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To Kill a Mockingbird

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By: Harper Lee
Narrated by: Sissy Spacek
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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
I think every avid reader has one particular book, or maybe even a few if they are lucky which leave an indelible mark on them. I’m talking about the books which don’t simply excite or entertain but they leave you changed in some way. Whether it is through sheer exuberance for the story or because the book carried a message that resonated with us. Either way they never leave us and I doubt it’s unusual that they are often books read during our formative years.

There are, I’m afraid, no prizes for guessing that in my case it was To Kill a Mockingbird. Read during my school years growing up in a multicultural town the central messages behind Harper Lee’s story are not revolutionary, they aren’t massively clever but they go to the core of my struggles while growing up. I am certainly not going to preach about what they are but they have been enshrined in my psyche ever since and some key phrases have often anchored me in times of difficulty. Yes, Mockingbird, was *my* book and spoke to me like few others have before or since.

What struck me as I listened to this audio version 35 years later is that those messages are as relevant and important today as they were in my youth and as they were in the time the book was set. Told through the eyes of innocence, and with no little gentle humour this is actually still not an easy book. It’s no pleasantry and it challenges the reader on the fundamental levels of humanity. I’ve often seen the book described primarily as anti-racist and while that is undoubtedly a strong theme it’s about more than that. It tackles all manner of prejudice and the kind of underlying hypocrisy that still flows through much of human society today.

Of course such a book requires a skilled and appropriate narrator. Not knowing too much about her I wouldn’t have had Sissy Spacek on my shortlist but she captures the atmosphere of the American deep South and its languid nature perfectly. She seems to empathise with the innocence and at times exuberance of the key, younger characters. In summary she does a genuinely fine job as a narrator bringing the book to life for our ears. A bad narrator would have been a crime but fortunately she passes with flying colours.

In all, a challenging book now over half a century old brought to life for our listening pleasure and consideration. This is a genuine treasure, spend it wisely.

One of the greats.

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Where does To Kill a Mockingbird rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best audiobook I have listened to so far. The narration is impeccable, the story is brought alive in such a way that it is impossible to believe that we are not listening to Scout herself.

What did you like best about this story?

The story in itself is, of course, a classic which made me nervous about listening - sometimes it is difficult for a story to live up to its massive reputation, but I was not disappointed. The cleverness of making a complicated, messy theme simple through the eyes of the child had me spellbound for the entire length of the recording.

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

I couldn't put it down. I walked everywhere with my kindle trailing alongside catching headphones on anything awkwardly placed.

You have to listen to this!

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I am not sure how I had managed to live so long and not read this classic book but if like me you come to this fresh then this is a fantastic introduction to this landmark book. If you love the book, then you are in safe hands.

Sissy Spacek's narration is wonderful, beguiling and seemed perfect. the soft, southern accents perfectly recalling the thoughts and viewpoint of a young girl.

The characters are also beguiling - Aticus Finch must be everyone's ideal father, and the children, Jim, Scout and Dill, are realistic and yet charming. The story is both domestic and intense and also global and significant. As a reader/listener, one certainly has to challenge one's prejudices and views.

A must listen.

Wonderful and beguiling story

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Would you consider the audio edition of To Kill a Mockingbird to be better than the print version?

I still love to read the book but it is great to be able to listen to it whilst doing boring jobs like cooking, cleaning etc

What did you like best about this story?

I just love the story and always have, it is beautifully written, funny, incredibly sad and describes a way of life that is long gone, in some respects thankfully

What does Sissy Spacek bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Sissy Spacek has a lovely accent that suits the character of Scout - I really can't imagine anyone else reading it so well.

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

Yes, but I would also listen to it time and time again

Any additional comments?

Thank you for at long last getting this story on audible.

At last my favourite book as an audible

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This is one of my favourite stories, populated by the most wonderful characters in fiction. I just love it. Harper Lee paints such a vivid picture you get a real sense of place and time; whilst it's authentic and holds nothing back, some of the terminology and events jar with modern sensibilities and make it a difficult listen at times.

The last time I heard an audio version of this, it was a podcast with each chapter read by well known Americans (news readers, sports coaches etc.) with varying degrees of competency at reading fiction aloud - which made it utterly charming and I thought that couldn't be topped, until I heard this. Sissy Spacek was the perfect narrator and completely won me over.

Truly fabulous

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