Well, another week into my 28th year and another things crossed off the list. Last weekend, I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird. When buying new books, I've tried to stick to some of the 'classics', both older and more modern. There are so many books everyone else seems to have studied at school that I didn't. Three that stand out for me are Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird.
I read the first of those a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The second I bought and read this year and didn't really get. Worrying that I'm getting too old to appreciate high school literature, it was with some trepidation that I started To Kill a Mockingbird. (I was also a little shocked that it comes with it's own vocabulary book!) However, I really enjoyed the book. Unlike Catcher in the Rye, I can absolutely imagine myself writing an essay or exam about this novel and the themes it deals with.
I was also surprised that despite never having read the book or seen the film, I had already heard of some of the characters - Atticus Finch and Boo Radley! I was also surprised by the range of themes it covers, I'd recommend it to anyone, such a lovely and thought provoking story.
Some of my favourite quotes:
"I wanted you to see what real courage is...It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what."
"If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?...I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time..."
"...you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them."
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