Harper Lee, the famously reclusive author of To Kill A Mockingbird, has died.

[Captainnumnuts]

This is news to me.

I learned of this yesterday. Seems she passed on in an assisted living facility in Monroeville, Alabama under an assumed name. Rumour has it Ms. Lee had picked up the pen again and was writing a 2nd novel much longer than her 1st. My source told me the 2nd novel remains unfinished.

God Bless You Miss Harper. You have left a void in this world within our hearts and minds that may never be filled quite like you did it.

 

[Gentleman_G]

In addition to "To Kill a Mockingbird", she also wrote "Go Set a Watchman", which, apparently, was a first draft of "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Which has also been published anyway. My girlfriend has bought a copy of it.

 

[weftandwarp]

As I remember, she was interviewed on the radio not long before her death and sounded ok.

 

[Gentleman_G]

As I remember, she was interviewed on the radio not long before her death and sounded ok.

My dad sounds pretty clear too, but I wouldn't buy anything from him, knowing he's not able to tie his own shoelaces by now. Yet he still sounds good enough for people to trust him. And he immediately forgets what he has promised ten minutes later.

 

[lovecraft68]

I also read it. It is a good read; not as historical as "To Kill a Mockingbird", very different (more like a sequel) but still interesting.

Its release, apparently, was quite controversial. People questioning whether the publication was appropriate, as Lee previously had indicated to never write again. Was she still mentally competent, when the book was published?

It was the daughter or sister? I think who as soon as she was mentally incompetent pushed that into print.

If Lee didn't want it out, I respect that and its a shame it was done against her rational wishes.

As for appropriate. The only inappropriate thing about it is the main character being a racist which sadly was accurate for time and setting.

So let that resonate...the liberals have no made it so even fictional characters have to act exactly as they want them to. Think on that for those who think its the repugs who are trying to suppress freedom of speech.

 

[weftandwarp]

My dad sounds pretty clear too, but I wouldn't buy anything from him, knowing he's not able to tie his own shoelaces by now. Yet he still sounds good enough for people to trust him. And he immediately forgets what he has promised ten minutes later.

Yeah, true. I believe Einstein never mastered the art of tying shoe laces. He didn't wear socks either. I know of another guy who has an iq of over 160 and he can't manage his shoe laces either.
My Dad developed dementia due to an autoimmune problem. Later he died as a result. I worked out that it was as because of taking a medication long term. As a result the medication was removed from the market nation wide. It is interesting because some times good can come in the strangest of places. I can only wish your Dad and you well.
As I remember Lee sounded cogent. It was a reasonably long interview on Radio National. Their interviews aren't superficial. One never knows though.

 

[Hypoxia]

In other news, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince has died too. Film at eleven.

 

[weftandwarp]

It was the daughter or sister? I think who as soon as she was mentally incompetent pushed that into print.

If Lee didn't want it out, I respect that and its a shame it was done against her rational wishes.

As for appropriate. The only inappropriate thing about it is the main character being a racist which sadly was accurate for time and setting.

So let that resonate...the liberals have no made it so even fictional characters have to act exactly as they want them to. Think on that for those who think its the repugs who are trying to suppress freedom of speech.

Politically correct- I wonder about it. Here we don't have a bill of rights - we rely on common law. The theory is it confers rights with responsibilities. Both are seen as important. I wonder if we would have more rights or less if freedom of speech was enshrined in our constitution.

Also, we have two major political parties here- Labor with its American spelling and Liberal. Only today one state elected a Liberal government after 16 years of Labor. Our Liberals are frequently likened to the American Republicans. So, perhaps it is wisest to vote on policies rather than labels. I think that we would never vote to get rid of our socialist committments. It isn't so much political parties but different movements that are driving political correctness. I can remember when there were a lot more restrictions on what could be published than now. The censor was very busy with what we now consider fairly ordinary. Now, the censor does very little thankfully.

 

[Hypoxia]

Please take politics to the politics board. Thank you.

 

[Bramblethorn]

As for appropriate. The only inappropriate thing about it is the main character being a racist which sadly was accurate for time and setting.

So let that resonate...the liberals have no made it so even fictional characters have to act exactly as they want them to.

No they haven't. The book got published. You can buy it from any bookseller.

Think on that for those who think its the repugs who are trying to suppress freedom of speech.

Criticising a story is not "suppressing freedom of speech". It's exercising freedom of speech. Just like all the times on this forum where you've told us what you think about nonconsent stories and their authors.

I enjoy a lot of your contributions to this forum, but if you want to talk about How Liberals Are Destroying America, please do consider the Politics forum as a better place for that kind of content.

