Raven Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Harper Lee to publish Mockingbird 'sequel' Never read the former, but I suspect this will be of interest to some! Quote
chesilbeach Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Interesting, although I suspect it says more about how the role of the editor has changed over the decades. Quote
Raven Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 Then: This is a bit poor, have another go. Now: Your last book made an absolute fortune and you say you have a napkin with a plot on it? Let's publish! Quote
chesilbeach Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Ah, but now, it wouldn't be the editor who said that, it would be the publisher and/or agent. Quote
woolf woolf Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 I haven't read "To Kill a Mockingbird". To me it looks like the first book was good, but the editor didn't think it appealed enough to sell. Perhaps it was a stroke of genius telling Lee to focus on the flashbacks. Remember that in the 50s the stories about lawyers, trials and courts were very successful, at least in cinema; more important was the rising social uproar against racial discrimination. Why have a book set in that time, with important contemporary elements figuring in flashbacks, when you could have those flashbacks in the present as the story itself? Quote
Raven Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 Ah, but now, it wouldn't be the editor who said that, it would be the publisher and/or agent. Yeah, good point! Quote
Melodious Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/03/harper-lee-mockingbird-twitter_n_6604570.html?utm_hp_ref=tw Quote
Hayley Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 I really liked To Kill a Mockingbird and I was pleased to see this new 'sequel' was actually written around the same time. On the other hand, part of the charm of To Kill a Mockingbird was that it's written from the child's viewpoint. This one will be from the adult Scout, so I do have my doubts as to whether it will be as good. Still definitely want to read it and find out though Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/03/harper-lee-mockingbird-twitter_n_6604570.html?utm_hp_ref=tw "Hopefully Harper Lee's 2nd book will actually include information on how to kill a ****ing mockingbird" Quote
Kell Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Raven, you must, must, MUST read To Kill A Mockingbird - it's a wonderful, wonderful book. And this most be one of the most eagerly and long awaited follow ups in publishing history. I spy a bestseller on the horizon. Quote
Kylie Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 I'm surprised they're only printing 2 million copies. Surely they must know that the demand will be much higher?! Yes Raven. Read it. Now. Quote
Athena Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Interesting news! I haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird since secondary school, back then I liked it. It should be interesting to see what the sequel is like. I'm positive someone posted somewhere that they were concerned.. was it one of you on Facebook perhaps? My memory fails me.. Quote
Kylie Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Perhaps me? I posted a long message about it on Facebook, saying that I was concerned that they might be taking advantage of Harper Lee because she's rather senile these days. Quote
Melodious Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Is she really? Makes it even more suspect. Why now after all these years? I think I'll wait for the reviews on this one before I go jumping in. As much as I love Mockingbird I'm skeptical of what this will be like. Quote
Athena Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Perhaps me? I posted a long message about it on Facebook, saying that I was concerned that they might be taking advantage of Harper Lee because she's rather senile these days. Yes, I remember reading that! I hope they won't take advantage of him . Quote
chesilbeach Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 I think I'm going to be in the minority who have read To Kill A Mockingbird but have absolutely no interest in reading this one. Knowing what the role of editors were back in those days, I can't help feeling they knew what they were doing and got the best book out of the material, and that this might not work. Quote
Nollaig Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Yeah I'm super skeptical about this. Will also wait on reviews. Quote
Melodious Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Mmmm... http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/04/harper-lee-excited-about-new-book-agent Quote
Kylie Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 I"m not sure that anyone would expect it to be anywhere near as good as To Kill a Mockingbird, but I think it'll still be worth reading. Melodious, thanks for the link to the article. It didn't do much to allay my concerns, but the historian's comments at the very end were a bit reassuring. At least we've now heard from someone other than her lawyer! Quote
Raven Posted February 5, 2015 Author Posted February 5, 2015 Raven, you must, must, MUST read To Kill A Mockingbird - it's a wonderful, wonderful book. Yes Raven. Read it. Now. I'm reading Where Eagle's Dare at the moment, that has a bird in the title, will that do? Quote
chesilbeach Posted February 8, 2015 Posted February 8, 2015 This is quite interesting … The Telegraph republished their original 1960 review of To Kill a Mockingbird. Quote
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 Cover reveal of the UK edition of Go Set A Watchman Quote
Kylie Posted March 26, 2015 Posted March 26, 2015 I still haven't decided whether I want to pre-order this or whether I can wait until it comes out in paperback. I have to say, though, I much prefer the US cover (which is also in the link that Chesil posted above). Quote
chesilbeach Posted April 23, 2015 Posted April 23, 2015 Reese Witherspoon set to record Harper Lee's new novel Quote
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