The Harper Lee Collection: To Kill a Mockingbird + Go Set a Watchman (Dual Slipcased Edition) by Harper Lee

The Harper Lee Collection: To Kill a Mockingbird + Go Set a Watchman (Dual Slipcased Edition) Reviews

• 
  M.M. Strawberry Library & Reviews

  To Kill A Mockingbird - 5 stars.
  
  Go Set A Watchman... 2 stars. Given the circumstances surrounding the publication of this book, as well as the quality of the story itself compared to To Kill a Mockingbird, I can only recommend TKaM. I know opinions will vary, but GSaW is pretty damn weak compared to TKaM.
  
  I was only able to read GSaW because it was a Little Free Library find - if I'd paid for it I'd have been pretty damn upset.
• 
  Kenneth Murray

  This review pertains to “Go Set A Watchman”. I am glad that I read this book. While it was written before “To Kill A Mockingbird,” it shows that Atticus, Jean Louise (Scout), Alexandra and others were being impacted by the racial tensions of the South making them seem not much different from you and me.
  
  Is it as good as “To Kill A Mockingbird?” No, of course not. Did Margaret Mitchell’s other writings reach the level of “Gone With The Wind?” Hardly.
  
  I am willing to accept the novel for what it is, Harper Lee’s first novel that whether it was ever meant to be published or not, gives a completeness to her second novel which showed the brilliance of which she was capable.
  
  I am glad it was published and I am glad to have read it.
  
• 
  Circe Link

  While re-reading Mockingbird was wonderful, reading Watchman was not so much. I enjoyed the perspective it gave me in hindsight to Harper Lee’s evolution as a writer - but boy howdy what a difference an editor makes. The story slightly resembles Mockingbird but is uglier by allot and the moral message is spewed out in long winded arguments instead of being crafted into the actions of our main characters. Watchman feels like the work of a writer almost getting to what she wants, but ultimately its kinda immature compared to Mockingbird imho.
  My advice, don’t read Watchman unless you like your sacred cows barbecued and served with lemonade.
• 
  Sarah

  First time reading Mockingbird. I liked it a lot but wasn't overly impressed. I was expecting something much more eye opening and thought provoking. That being said, I would have enjoyed reading Mockingbird in high school much more than others, such as A Streetcar Named Desire.
  
  Since this was my first reading of Mockingbird, I also read Watchman for the first time. I couldn't finish it. I can count on one hand the times I have not been able to finish a book. Unfortunately, this was one of those times. I was all around bored and kept losing interest. Way too many extra stories that were not vital to the storyline.
  
  As I read these two books as s collection, I will average my two ratings together. Three stars for Mockingbird and one for Watchman. Two stars overall.
• 
  Joseph Fountain

  5 Stars and my review:
  To Kill a Mockingbird
  
  3 Stars and my review of
  Go Set a Watchman
• 
  Shelley Hughes

  I checked this out of the library. I only wanted to read To Kill a Mockingbird but all the copies were checked out except for this one bundled with Harper Lee's other book. Maybe I will read Go Set a Watchman later. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic but I had never read it before so it was about time, especially now when our nation is dealing with so much divisiveness. The story is multidimensional as it describes life in a small town in the South in the mid 1930's through a child's eyes. Atticus is a stable father figure who has good boundaries while also modeling the values of acceptance, kindness, compassion, fairness, respect, integrity and non-violence in a world where human differences are encountered by the family and community in the form of race, age, disability, poverty, and ignorance. The children see the differences in how their father, aunt, and neighbors respond; the hypocrisy at times, and grapple with making sense of it all while also playing together, being curious, and even forming their own opinions.
• 
  GretchenMarie

  Go Set a Watchman was painful to read all the way through. To call it a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird tarnishes the reputation of said novel.
  Go Set a Watchman reads like the draft that it is: A sketch of those who would later become the well-rounded characters that have stood the test of time and continue to be relevant to this day.
  The narrative is atrocious. Randomly going back and forth from 3rd person to 1st person narrative is something expected of unseasoned writers. Multiple pages of an attempt to pick up on fragments of conversations among a crowd of flat characters was completely unnecessary. The story itself goes against the morals of To Kill a Mockingbird. They live in parallel universes. For these and other shortcomings, I suspect, is why Harper Lee did not have this manuscript published in her lifetime.
  To publish Go Set a Watchman seems more like a publicity stunt rather than a genuine introduction of Harper Lee to a younger generation.
• 
  Emily Paton

  I read Go Set a Watchman right after To Kill a Mockingbird and, wow. I loved getting to be in Scouts mind again. The whole book is about disillusionment, so reading it did made me progressively more and more tired.
  
  I think the most satisfying bit was the focus on the beauty of disillusionment... As soon as Atticus became human to her she was free. It's so easy for people to become pillars, and pillars hold a lot of standard and weight. There's a weightlessness that comes when you view the people around you as just that- people.
• 
  Jo

  I loved To Kill A Mockingbird and my expectations of the sequel were quite elevated, especially since I understood that the original characters would feature in the second book. However, some central characters are not discussed at all, and one has even been killed off (with little explanation offered). The tone is quite morose and dark, and we learn that Atticus is a mere mortal... disappointing for an ardent fan! Overall, it was still a pleasure to bask in the stylish prose of Harper Lee, and learn what happens to our beloved Scout!
• 
  Jeongmin

  A man who does better but never enough. I think this book is about how people are, not how people should be. I would like to read a piece that re-centers the story on Calpurnia, Boo Radley, and the rabid dog while unfocusing the bland heroism of the Finches. Still reading “Watchman”.
• 
  Stephanie Ireland

  I have always, and will always, love to Kill a Mockingbird. I understand that Go Set A Watchmen is far from a polished work, but it knocked my love for TKAM back an entire star. It’s very disjointed and the characters don’t seem consistent or believable.
• 
  Lordbaby

  the book is totally romantic
• 
  JZ York

  I’ve rated and reviewed these books individually above.
• 
  Wyvern

  This boxset represents that I have read To Kill A Mockingbird again for Honors English 9.
  
  Boring. (Might write more later).
• 
  Simon

  To Kill a Mockingbird was great, however Go Set a Watchman was readable, but in comparison very poor. If you liked her first book, I would not read the second one.
• 
  Rosie

  BOOK REVIEW 🗣
  5/5 🌟
  To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 🐦
  
  “People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for”
  
  I have struggled to find the words to explain the profound impact of this book. This year one of my main goals was to diversify my reading. This book represents the sickening racial injustice in the world. I have read a fair amount of books relating to black history this year, and it continues to shock me again and again. The author challenges people’s moral nature, the good vs the bad.
  
  Harper Lee writes from the perspective of Jean Louise Finch, better know as ‘Scout’ - she is the young daughter of Atticus Finch. Her father is appointed as the Attorney of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white women. There is a strong leading message that despite facts a white voice is heard above a black voice.
  
  We see the growth of Scout as her perspective on life changes as the narrative evolves. Atticus tries to protect Scout, and her brother Jem, from the trial and the ugliness of the people in Maycomb, Alabama and the rest of the world. But their curiosity and willingness to understand pushes them to find out more.
  
  I felt there was more that I wanted to know about the character of Boo Radley, however after discussions with many people it is what he represents that holds the power in this story.