One of my favorite books. A book topic well before it's time. Strong characters and story line. I did not want the book to end, I feel in love with the characters. A must read. Our book club had a wonderful discussion involving the book, the author (she never did write another book and rumors that she did not write it, Truman Capote (was he modled as one of the characters?).

This book is my all time favorite. I have never tired of reading and talking about it. The characters offer much to discuss. Atticus Finch is one of the great characters in literature - an admirable man who inspires. Scout's curiosity, Miss Maudie's practicality, Calpurnia's wisdom, Boo's kindness, Mrs. Dubose's strength, and Aunt Alexandra's grit and loyalty all offer something to think about. The book's message on race and class is something that we have, unfortunately, not lost our need for - the lessons here are as vital in our time as they were in Maycomb...

The group was in total agreement that this book is a treasure and one of our all time favorites. What a shame that Harper Lee never wrote another, but how could she ever follow up this classic? We were all reminded of the innocence of our youth and how sad it is when that is lost. The characters in this book were so powerful, especially Atticas and Scout, and we felt we actually became part of the town members as we were pulled into the emotions of this story. The book generated lots of great discussion and sharing of childhood memories. We also had a great discussion on our own prejudices and racial stereotyping. If you haven't read a great classic lately, this should be at the top of your list.

I loved this book. It was my first time reading it, though most of our group had read it before. Even for those reading it a second time there was plenty to discuss.

This book opened up discussion on many different topics. We discovered there's a wide range of things including education, characters and their traits, race/equality, how life was different then from now, etc. This is an enjoyable read and keeps you hooked until the end. I found it quite charming and I adored Scout's character. The characters are well developed (for the most part) so you really feel like you get to know them and sympathize with them. She connects you to the story.

How can you sum up the power of this book in one review? I was amazed that there were some in our group who hadn't read this book. My Dad taught writing and I read this when I was in high school. I found it a powerful read then but the experience of reading it again, this time as a parent, changed the book for me. Instead of reading this book through the eyes of the children, I was more interested in the adults and how they act/react to what is happening in their small town. Characters I didn't remember from when I read this as a child opened my eyes and made me see my world and myself in a new light. This book is timely, even today, when we look at all kinds of prejudice as wrong.

We so enjoyed rereading this classic. It should be read by all high school kids today. What a lesson Harper Lee teaches in the storyline. All but one of our bookclub had read this book, many of us years ago, but it was a wonderful discussion. I would highly recommend it to all bookclubs of any age.

Our book club decided to read "Mockingbird: A portrait of Harper Lee," by Charles Shields in combination with "To Kill a Mockingbird." Several of us could not get through the unauthorized biography. Too many irrelevant details, did we really need to know that the new courthouse in Lee's hometown was built without a basement? And it never really answered the question, "Why didn't Harper Lee write another book?" Lee doesn't grant interviews, so the book is a compendium of random facts.

That said, it was a pleasure to re-read "To Kill a Mockingbird." We had all read it as teenagers and it was interesting to see how our perspective had changed (we identified with the adults, instead of the child narrator). I rented the DVD of the movie and played some of the key scenes (the opening, the trial, the ham chase, Boo Radley).

I finished Shields' book and I thought it added some nuance to Harper Lee's book. He provides discussion questions on his website and is available to talk to book clubs by phone.

Thei book was a National Endowment of the Arts book this year so a local theater Hartford Stage performed the play (star: Matthew Modine) and it was fabulous. We all read the book and then hd a soup and salad discussion before attedning the production. The production mirrored the film more than the play but it was wonderful.

We highly recommend this book. A true classic!

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is good to compare life in the 30's to present day. Alot of excellent "life lessons" throughout the book. THe characters are very well developed. You fall in love with the simplicity of Scout and Gem.

This is one of the very few books we have read that was enjoyed by all. Most of us had read it at least once before but found ourselves focusing on entirely new characters and details this time around. For myself it was Atticus and his preference to sit alone in church. Hmmm....what do you think that says about him?

I am so disappointed that I did not read this book in high school. This book was so enjoyable I can only imagine what it would have been like to read it from a younger person's perspective rather than an adult's. One of my most favorite things about reading a book is really getting to know the characters, and this the author did this superbly! There is absolutely nothing I can say about this book that is negative.

This is one of the all time greatest books ever written. I love this book, and the movie with Gregory Peck is excellent. I could not say enough about this book. If you have not read it, grab a copy ASAP!!!

Brilliant. A classic. I never tire of reading To Kill a Mockingbird. It keeps you interested from beginning to end. Characters come alive and you think of them as one of your family. Lovely.

Don't wait until your mid-forties to read this book!

Reading this book as an adult will give you a whole new outlook on it. As a reader from Alabama, it is especially touching. I would recommend this book to those of any age, any race, any gender, any religion. It has something for everyone.

A classic, must read! If you didn't read it in school get to it! Probably a book that should be read again!

I have loved this book ever since I read it in high school. It is both a commentary on childhood as well as the time and place in which it takes place.

Excellent book and made for a great discussion!

Great slice of life, coming of age novel about good and evil. Book icon on page above says published in 2002 but that is only the version you see. Originally published in 1960 and Academy Award winner in 1962, this is Harper Lee's only published novel. Wikipedia has a good link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird

Hands down my Favorite book, EVER!!!!

Wonderful book and movie. Most of us may have read this in high school, well worth a re-read. One of the greatest American classics. A must read!

