One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its oritinal publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.
(back cover)
Orain arte irakurri ditudan liburuekin alderatuta oso ezberdina da hau. Horregatik dezente kostatu zitzaidan erritmoa eta gustua hartzea, 100. orrira arte edo ez nuelako jakin zer kontatu nahi zidan... eta gero ere, antzeko jarraitu du.
Bestelako liburua da, ume baten ikuspegitik dagoelako kontatua. Eta umeek emozioez gidatzen dute beren burua, ez justiziaz, ez gizalegez. Eta horrexegatik kontatzen du egunerokoa, detaile txikienari ere garrantzia emanda; eta, guzti horren artean, helduoi garrantzitsuagoak iruditzen zaizkigunak aipatzen ditu: justizia, arrazakeria, epaiketak, hilketak... baina beti eragiten dizkion emozioetatik abiatuta. Horregatik da bestelakoa liburua hau, eta, azkenean, liburuak horixe kontatu nahi zidala ondorioztatu dut: umetasuna.
The book represents a point of view of a child during the 30's written by someone who was a child during the 30's, which brings valuable historical authenticity. It was published in the 60's and due to its immediate success it was a part of a shift in attitudes regarding the civil rights movements of the 70's. Reading the book with this context in mind is an interesting experience because to a contemporary mind, the 60's is in many ways more absurd than was the 30's to the author.
The novel own its own merit is greatly delivered, with enough character building and contextualization that by the time the main plot arrives my metropolitan millennial mind is decently acclimatized to a completely alien society and culture. The naive, progressive-household-raised, clean slate kid point of view gives the narrator plausible bewilderment when facing the pervasive racial injustice and hypocrisy the book …
The book represents a point of view of a child during the 30's written by someone who was a child during the 30's, which brings valuable historical authenticity. It was published in the 60's and due to its immediate success it was a part of a shift in attitudes regarding the civil rights movements of the 70's. Reading the book with this context in mind is an interesting experience because to a contemporary mind, the 60's is in many ways more absurd than was the 30's to the author.
The novel own its own merit is greatly delivered, with enough character building and contextualization that by the time the main plot arrives my metropolitan millennial mind is decently acclimatized to a completely alien society and culture. The naive, progressive-household-raised, clean slate kid point of view gives the narrator plausible bewilderment when facing the pervasive racial injustice and hypocrisy the book aims to criticize.
But this book too is a product of its time and one can immediately recognize the white savior angle. The white gentleman class is displayed one cut above the white trash that are no better than also-poor-but-black folk, and raises itself a toast for being so intellectual. A pat on the back for being kind enough to employ honest colored folk and defending the sanctity of written law. The expectation is overwhelming gratefulness in return, even if the result is still injustice. The portrayal of "the good blacks" is subservient and forgiving, and the weapon of choice to build empathy is pity and the analogy with the sin of killing a creature that is dedicated to servitude and entertainment - the mockingbird.
Five stars as an expertly crafted novel with admirable goals and celebrated impact, one star as modern literature on racial injustice. I don't think the two aspects have equal weight but lacking better utilitarian formulation I'm averaging to 3 stars.
Romanzo per giovani adultǝ scorrevole e di forte impatto, ma capisco perché molti americani non apprezzino: vederselo obbligato come libro sul tema razzismo nelle scuole non mi sembra proprio il massimo, visto che se lo si analizza con minuzia cade talvolta nella narrativa del salvatore bianco.
