Authored by Harper Lee and published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that achieved instant success by winning the honorable Pulitzer Prize and is recognized as a modern day classic in American literature. The plot of the book is based on the observations of the author in regards of her neighbors and family. Also, the characterization has been influenced by her neighborhood and an event that had taken place near the town where she lived when she was 10 years old.
The book is well known for the humor and warmth it has in it in spite of the serious issues such as racism and inequality which have been addressed in it. Atticus Finch, a character in the novel who is the father of Scout Finch, the narrator, is looked upon as a hero for several readers as well as lawyers. The story takes place in 3 years during the Great Depression in fictitious ancient town in Alabama, called as Maycomb and termed as “tired old town”. The primary themes which have been highlighted by Harper Lee in the novel are destruction of innocence and racial injustice. Also, issues related to courage, gender roles, compassion and class have been addressed in the book by Lee. Many schools in English speaking countries include the lessons from this novel which emphasize virtues like decrying prejudice and tolerance in their teachings to the students.
The novel was criticized for its introduction in public classrooms and many campaigns have taken place for its removal. The novel was extensively reviewed by 30 magazines and newspapers and the assessments of these critics varied widely. To Kill a Mocking Bird has been ranked by British librarians even before the Bible as a book that every adult must read before dying. The adaptation of the book was also done in an Oscar-winning film which was released in 1962. The novel has become popular with time and the style of writing, the plot and characterization places it in the top 10 books that everyone should read.
