Everyone has read Harper Lee’s astounding novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” whether by choice or by the will of an English teacher. If you have not read this classic, I highly suggest it, especially with the latest news.
After 55 years, Lee is to publish a second novel. This novel, to be titled “Go Set a Watchman,” was actually written before “To Kill a Mockingbird.” At the time, Lee’s publisher appreciated Scout’s voice but wanted more emphasis on what were flashbacks of her childhood. They told Lee to write a book from Scout’s young perspective and from there we were blessed with “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
In “Go Set a Watchman,” Scout returns home to Maycomb, Alabama 20 years after Atticus defended Tom Robinson in court. The novel discusses the racial tension in the South during the 1950s.
If the sheer fact that an amazing author is to publish a sequel to one of the most praised books of all time doesn’t have you jumping for joy, let me explain further how epic this is.
1. Harper Lee became a recluse after her first novel was published. She went on a few interviews but after that she hid away. Although fans begged for another novel, Lee refused. Now, after 55 years, she has found the long lost manuscript for “Go Set a Watchman” and is willing to publish it. I bet some of you thought Lee was dead. Guess what, she’s still kicking it at age 88.
2. Weren’t you curious about what happened to Scout and Jem after the pages ended and the back cover was all that was left? Now is our chance to find out.
3. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a renowned classic, taught in schools across the nation. If it is still being discussed more than 50 years after its publication, don’t you think its sequel will amount to a similar status? Not including our great-grandparents, how many people get to say a classic was published when they were alive? Our children’s children will probably complain about having to read this novel in high school English.
It could be my love for literature or it could be my weird and warped English major brain, but I am extremely excited for this novel’s release. By the way, it’s July 14. Mark your calendars because history is going to be made. I’m thinking of having a release party before becoming a recluse myself for however long it takes me to read it.
