Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I received the Kindle edition, it downloaded automatically at midnight, so I’ve had time to read it while randomly checking for other people’s reviews…. I’m going to talk about it in the context of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and then as its own standalone. In terms of comparison to Kill A Mockingbird… Right away the first difference is the 3rd person omniscient narrator, but it still provides a high level of insight into the thoughts of the characters. This is an important distinction, as it changes the feel of the story and sets apart an important consideration; “To Kill a Mockingbird” has a flawed narrator, one who is a child during the events, even if it is a flashback. It is not that the 3rd person of “Go Set a Watchman” is cold, but it can account for the differences in perspective of how some of the major characters should be viewed. There’s a pretty big surprise within the first 10 pages (I’m on a kindle), so you may want to brace yourself if you’re familiar with the primary characters from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Right away there is also a tone of the novel being set in a post-World War II era, one that borders on haunting memories, as well as the beginning of the sexual revolution and counter-culture. There have been murmurs regarding this book and people not wanting to read it, mainly the portrayal of Atticus Finch, different from what people recall him in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” A key aspect to know, and still makes the book a MUST read, is the portrayal of Atticus Finch that readers were left with in, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is still the image that Jean Louise has of her father; her reaction and reconciliation of this imagery is the crux of the story. In fact, Atticus’s paternalism towards African Americans is heightened and reflected in the ideas and comments of the town, so it is actually not much of a character deviation that people will argue that it is. The ending may seem to be a let down, but I would argue quite the opposite. Surprisingly, many of the issues addressed in the book; racism, states rights, and the law cumulate in reality, which is sometimes murky. As its own book… It’s an easy read, it’s not a short book, but one that is an easy pleasant read. Let me talk about the book in its own context, as almost a standalone. This is an intelligent book, one that has a plethora of historical and literary allusions, so many so that I worry that some of these may go under appreciated. These are especially applied in the context of the protagonist, her uncle, and her father; which is a nice, especially as the dialect is a wonderfully captured southern, which may convey ignorance to some. The writing is quite masterful in this regard. There are some fairly verbose sentences that could potentially benefit from editing, but nothing that is awkward. Overall it’s a pretty good story and does a great job of blending the changing social and physical environment of a Post-World War II small southern town, especially as Jean Louise returns from her time spent in New York. Surprisingly, almost none of the story focuses on her experiences in New York city and its influence. Mostly there are reflections on the changes in the town of Maycomb itself, which is struggling with post World War II returnee’s and the growing independence of an African-American community. These changes are couched in the interplay between family members and old family friends. The dialogue and humor between family members is superb, there were actually a few times where I laughed out loud. Even as the novel broaches its main conflict, there are interjections of compassionate reflection coupled with the changing landscape, especially as it pertains to race relations and how someone who has a wider perspective from the city understands race relations versus those who feel threatened by the growing autonomy of the African-American community. It’s actually quite timely and gives a pretty unique insight into one individual’s conflict with her family as it pertains to race. *I edited my review to update for some grammar; sorry if there are still a few weird phrases.