Reviews

Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee

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fish_reads's review against another edition

2.0

Spoiler

This was viscerally upsetting.

To add, I just thought it was a little overwrought. I see what it was going for—I see that it was about Scout realising her hero is just a man. I see that everyone has flaws. But this didn’t feel like a well crafted character piece. Instead, it felt like casting Atticus as The Racist to give the author someone to rail at, a boogeyman to set up as an excuse to loudly proclaim that all men are equal and racists are bad, even though no one asked for this. And then, she forgives him? Because he’s her father, I guess? I dunno, I kind of liked what it was going for, but I also kind of hated everything about it.

feralpenguin's review

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challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

zrees's review

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adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

muchadoaboutashley's review

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

hybridheart's review

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4.0

Contrary to much criticism out there, I must say, I really enjoyed reading this. I love Lee's writing style and am rather fond of how she illustrates Scout's childhood flashbacks. As some reviewers have pointed out, it offers a glimpse into Lee's creative process, since we know this to be a draft of what later became the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird." Was it what I expected? Not really, but it poses really difficult questions having to do with identity, perception, and of course race relations in America.