Book Review: Go Set A Watchman

When I heard that a second book from literary legend Harper Lee was going to be released in July of 2015, I was pretty excited.

I LOVE To Kill A Mockingbird, both personally and as a teacher. I love Scout's voice, Jem's tenacity, and Atticus in general. 

So I couldn't keep from reading Go Set A Watchman, even after reports of dubious provenance and allegations that the novel turned Atticus into a racist bigot. 

I just couldn't not read it (and yes, the double negative is purposeful). 

So when it came out in July, I immediately bought a copy. I didn't start it right away...I couldn't tell you why I put it off for a bit. 

But when I started reading, it was like sitting down to coffee with an old friend. There's no question at all as to the authorship of this book--the voice was all Harper Lee. Even as an adult, Scout's voice was the same--candid and completely unselfconscious. I laughed out loud in several places as Scout returned home to Maycomb from New York City, courted by a man who worships the ground she walks on. It was wonderful to see Scout adult enough to push back against Aunt Alexandria, who lives with Atticus now to help him, since rheumatoid arthritis has crippled his hands. 

This is a tough novel for some, however, and I can see why. 

While it's clearly Lee's work, it's also earlier, less mature work. The story...drifts, rather than drives, the way that To Kill A Mockingbird does, and there are even a few typos in there. It's plain to see that this novel was written by a less mature Lee, and that TKAM became a far more evolved and complex piece of writing. 

Watchman, on the other hand, is a less developed piece. It never went through a rigorous editing process, scrutinized and gone over and rewritten and reworked. 

But the real problem for most in this novel will be centered on Atticus. 

Perhaps that's rightfully so. Atticus does let Scout down. 

But perhaps Scout, at 6 years old, had Atticus idealized in a way that he could never live up to. 

Personally, I thought Watchman was a lovely testament to the ways in which people are more than just one things--we are complex and hold many, many things within us. Atticus and Scout are no different. It's also a lovely testament to the ways our perspective on our parents change as we grow older and begin to understand them as adults rather than just parents. 

Overall, I have this to say about the novel: 

If you are the kind of person that ends up hating the film version because it "ruined" the book, don't read it. 

If you can appreciate the two mediums as being different and having strengths and weaknesses both, then read it. 

For me, Watchman didn't impact my love for Atticus or To Kill A Mockingbird, the same way that realizing my parents make mistakes didn't impact my love for them either. 

It's a fascinating novel. I would love to hear what you thought, if you've read it!