Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird

[alex_stokoe]

It is sometimes hailed as 'The Great American Novel' [personally I think A Confederacy of Dunces takes that title].

It is a story of childhood, and how perspective changes as innocence is lost.

It is also about seeing things from the other person's perspective - 'you can't know a man 'til you have walked around a while in his skin' [I am quoting from memory.]

I think all sellers should familiarise themselves with it before coming on here and posting 'I've been scammed, my buyer has claimed INR, but I have proof of posting, why should I have to refund?'

[*vyolla*]

Innocent black guy is killed due to living in racist era and area vs INR scenario - bit of an odd analogy, imo.

[alex_stokoe]

That is part of the plot, but that is not all that happensl.

I was looking at the themes under the plot, rather than directly at the plot.

[ok-mrs-bee]

Thank you, Alex, for starting a new, interesting, thread.

"It is sometimes hailed as 'The Great American Novel'"  I would regard is as A great American Novel rather than THE one.

"It is a story of childhood, and how perspective changes as innocence is lost."  It reflects the childhood of Harper Lee and Truman Capote but, although their perspectives may change, I read no loss of innocence.

"It is also about seeing things from the other person's perspective."  Yes, this is true of so many novels.

"I think all sellers should familiarise themselves with it before coming on here and posting 'I've been scammed, my buyer has claimed INR, but I have proof of posting, why should I have to refund?'"  I'm not sure what this has to do with Harper Lee's book.

"'Spamming truisms since 1979'"    You need to explain that, I don't understand it.

[papko]

I would not call "Mocking Bird " the great American Novel , I prefer  "Great Gatsby ", "Catcher in the Rye " and "Huckleberry Finn " as contenders for example

 I think what Op is alluding to is that time spent reading great woirks of literature , gives one an insight into the Human condtion , and therefore , use some understanding , whilst dealing with ebays "problems "  

[rednoise2001]

The `great American novel` IMHO is The grapes of wrath, its got the lot.

[ryalto-books]

yes i liked the grapes of wrath,  and the film till the end when they altered it too much.   did not like catcher in the rye.   

[peter-au2014]

I agree with 'The Grapes of Wrath' and anything else by Steinbeck.

IMO,  the genius of Harper Lee though, was how well she wrote using the words and mind of a child. Very few people can do that without it sounding like a children's book.

Esther Freud also does it well.

[queenelsa83]

I've heard that this book is just as dark & depressing a read as what War & Peace is 😞