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RIP Harper Lee

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 12:10 PM

  The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" opened up my eyes to the world when I was a kid.

  I grew up in a white suburban city where I was not exposed to racial prejudices and this book changed the way I perceived the world. Without it I would have had a very narrow slant on life.

  RIP Harper Lee - it takes a great person to give us the tools to open our eyes and mind....thank you.

• PaulTon 10,731 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 1:09 PM

  alanti:

  RIP Harper Lee - it takes a great person to give us the tools to open our eyes and mind....thank you.

  +1 R.I.P.

  Anyone read her new book, Go Set a Watchman?

• mkg335 5,491 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 1:45 PM

  First, R.I.P. Harper Lee.

  Now for the controversial part.  I used to get in quite a bit of hot water with some of my fellow teachers when I'd tell them my thoughts regarding TKAM.  I think the book was written by Capote for the most part, maybe based on notes and memories from Lee's childhood (and Capote's, too).

  At the very least, the book appears to have been heavily edited by Capote, much of it probably re-written by him.  Having read other books and short stories by him, the voice and style are unmistakable to me.

  My theory is that TKAM represents Capote's legacy to Lee and her heirs, something he knew would provide for her long after his death.

  More than a few teachers of literature find the above theory blasphemous, but I'm just devious enough to believe it.

  Regardless of the true authorship, both the book and the movie are great works, full of wisdom and wonder.

• mkg335 5,491 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 3:03 PM

  Where authors get inspiration for titles of their books:

  "I haven't seen a tennis match in ages."

  "Then go watch a set, man."

   

  "Sorry I'm late."

  "Go set your watch, man!"

• bubbsboy 6,879 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 3:27 PM

  R.I.P

  Amazing how books stick in your mind at such an early age

  4 I did at school , and you may agree that all had an influence, were;

  To kill a mockingbird........Journeys End (Play).......Lord of the flies .....  Of Mice and Men.

  Bubbs

• frappefort 3,994 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 3:33 PM

  R.I.P    To kill a mockingbird    one of the first  book  i read  has a young boy ......        in French   to :)   .

• mkg335 5,491 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 3:43 PM

  bubbsboy:

  R.I.P

  Amazing how books stick in your mind at such an early age

  4 I did at school , and you may agree that all had an influence, were;

  To kill a mockingbird........Journeys End (Play).......Lord of the flies .....  Of Mice and Men.

  Bubbs

  Great list, to which I'd add:  The Catcher in the Rye, Catch-22, Oliver Twist, Huckleberry Finn, and a book probably unknown to most that I read when I was 12, My Brother Was an Only Child by comedy writer Jack Douglas, a book that twisted my young mind in wonderful ways.

   

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Fri, Feb 19 2016 5:09 PM

  mkg335:

  First, R.I.P. Harper Lee.

  Now for the controversial part.  I used to get in quite a bit of hot water with some of my fellow teachers when I'd tell them my thoughts regarding TKAM.  I think the book was written by Capote for the most part, maybe based on notes and memories from Lee's childhood (and Capote's, too).

  At the very least, the book appears to have been heavily edited by Capote, much of it probably re-written by him.  Having read other books and short stories by him, the voice and style are unmistakable to me.

  My theory is that TKAM represents Capote's legacy to Lee and her heirs, something he knew would provide for her long after his death.

  More than a few teachers of literature find the above theory blasphemous, but I'm just devious enough to believe it.

  Regardless of the true authorship, both the book and the movie are great works, full of wisdom and wonder.

  I too have seen that theory and some say it was backed up her sporadic writings and avoidance of being interviewed and it certainly would be naive to dispel such claims.

  But unless otherwise proven, her name will be forever linked with a book, that did make us sit back and ponder......that indeed is a mark of a great book.

   

• Baldace 3,254 Posts

  Sat, Feb 20 2016 12:33 AM

  mkg335:

  My Brother Was an Only Child by comedy writer Jack Douglas

  Not to be confused with, Tragically I was an only Twin, by the late Peter Cooke :)

• mkg335 5,491 Posts

  Sat, Feb 20 2016 7:48 AM

  Baldace:

  mkg335:

  My Brother Was an Only Child by comedy writer Jack Douglas

  Not to be confused with, Tragically I was an only Twin, by the late Peter Cooke :)

  Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were a great pair to say the least!  About as funny as it gets.