Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

I've always shied away from the classics, expecting them to be dry and torturous to read, but Jean Louise, aka Scout showed me how wrong I was when she led me by the hand through her life.

Her eight-year-old eyes revealed the 1930s and the Deep South of America without guile or guise. Despite rampant racism and violence, she had me chuckling at the smallest details that are missed by many adults.

Scout's innocence lays bare the blind prejudices of the time, but also the joy of being a child in any age. From making snowmen with 90% mud and 10% snow, to rolling down the road inside a car tyre, Scout hooked me into her world.

Even as I clenched for tragedy, Scout softened each inevitable blow with her eye for detail. Her insight at a time when many adults had none was uplifting, yet devastating at the same time.

If you read only one classic this year, let it be To Kill a Mockingbird. You won't regret a moment of it.

But, be warned. I didn't see the final twist coming even though Scout tried to prepare me for it. Will you?

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: Arrow Books, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 1960
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781784752637
For ages:
Type: Young Adult Fiction