Jul 27, 2005 04:22 AM
4096 Views
(Updated May 08, 2008 07:31 PM)
This book reminded me of my childhood days - When I used to walk to my school with my elder bro and on our way to school we usually crossed one huge house - as nobody lived there and people called it Bhoot Bangla (Ghost House) as all the windows and doors were broken, even the frames were not there, but it was so huge and unexplored and dark from inside that even during the day nobody will dare go inside, My bro has put in a price of 10 bucks for the dare devil who will go inside the house and will come out alive. I still remember - how badly I wanted to go inside to get that prize but never had those guts.
Last week while exploring the Hitech City Hyderabad, I came across a huge book shop selling second hand as well as new books under one roof, while doing some googling - errrr - I mean doing some surfing - found this one, did heard a lot about this one in the past so thought I will pick it up, its a small book - all in all 280 pages, thought of finishing it during the weekend.
I was surprised by the contents of the book, Frankly speaking I thought that this is some management kindda book like ''Who moved my cheese''. But surprisingly it is totally different. Talks about totally different subject. It is like seeing the world - rather Seeing one of the poorest states of United States of America in the year 1930's through the eyes of a 8 year old Girl known as Scout and her brother who is 4 years elder to her known as Jem. Their Father Atticus being a lawyer fights for truth - always. At times when the American society was divided into two different communities Blacks and Whites. He always tought his kids that its really bad ''To Kill A Mocking Bird'', they do no harm to anybody, so they should not be killed.
First Half of the book is dedicated to Kids adventures of the neighborhood they are living in, Maycomb County in Alabama was the world for them, Where only 1 out of 4 people can write and read his name, kids don’t wear shoes in school as that seems to be a luxury, plenty of kids just come to school for one day in a year only, Worth a read is the way she has explained the less fortunate kids who don’t carry lunches, who have no books, who have got nothing at all.
It really is funny to see the world from the eyes of Scout, the way she has seen the neighborhood, the way they are afraid of their immediate neighbor Boo Radley (Since he is Black) - Later on who saves their life, whom they have not seen and are very keen to see and meet, the way they explore the inside of his boundary wall, the challenge of going inside the fence and touching the door, the way they get different anonymous gifts in the tree h*le, things like a broken watch, chain, bubble gums and coins etc. She plans to marry her friend Dill who just comes in the county for summer vacations, loves him and kisses him too. It really hooks the reader to read further and see what is happening next with a smile on the face as every now and than they are doing something or the other and the way situations keep on coming.
The way Jem shows that he knows a lot about the world and his sister Scout is no less than him. Their tryst with their household help Calpurnia. Entry of Aunty Alexandra in their life and the differences kids have with her.
Second half of the book picks up the pace and that’s where it becomes tough for the reader to put the book down as the Story takes a turn, when something goes wrong in the county, When Atticus defends a Black guy in the court for a crime he never commits, the life of the kids comes under threat too since its not a normal case, its a very complicated case being fought by a White Lawyer for his Black Client who was blamed of Raping a White Girl. You've gotta read the book to know the outcome as it wud not be a good idea to disclose the same here.
Once again the full court seen is being shown from the point of view of our story teller Ms Scout (8 year old) is very funny - the way she has explained the seating arrangements, the Judge chewing the cigar, the proceedings, the way her dad fights the case, the way witnesses being held.
The final results come as a surprise to the reader - It at least came as a real surprise to me. The state of affairs shown in US at that time is really pathetic, it shows how the blacks were being humiliated and treated at those awful times.
I am sure about one thing though - This book would be worth a read at this time, but if you read it from the point of view of 1960's when it first got published - I am sure it wud have been a eye opener, may be that’s the reason how Harper Lee got the Pulitzer prize for this book.
Ratings and comments are more than welcome
