Somehow I navigated the American educational system without reading Harper Lee's classic. True to rumor and myth, Atticus Finch is a hero of the highest order and would serve as a fine model for any young man, not just aspiring lawyers. The kind of steadfastness and quiet dignity he brings to the story serves as a rock and moral compass - even when Atticus himself appears daunted by the proper way forward. Not only a tale of fairness, struggle, inequality and morality, but one that contains beautifully written passages.
We laughed. Haints, Hot Steams, incantations, secret signs, had vanished with our years as mist with sunrise. - p.293
True economy of language is a rare art; to say what is required both concisely and clearly is, for me, the crux of what is true in writing. Capturing essence is the difference between a story to be cast aside upon completion and one that stays inside a person's mind - that spreads out, grows and changes the way we see the world and ourselves. Harper Lee has certainly accomplished all these things.
Much has been written about this book by many people far more insightful and greater than I; I will not try to replicate or expand upon their work here. This seemed like a proper place to begin this "catablog". Now I have read To Kill a Mockingbird, and I am glad for it.
