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bhavya25's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
johngolden's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
5.0
aeniestas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
jessicathedestroyer's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. I makes you really think about how your perspective changes as you get older and how things may seem one way when you are younger but as you age you see how maybe it wasn't exactly how you thought. I would defiantly recommend.
panicbutton's review against another edition
Made it to chapter 2. Stopped when they said Jem died. Looked up the synopsis after to confirm, read it, and decided not to finish it. As much as growing up and realizing your parents are human is a right of passage, having Atticus Finch become a racist and Calpurnia defending a drunk driver who killed a man isn’t something I want as cannon.
abhishekjain's review against another edition
2.0
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
This is an acid. It will burn all your good memories you have associated with the prequel/sequel (a debate still exists) - To kill a mocking bird. I think this is Harper Lee's great mistake to have let this book been published. It turns you inside out. I felt like Jean Louise in the book and you do not want that.
This book is one big pain to read. The girl you loved so much comes out as an arrogant b**ch and you are constantly annoyed by her and the actions. The characters become shallower as you read more and more. Either the content of the book is so complicated that I have missed the point entirely or the first book was a fiasco. All the characters are so brutally corrupted and murdered in this book that you feel why did you read Harper Lee's in the first place. The world is brutal enough and you do not need another book to tell you that the people in the world are all bigots. I love this book because it is related to the former. That is all. I despise everything about this book.
And yeah the rating is a hate-rating. Read at your own risk!
This is an acid. It will burn all your good memories you have associated with the prequel/sequel (a debate still exists) - To kill a mocking bird. I think this is Harper Lee's great mistake to have let this book been published. It turns you inside out. I felt like Jean Louise in the book and you do not want that.
This book is one big pain to read. The girl you loved so much comes out as an arrogant b**ch and you are constantly annoyed by her and the actions. The characters become shallower as you read more and more. Either the content of the book is so complicated that I have missed the point entirely or the first book was a fiasco. All the characters are so brutally corrupted and murdered in this book that you feel why did you read Harper Lee's in the first place. The world is brutal enough and you do not need another book to tell you that the people in the world are all bigots. I love this book because it is related to the former. That is all. I despise everything about this book.
And yeah the rating is a hate-rating. Read at your own risk!
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
All right, listen: we're always going to be tempted to compare an author's works against each other--for good or for bad. Look what happened when Potterheads read some of J.K. Rowling's (or Robert Galbraith's if you prefer) works post-Potter. People weren't pleased, mostly because they held (secret) expectations for it to be like Harry Potter. I realize that there are some unsavory feelings toward Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman, but we have to remember that this is a novel on its own merits and shouldn't be directly compared to or conflated with her seminal classic To Kill a Mockingbird. You'll likely have strong opinions. That's fine, I do, too. But we'll agree to maintain a respectable dialogue and not debase ourselves to blindly calling out emotional arguments. Okay? Okay.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Jean Louise, lesser called Scout at age 26, Finch travels back to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama from New York City for her annual vacation to visit her father. There are consistencies to life and behaviors in Maycomb that Jean Louise has become accustomed to and even looks forward to during her trips home. This trip proves to be no different, that is until she finds some questionable literature of Atticus's and learns of the Council meetings that her father and close, romantic friend Henry attend as members of the board. To learn of the actions that her loved ones are taking against the advancement of civil rights drastically up-heaves Jean Louise's life and her long-held understanding of her father. Coming to terms with this new knowledge and reflecting on her past help Jean Louise figure out who she is and where she'll go from here.
A narrative weaving through time and memories provides a more complete picture of Jean Louise's life after that which many of us know from her experience in To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman plays off of the characters and personalities first presented in that narrative but offers a new, yet somewhat familiar story for readers. While many of us will recall the racial tension present in TKAM, this new novel has an elevated racial tension due to the governmental involvement interjected via the Supreme Court. The struggles depicted, unfortunately, resonate with ease and remind me a bit of the mini-series Show Me a Hero on HBO. Seeing Scout transform into a new Jean Louise demonstrates how complex and seemingly fickle people actually are while also illuminating how easy it is to shatter how you view someone. Without divulging too much, which you may already know since this book has been out for a while and gotten a bit of press attention, you may be outraged by some of the content, but you may also find that you have understanding, be it with the situation presented or within yourself.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Jean Louise, lesser called Scout at age 26, Finch travels back to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama from New York City for her annual vacation to visit her father. There are consistencies to life and behaviors in Maycomb that Jean Louise has become accustomed to and even looks forward to during her trips home. This trip proves to be no different, that is until she finds some questionable literature of Atticus's and learns of the Council meetings that her father and close, romantic friend Henry attend as members of the board. To learn of the actions that her loved ones are taking against the advancement of civil rights drastically up-heaves Jean Louise's life and her long-held understanding of her father. Coming to terms with this new knowledge and reflecting on her past help Jean Louise figure out who she is and where she'll go from here.
A narrative weaving through time and memories provides a more complete picture of Jean Louise's life after that which many of us know from her experience in To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman plays off of the characters and personalities first presented in that narrative but offers a new, yet somewhat familiar story for readers. While many of us will recall the racial tension present in TKAM, this new novel has an elevated racial tension due to the governmental involvement interjected via the Supreme Court. The struggles depicted, unfortunately, resonate with ease and remind me a bit of the mini-series Show Me a Hero on HBO. Seeing Scout transform into a new Jean Louise demonstrates how complex and seemingly fickle people actually are while also illuminating how easy it is to shatter how you view someone. Without divulging too much, which you may already know since this book has been out for a while and gotten a bit of press attention, you may be outraged by some of the content, but you may also find that you have understanding, be it with the situation presented or within yourself.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
michaelpdonley's review against another edition
3.0
How can one help compare? To Kill a Mockingbird changed my life. Atticus Finch is who I want to be. The book is the one Harper Lee meant to shape our judgment of these characters. Go Set a Watchman is a pre-imagining, and of course it pales in comparison. But what I do admire is Lee's fight with the times, which she writes about in lengthy debates between Jean Louise and her father, her uncle and her suitor, and in a heartbreaking exchange with her former maid Calpurnia. Long debates don't make for great stories, and that's why Mockingbird spoke so much clearer. Mockingbird let the story do the talking.
kat_h39848's review against another edition
4.0
People will hate this book, and you can see that in other reviews. If, like me, you read this book when you were young and looked up to Atticus (like Jean Louise did), you'll experience the full gamut of Jean Louise's emotions along with her. This book left me feeling sad. Not because Lee has shown us that Atticus is a man, but because the sentiments expressed in this book can still be heard today.
thetbrstack's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure I really liked this novel. It started out OK, as Scout returns to Maycomb, and we learned a little bit of what happened in the years since To Kill A Mockingbird. But just a little -- we know Scout moved to New York City, but the book never tells us what she actually does. Once again, she is the narrator.
She comes home for a visit, and discovers something about Atticus she doesn't like. Then the books gets all preachy on us. Neither her arguments, nor the arguments of Atticus and his brother, Dr. Finch, make a lot of sense. Scout goes all emotional and hysterical on us.
The book is quick read, but it's kind of empty, and a disappointment.
She comes home for a visit, and discovers something about Atticus she doesn't like. Then the books gets all preachy on us. Neither her arguments, nor the arguments of Atticus and his brother, Dr. Finch, make a lot of sense. Scout goes all emotional and hysterical on us.
The book is quick read, but it's kind of empty, and a disappointment.