 

[Captainnumnuts]

This is all news to me guys. I dropped out of life for a considerable amount of time to chase my demons and slay some dragons.

While I'm saddened by Harper Lee's death, I'm super excited knowing there's another book out there. I would have loved to have met that woman just once.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I remember the hue-and-cry when Go Set a Watchman came out, with Atticus Finch being decried as a racist. Well, he was, of course, but I still found it significant that this died-in-the-wool racist risked everything, including his life at times, to defend a black man accused of rape.

To simply write off Finch as a racist is to turn him into a one-dimensional character, to ignore the profound depths of the human character. That of course is more and more common in social and political debate these days, but it's always a mistake.

To my mind, that a man who despised blacks would do so much, risk so much, to defend Tom Robinson shows a great man with flaws, not a flawed man who once did something good.

 

[Voboy]

It’s JUST possible I’m the only American who thought To Kill A Mockingbird was unreadably trite, even as a high school sophomore.

Then again, I’ve never seen “The Sound of Music” either, so I know I’m a philistine.

RIP Harper, even a couple years late. But I doubt you were ever as “great” as the Boomers made you out to be.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

It’s JUST possible I’m the only American who thought To Kill A Mockingbird was unreadably trite, even as a high school sophomore.

Out of curiosity, what are your top two or three novels, ones you don't think are trite?

 

[Voboy]

There’s a million of them.

Irvine Welsh, Dennis Lehane, Ernest Hemingway... they’re everywhere.

But my literary tastes don’t matter, and it’s all opinion anyway. Like I say, I’m a philistine. I’ve just never understood why “the canon” is, necessarily, “the canon.”

 

[Hypoxia]

I’ve just never understood why “the canon” is, necessarily, “the canon.”

Because it shoots. Oh wait, that's the Canon. I never did like EOS stuff. But I digress.

The original canon was biblical AFAIK. Once Xianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, the Imperial Wizards aka church fathers were gathered to edit a mass of texts. Keep some, trash some, rewrite some. Not all Xians agreed with their frankencanon, which has led to quite a bit in the way of holy violence.

The Western literary canon usually doesn't provoke so much bloodshed. Or does it? How many have read Melville and lusted to slaughter whales?

 

[Voboy]

I know. I’m just annoyed when more modern works, which cover similar themes in an arguably better and inarguably more topical way, don’t get read for analysis and appreciation by young readers just because some decrepit English department can’t bear to stop teaching Harper Lee.

I know, it’s a losing battle I’m fighting.

 

[Hypoxia]

MOCKINGBIRD was Truman Copote's worst book.

 

[Captainnumnuts]

I got a copy of "Go Set a Watchman". I'm busy doing other stuff these next few days. I'm going to wait until the weekend and read it all the way through in one sitting (maybe). "To Kill a Mockingbird" was among the 1st I read as a kid and never thought I'd finish it. 2nd time I read it as an adult much faster, but it was still long. I'm very curious to see what's become of Atticus and Scout.

 

[Captainnumnuts]

MOCKINGBIRD was Truman Copote's worst book.

I have mixed emotions and mixed logic on Copote. I only read "In Cold Blood" . I thought it was awesome and brutal. The movie was great too. I also believe Harper Lee wrote most of it alongside him and let him take all the credit. I seen the movie about him portrayed by Philip Hoffman - yet another fine performance from Hoffman. Though the movie disappointed me.

I believe Copote was a lonely child and Harper Lee was indeed his best friend, maybe his only friend. Women seemed to like him, but people made fun of him despite whatever genius he had.. All around just a sad, tragic person in my opinion.

Aaron Sorkin has an adaptation of his own of "To Kill A Mockingbird". But Lee's family is fighting it's release because they don't think it would survive such an interpretation.

 

[SamGrifter]

This breaking news just in:

Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead

 

[Captainnumnuts]

Still waiting for my copy of "Go Set a Watchman".

 

[Voboy]

...so, she’s still dead? Yes?

 

[SimonDoom]

...so, she’s still dead? Yes?

Yup, and those reports about Mark Twain are no exaggeration, either.

 

[Hypoxia]

...so, she’s still dead? Yes?

Plot bunny: Harper Lee is raised from the dead. She plops in front of a Royal typewriter and churns out THE ATTICUS FINCH CHRONICLES, a ten-part series of summer novels tracing her MC's pre-life, life, and after-life. Alas, Truman Copote was not reincarnated to be her editor, so Ann Coulter takes that task, focusing on IR and BBC fetishes.