Harper Lee

[glasfryn]

Rest in Peace good lady

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

One of the great writers even though she only wrote one novel (apart from the second one)

But Mockingbird was a masterpiece

 

[Buzzer]

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.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

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.

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.

 

[DJ NOBO]

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]

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 segrationalist views based on his mistrust of the Supreme Court and the NAACP.

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.

 

[catfish]

To Kill A Mockingbird introduced scuppernong into my vocabulary for which I am eternally grateful. RIP Miss Lee.

 

[marlowe]

Edit - a bit of Harper Lee trivia, she was a childhood friend of Truman Capote.

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.

 

[Tarpon]

Harper Lee. Always loved that name.

 

[Skaville]

But Harper Lee's always had my total respect for not selling out. A dignified lady. RIP Harper Lee.

Always or until last year?

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Always or until last year?

It's debateable how much she knew about the publication of Go Set a Watchman.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Always or until last year?

Are you saying she sold out with watchman? If so, that's a bit harsh given her age and health

 

[AZ Gull]

RIP - although she should never have written that follow up to 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.

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

It is established fact that she wrote Go Set a Watchman before she wrote Mockingbird.

 

[Buzzer]

It is established fact that she wrote Go Set a Watchman before she wrote Mockingbird.

Yup, I was wrong.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

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"

 

[glasfryn]

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"

but.........................what a one

 

[Bombadier Botty]

Bizarrely donated TKAM to a charity shop just yesterday. Really tried with that book, but it was just too tediocre for me.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Could do a job

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

but.........................what a one

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.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Y
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.

Same here

Big fan of TKAM though, since my schooldays.