Ewell simply accidentally fell on his knife, and the Scarecrow asks Gene to carry him to her house, and after she bids farewell to him at the front door, he absolutely imperceptibly Disappears. Gene remains on the porch of Radley herself and tries to understand how life looks from the point of view of the owner of this house, regretting that they did not have the opportunity to thank him for the gifts he had made.

Screening

From the work "Kill a mockingbird" quotes are so crashed into the mind and bear such a profound meaning that already in 1962, director Robert Mulligan decided to film the novel in his new film. The main role in the movie was given to Gregory Peku, and the picture was ultimately incredibly successful, as a result of which she was nominated for the Oscar in eight different categories. The film won in three categories:

• The best male role;
• The best scenery;
• The best adapted scenario.

Thanks to this, from the "Kill the Mockingbird" quotes began to spread around the world, and the film to date regularly tops the various ratings of the best films released in the history of American cinema. Often, even in other countries, this picture is recognized as one of the greatest works in the history of cinematography around the world.

It is for this reason that the screen version of "Kill a Mockingbird" is recommended for viewing, as well as reading the novel.

What will you see here?

Practically for every reader the book has an indelible impression.

It is quite natural that to the "Kill a mockingbird" description can not convey the whole essence of this work, therefore, perhaps the reason for reading it for someone will be feedback from people left under the great impression of this novel. As mentioned above, the reviews, with rare exceptions, leave only positive ones.

At the same time, some users point out that in the "Kill a mockingbird" the translation of the nickname of the main character is not entirely correct, but most often they say that this does not affect the general impression in any way and in no way spoils the opinion of the book In Russian translation.

Key points

If we talk about the main features of this book, noted by readers, it is worth noting a few:

• Versatility . The novel can be read by children and adults and teenagers, and adults will not even make any discounts on the fact that the work was originally intended only as a children's literature.
• Multidimensionality . Here we consider a huge number of problems that are described extremely simply and clearly in small things, and even if we look at their enumeration, a good composition can already turn out.
• Autobiography . In the process of reading it becomes clear that the thoughts presented by the author are taken from personal experience. At the time of the creation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" about what to write, the author did not think - she knew.
• Scary moments. Despite the fact that the book is originally a children's book, even adults sometimes notice some frightening moments that actually reflect our reality with you. And this refers not to the horrors of the oppression of the blacks, but, for example, to the atmosphere created by the Scarecrow - a strange person living in a gloomy house and leading a reclusive way of life.
• Education . Since this is an educational novel, this topic is given special attention, and even the problem of oppression of blacks ultimately goes to the background. Atticus appears before us in the role of an ideal father, and it turns out that one does not even need to read any books on teenage psychology in order to somehow find a common language with the child, and just read this book, because no phrase that Atticus dropped About the education of their children, can not be called incorrect, stupid or superfluous. At the same time, in the end, the child feels comfortable, not the parents.
• Racism . The author also touches upon this scrupulous topic, which is especially relevant for the southern states of America of those years.
• Herd instinct. A child calms a huge crowd in simple words, dividing them into small parts and forcing everyone to think about what is happening.

Short description

This is a fair and kind book, which is often watched, but not always dare to buy and read. It takes the reader to childhood and shows how the foundation of each person's life is laid, because children look at the surrounding world through the eyes of adults and draw their own conclusions, determining the slightest lie and immediately noticing the discrepancy between actions and words. That's why the child can not be deceived, and it is very important to remain before him by yourself.

Many people may be repelled by the title of this book, because with the similar name and the children painted on the cover, many do not have the most pleasant associations, although some even turn a little intriguing. Fortunately, the work is often included in various collections, so many more and more often come across it and try to read it.

It is worth noting that some people who have studied the novel "Kill a mockingbird" content, even a little envious of those who have not yet read it, but after studying the whole story, they still reread the book repeatedly, trying to focus their attention on some subtleties, moments, Which have to be sought between the lines.

What can I learn from this?

In fact, from this work you can learn a lot of useful ideas about teaching, about the upbringing of your children, as well as about the views of the surrounding world and the contradictions in these views. In addition, here you can see ideal intra-family relationships, which include not only the interaction between children and parents, but also the great friendship of a brother and sister when they are ready to intercede for each other in any conditions, but also do not give themselves one by one In insult.

That's how a review from an ordinary reader might look to the novel "Kill a Mockingbird". This is a book with an incredible meaning that was not simply added to the official US school curriculum, but could also have been added to the programs of other countries, despite the fact that not all of the problems that are considered in it are relevant in today's world . The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" should be told to every child and adult, and that's why it is recommended for reading not only to children, but to every person.

This book is included in the list of literature, without having read it, you really lose a lot, regardless of what the opinion about this book ultimately amounts to. A huge number of awards and mostly positive reviews - this is only an additional incentive for its reading to those who still doubt whether to read the novel by Harper Lee "Kill a mockingbird." About what a book, to convey in words is just so difficult - it's better to read it yourself.