To Kill a Childhood Hero

You’ve probably heard about this new book that came out this week: it’s called Go Set a Watchman, it’s by Harper Lee — her second novel ever to be published, after To Kill a Mockingbird — and its release spawned a minor frenzy. Pre-order numbers were through the roof; The Guardian released a recording of the first chapter in advance, read in a honey-dipped southern drawl by Reese Witherspoon; bookish bars celebrated release day with drink specials like the Tequila Mockingbird; some folks stayed up all night to read their copies.

LA Times book critic David Ulinwas one of the first people to get his hands on the book, so he’s had more time to mull it over than the average reader. He also went back and re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, a childhood favorite, before writing his review. And while David cautions that, yes, Go Set a Watchman is stylistically flawed and clunky in places — “the whole second half of the novel has virtually no narrative momentum,” he says — it’s still an interesting read, both for the insight it gives into Lee’s creative process and for its nuanced, historically-grounded depiction of the beloved character Atticus Finch.

“Were Atticus Finch an actual living human, he would’ve been born around 1885,” Ulin says. “That’s, what, a decade after Reconstruction? He would’ve been born into a wealthy, landed Southern family. So to think that this guy wouldn’t have had some kind of complicated, tortured relationship with race is an oversimplification of who he would’ve been.” Readers hoping to avoid spoilers, look away now — Atticus has turned pro-segregation in Watchman, a realization that sets Scout reeling and, in one poignant scene, leaves her so nauseated she vomits up her Sunday dinner.

As for Ulin, the professional book reviewer is now waiting to hear the verdict of his 16-year-old daughter, a huge fan of To Kill a Mockingbird. He has a copy Go Set a Watchman waiting for her to read when she gets home from summer camp.

Do you plan to readGo Set a Watchman?Tell us why — or why not — in the comments.