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To Kill a Mockingbird

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN NOVELS EVER WRITTEN'

'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man falsely charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.

 Classics Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction United States Women's Voices World Literature Thought-Provoking Heartfelt

Critic reviews

No one ever forgets this book
Someone rare has written this very fine novel, a writer with the liveliest sense of life and the warmest, most authentic humor. A touching book; and so funny, so likeable (Truman Capote)
There is humour as well as tragedy in this book, besides its faint note of hope for human nature; and it is delightfully written in the now familiar Southern tradition
It would be difficult to argue that Harper Lee’s classic isn’t one of the most—if not the most—beloved of American novels
The enduring appeal of Mockingbird lies not only in the plot or characters; the book is a mirror, a source of endless and revelatory conversation about who we are and have been as a country
The names Scout and Atticus—and, perhaps above all, the name Harper—reflect a respect not just for the arc of history, but for the hope that it does indeed bend toward justice
Novels like To Kill a Mockingbird enlarge the heart and inspire the mind. They have the power to uplift readers and enrich them — no matter where those readers live or how they worship or the color of their skin
A first novel of such rare excellence
The rare classic that speaks to all ages about the less triumphant aspects of American history
A seminal American story, a touchstone of racial tolerance. . . . The book is a marvel, brilliantly structured, wonderfully told in the voice of Scout Finch, a stand-in for its tomboyish author as a child. . . . It’s a book determined to make young readers feel like grownups. . . and grownups feel like children
All stars
Most relevant

What made the experience of listening to To Kill a Mockingbird the most enjoyable?

A wonderful performance by Spacek, she brings the words to life with an inflection that both authoritative and warmly personal

Who was your favorite character and why?

Each character is truly memorable and you love them all...except for those you really hate; just as it should be.

What about Sissy Spacek’s performance did you like?

Her natural style fits perfectly with the first person narrative, her accent is the accent that I have always heard seeping off the pages

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If you could you would

Any additional comments?

This reading lived up to all expectations a classic rendering of a great 20th century classic.

Wonderful edition

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I was gripped from the first moment. The narration is wonderful. I would recommend this very highly. Moving, touching and humane.

Superb performance

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Probably not, maybe try and find a different narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

The story

Any additional comments?

Just didn't enjoy the narration sadly, myself and my wife found she just didn't hold our attention. I read the book years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't really enjoy the audio book as a result of the narration.

Obviously a great book, but the performance let it

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With all the fuss about the sequel coming to light I was finally persuaded to catch up on this. It is quite slow for a while but innocent and beguiling nonetheless. From about half way through, however, it starts to show itself. Gripping stuff. A classic that is well worth its reputation.

Well worth its reputation.

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I use this as a teacher. The class listen on 120% speed because the reading is so slow. The kids don't even notice it's sped up.

Great book, I hate the reading though

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