If she had not wanted it published? And was on record as saying so? Absolutely. I worked with seniors in assisted living and nursing home settings for many years, and saw first hand the kind of manipulation and exploitation that occurs. And I wouldn't want to take advantage of that.
I also feel no need for a sequel or a prequel or whatever on what I think is a perfect book. But that's beside the point. I am also not going to judge any of you who do read it, that's not really my style. I just can't share the joy of the publishing of it with you.
I only just found out that Kafka didn't want
The Trial
or
The Castle
(in addition to a bunch of other books) published either. He told his friend to destroy them but he didn't.
And he was only 40 when he died. Ms. Lee has had a hell of a long life during which at ANY time she could have published a damned shopping list had she chosen (or changed her mind on this book). So to me it's highly suspect that three months after her fiercest protector (and lawyer), her sister, dies, she's changing her mind.
Nope. There is no way the "statement" released today is Harper Lee's own words, and she has a recent history of "signing anything put in front of her." Shady shady shady shady.
Yeah, I'm coming down that way to, Nanita.
ABE.com article on Edward Gorey.
I think I'll pass on reading the new book, but this is motivating me to check out and read To Kill a Mockingbird when I next have some free time.
I remember being the only person in my class who wasn't head-over-heels-this-is-my-favorite-book-in-all-of-bookdom for To Kill a Mockingbird, though -- to be clear -- I didn't dislike it. But I was a weird teen who preferred John Irving's enormously fucked-up books to anything considered a classic (and in retrospect, what teacher assigns Hotel New Hampshire to 17-year-olds???). I probably need to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird at some point.
Hotel New Hampshire might be my favorite book ever, but I also love To Kill a Mockingbird. Neither were assigned in school, but I did read TKAM for "outside reading".
I've never actually read Mockingbird. I don't think my high school English class assigned it, but there were multiple English tracks, one for those who couldn't face Mr. Berryhill and one for those who could.
Boo Radley is my spirit animal.
