To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: June 2010 (originally published in 1960)
Hardcover: 336 pages
Source: purchased at Borders


My Rating: 10 stars! (how could you expect any less?!?)


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): "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 charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward 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 and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.


My Thoughts: For a book that is truly an American classic, there are so many things that I could talk about. But since this is the first time that I have read this book while having a book blog, I will try to keep it simple. What it is that draws me back to this book, year after year? It's the way that it instantly transports me back to being a child. As I read the book, I am back to being a six year old, still playing make-believe but starting to wonder about the world around me. I don't fee like I identify with Scout, I feel like I am Scout. Harper Lee's writing removes that barrier between reader and characters (at least for me), and I am with Scout and Jem as they await the arrival of Dill each summer and create dramas with one another. It seems cliche, but the book takes me back to a simpler time. A time when I wasn't concerned about who was calling/texting/emailing me, when I didn't care what I would eat for dinner that day, when I was unconcerned with what my laundry situation was like. As long as I could, I imagined and pretended to my heart's content, unaware of the world around me. For that reason, To Kill a Mockingbird will always be one of my favorite books, not because of the characters or setting, but because of the ability to make me a child again.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Published: May 2001
Publisher: Random House
Paperback: 353 pages


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from goodreads.com): Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.


My Thoughts: I want to start off this review by saying that this was a great book. I truly enjoyed it, and there were moments of laughter and surprise throughout. However, I felt that this book could not compare to  Pride and Prejudice (at least for me), so that's why it received a 3.5 star rating. I know you shouldn't compare books like that, but I do. Oh well.


Emma is a great comic novel. Now, something that was written back in the 1800s has humor that is different from that of our humor today. But there were several points in the book where I was chuckling to myself at Emma and her attempts to create relationships among her friends. The writing is witty and the characters are never boring. I did sometimes become confused at who was who in their little town, but that was about it. I found each character to bring something different to the table, and Emma's interactions with each of them delightful. Some of the characters, such as Miss Bates, are there solely for humor. Each time she appeared in the book, I knew that Jane Austen was going to have a funny moment ahead. 


It was an enjoyable book, one that is definitely going to be staying on my bookshelf. As I said before, I did not feel that this book was as good as  Pride and Prejudice, but it is still a classic and one that I will be sure to recommend to anyone.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2010, Penguin Group (USA), Inc. (originally published in 1847)

Summary: Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester. 

The loneliness and cruelty of Jane’s childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyrehas enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect. (From borders.com)

My Thoughts: Many of you are probably wondering, "Why is she going to review Jane Eyre? She's had to have read a few times, at least once in high school." Well, this is my first time reading this wonderful novel, and I cannot believe that it took me so long to get around to reading such a wonderful book! 

This book follows Jane Eyre from childhood throughout her life. We first meet Jane when she is about eight or nine years old, living with relatives. Her character is already so strong at this point, shining through clearly in the first few pages of the book! Jane continutes to tell her story, from being taken out of her horrible home to a institution for young girls (an orphan boarding school, basically). Jane's personality changes while she is there, and Bronte's writing style is so great because, while you realize that Jane is maturing and growing up, you are still rooting for her, wanting the best for her.

The characters in this story are great, deep, and rich. Watching Jane grow from a young girl into a woman is wonderful. Bronte did not use the female character archetype that was common in this period, with females depending on men; instead, she creates an independent woman in Jane, one who admonishes frequently that she can (and will) do things on her own, and she will find a way to live where others would be pointing out the things that she should not do (because of her gender). Jane is a great character and you are constantly rooting for her throughout the book. In addition to the cast of characters, Bronte's description of the settings is great. She pulls you in such a way that you feel as if you are resting in a moor with Jane. Her use of light and dark is also wonderful, and her descriptions of sunrises made me want to get up early and witness one (but let's not get carried away ... I still want my sleep!).

With suspense, intrigue, and romance, I believe that Bronte has written one of the greatest books of all time. It was a delight to read, and I will be sure to revisit Jane Eyre in the future.

My Rating: 10 stars!!!! (Seriously, this book was AMAZING!!!! If you haven't read it, you need to. And if you have already read it, then you need to revisit it!)

PS - Aren't you in love with that cover?!? It's one of Ruben Toledo's Couture Classics. He has done the cover art for six classic books ... you can check them all out here. Be careful though ... you may end up buying quite a few of them!