2025 Reading Challenge discussion

I just checked this out and am going to try really hard to add it to my list of current reads.... I might have bitten off more than I can chew for December, but it's been on my list for a while!

Cassie understandable. I think a lot of people feel that way in the end of the year crunch to meet their goal. I do!

I will likely have to wait until this weekend to start. Kids sports and holiday madness really kill that reading time.

Sitting down to start this right now!

I finished my book for another buddy read last night, so I am ready to start this one. It's been a while since I read To Kill a Mockingbird, and I hope that I remember enough to read this book.

Ilona I don't think you have to worry. the plots don't intertwine, just the characters.

(view spoiler)[ Honestly, I'm not liking this so far. everyone seems rather awful. (I put this in 'spoiler' so nobody goes in fuest hearing a negative thought) (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Alright, I don't like this. When it came out I read many articles about how Lee never had this published, and the struggle with her estate and the release of the manuscript.

I can see why Lee bailed on this book and moved on to Mockingbird.

Atticus is one of my childhood heroes. I am a legal aid attorney. The spirit of Atticus lives in my profession. Mockingbird shaped my view of life.

The Atticus in this book is a complicit racist. I can't stand it. That is not the Atticus that stood up to the town and the attitudes of his time to acquit an innocent black man. (hide spoiler)]

I have read 25% but am so bored. Nothing is happening so far, but I keep hoping it will get better...

Ilona wrote: "I have read 25% but am so bored. Nothing is happening so far, but I keep hoping it will get better..."

So, right after I wrote this last message the story picked up because (view spoiler)[Jean Louise finds the pamphlet (hide spoiler)] happened. At that point the story accelerated and I decided to finish it in one sitting, mainly because I did not want to spend more days with this book.

(view spoiler)[There is so much hypocrisy with these characters regarding racism that I have trouble deciding whether this is a horrible book or a book with horrible characters. I think it is the first one. I cannot get over the fact that Atticus is racist in this book, even Jean Louise, who apparently is "colour-blind" states that she was angry about the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision (I had to read up on this as US history is not my strong suit and I know barely anything about law, but being upset about a court decision to end segregated schools does not seem "colour-blind" to me). What the heck.

I ended up giving this book two stars because I did enjoy the flashbacks, so it was not all horrible, but the main story line was rubbish. (hide spoiler)]

Ilona I 100% agree with you. I hated this book. And I feel very bad for Harper Lee because she did not want this published in her lifetime. She chose to show the world Mockingbird instead, and she chose rightly. You can see how much she grew as a writer in Mockingbird.

(view spoiler)[ Not only is this book steeped in hypocrisy, but also sexism. "Historically accurate!" Yes, it all sure is. But the point of the book was (I'm guessing!) to show individuals who want to work toward equality in different way. At first I was ok with Scout's heated anger. Even her reluctance at the Brown decision I thought was ok but only BECAUSE she then moves beyond her own knee jerk reaction and makes the argument for equal opportunity. The first thing you think reflects what you've been conditioned to think; the second thing you think reflects your true character.

BUT THEN. Her comes a sweet little plot turn! Scout, during her impassioned equal rights moment, is SLAPPED SO HARD by her Uncle that she is almost KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. And suddenly. It's ok. All these attitudes are ok. She can agree with the old white men and give up her "progressive nonsense" and throw away everything she learned in New York City, where she interacted daily with African Americans without blinking.

GEE GOOD MORAL OF THE STORY.

Ugh. I'm just going to fo reread Mockingbird. (hide spoiler)]

So, I didn't love the book.... but I didn't hate it either. The characters were somewhat infuriating, and definitely didn't match what I expected / remembered of them. It's been a long time since I've read Mockingbird, so that might be part of my problem.

As an undergrad, I studied History (with a focus on US) so I was very familiar with the Brown v Board decision, and its aftermath. For me, all of this seemed very believable. Not "right", but I could absolutely see much of this happening.

Overall, I'm glad I read the book. I don't see this being a book I read multiple times though!