Book Review

‘Go Set a Watchman’

By Samantha Maclaren

Image Credit: www.amazon.com

 

‘Go Set a Watchman’ in its first week on bookshelves had already surpassed a million copies sold, despite several controversies that have surrounded the publication since its announcement. One controversy even concerns who exactly has rights to the book; Harper Lee, the author, is in increasingly failing health and some doubt the book was published with Lee’s full and knowing authorization.

The murky ethics of allowing the book to be published has been questioned by critics as capitalizing on the recognition of the author rather than publishing one of her complete literary works. ‘Go Set a Watchman’ reads less like the sequel it was intended to be than it does a prequel or, in some parts of the novel, a polished first draft of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. In fact, some who have studied Lee’s literary history contend that ‘Go Set a Watchman’ was a rejected novel, and that a publisher had pointed out to Lee the promise of writing in Scout’s perspective rather than the grown Jean Louise’s. This revelation would eventually lead Lee to write ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

That publisher may have had a point regarding Lee’s early writing; in some passages, Jean Louise’s narrative feels distant or awkward, lacking in the deftness that a more experienced writer would have. However, there are still brilliant insights that grasp at the difficult themes of racism, sexism and misplaced nostalgia and, despite some clunkiness, the book’s tragedies still powerfully echo the social violence that persists today. The novel’s dialogues on race, in particular, are better for the author’s bluntness. One quote in particular sums up the somber attitude of the novel themes:

“As sure as time, history is repeating itself, and as sure as man is man, history is the last place he’ll look for his lessons.”

Then, for all its faults, does ‘Go Set a Watchman’ dilute the grand themes of ‘Mockingbird’? Or, does it more clearly reveal Lee’s message: that one’s belief in justice does not also necessarily entail a belief in equality?

‘Go Set a Watchman’ is available at the Lake Worth campus library. To place a request, students must log into their PantherWeb, click the library icon, search for ‘Go Set a Watchman’ and select ‘Request Item’. A PantherCard is required for check out.

 Guest Blogger: Samantha is a Library Tech I at PBSC Library at the Lake Worth Campus