This is truly a classic. Characters are very well developed. The story lends itself to much discussion. It is well worth rereading if one read it years ago for a class.

It\'s not called a classic for no reason. A must read for everyone......

This book is a classic & many issues in the story are still sadly relevant all these decades later. Beautifully written.

I recommend listening to the audio of this book because coupled with the descriptive prose of the author and the perfectly portrayed reading of Sissy Spacek, I absolutely witnessed every event in the book; I lived it, I watched it, I felt it. It was an absolutely brilliant reading of a brilliant book with an abundance of messages about human nature and human behavior at its best and at its worst.

Early in the thirties, the effects of the Great Depression were raging. Jobs were scarce and money was hard to come by. Poor people found it hard to send their children to school because they were needed to help out on the farm or in other ways to provide for the family. They often went hungry. In the south, race relations were poor and the people of color were poorer. There were few civil rights afforded to blacks. They were oppressed by those who thought of themselves as better. They stood little chance of having a fair trial if accused of a crime or of improving their economic condition. They were at the mercy of whites, and some whites were evil. These were the times, rife with inequities, that this novel takes place.

There are several characters that play meaningful roles in the story:
1-Atticus Finch is as close as a human being can get to being a saint; he seems near perfect. He is calm, contemplative, kind and compassionate, fair and non-judgmental, and he has no desire whatsoever for retribution even when he has been wronged. He teaches by setting a good example for others and believes in always doing what is right. He has two children, Jeremy and Jean Louise. He raises them with the same values. His wife has died.
Atticus is a lawyer, and he has been appointed to defend a black man who has been accused of rape. Atticus knows it will be an uphill battle to defend him in Alabama, but he would never refuse the case. He believes that Tom Robinson, accused by Bob Ewell, a no-account in town who drinks and abuses his children, is innocent. He is disappointed and saddened by the state of the justice system regarding the treatment and trial of blacks accused of a crime. He vows to do his best, even when some townsfolk object to his defense of a black man whom they would rather see wrongfully punished for daring to touch a white girl, than shame the white man who is lying to protect himself simply because he can, in this white world. A black man simply has less value to them than even a man they know is a lowlife. Their arrogance and blindness propel them to behave this way.
2-Scout (Jean Louise), is the younger of the two children. She is the voice of this novel. Her voice, as a young child filled with innocence and wonder, is authentic. She is just entering kindergarten and is suddenly exposed to a world that is sometimes unjust and cruel. Scout is a bit more rambunctious than her older brother Jem. She is also \"in love\" with her playmate, Dill (Charles), and he, also very young, has professed his love for her. Scout adores Calpurnia.
3-Jem, (Jeremy) is more like his father. He is a careful thinker and as the older brother, he cares for and protects Scout who wants to do everything he does, even though he is older. He is not a saint, he is a boy who knows how to play as well as how to toil. Both children have enormous respect for their \"older\" father whom they call Atticus, not dad, throughout the book.
4-Calpurnia is the insightful, black maid/nanny who astutely cares for and helps to raise the Finch children. She is like part of the family. She has basically brought them up as a surrogate parent. She does everything their mother would have done, disciplining them, nourishing them and loving them. She knows how to read and write and speaks differently, in a more educated manner when she is working, than when she is at her home because it wouldn’t do to be “uppity” in her own neighborhood. She is acquainted with the young man that Atticus is defending. Both children genuinely care for and respect her.
5-Boo (Arthur Radley), is a developmentally challenged neighbor who keeps totally to himself and doesn’t speak. He is the neighborhood “freak”, and the children are wary of him. They have never seen him and attribute all sorts of character traits to him and relate stories about the nefarious things he might have done. Is he really a \"gentle giant\" quietly living his life?
6-Scout’s teacher, Miss Caroline, seemed largely unaware of the needs of the poor children or of the problems they faced preventing them from attending school. She resented Scout for knowing how to read before the rest of the class was taught. She seemed unprepared for her job and naïve, at best.

Each character played an important role in setting the scene, illustrating the atmosphere that often existed then in small and large towns, everywhere. Harper Lee, using, insight, wit and wisdom, has carefully drawn a picture of the race relations that existed down south with its prejudice and poverty, whites towards blacks and blacks toward whites, albeit in the latter case, with far less power and effect. She has articulated the ignorance and abject hatred that existed there in some quarters. It was widely known that blacks had far fewer advantages and little chance of proving their innocence when accused of a crime. It was a time when a black life was thought to be worth far less than a white life, and some may think that, even today. Even if the jury knew the accused was being framed, in the interest of preserving white superiority, they often convicted him as part of a conspiracy to maintain the status quo. A black man could simply not get away with any accusation a white person made, even though innocent. Their superiority had to be maintained at all costs. Still today, almost six decades since the book was published, the reader will wonder if much has changed, and upon careful reflection will realize, yes, much has truly changed, but some attitudes on both sides, black and white, have not. Still, one can hope that the guileless children, with their pure thoughts and trusting natures, will lead the way.

In this sweet narrative, related by Scout, a five year old, frank and open, honest and sincere in her thoughts, questions and spontaneous evaluations of events, the prevailing southern attitudes of the times, come to light. The class distinctions are apparent and the differences in treatment are very obvious. The children sometimes have more common sense than the adults. They are kinder and fairer and love without reservations.
***“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way….” Music and lyrics written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed.

For being a classic, I expected more. The story line was slow moving.

It's worthwhile to read again (even if you read it in high school)!