To Kill a Mockingbird (50th Anniversary Collector's Hardback Edition) Book

The 11th July 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee's sublime novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. An instant classic that is still being bought and enjoyed in huge numbers today, To Kill a Mockingbird is based loosely on people and events from Lee's own childhood in the American Deep South and primary concerns issues of racial inequality and the destruction of innocence.

The storyline of To Kill a Mockingbird must be one of the most instantly recognisable in the history of American, if not world, literature but, briefly, it follows imaginative tomboy Jean-Louise "Scout" Finch through several illuminating and turbulent years of her childhood. Six-year-old Scout lives with her brother Jem and widowed lawyer father Atticus in the "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and Jem befriend a boy named Dill [based on Harper Lee's childhood neighbour, the author Truman Capote] who is visiting Maycomb to stay with his aunt. The three children begin a campaign to make their mysterious neighbour, the reclusive Boo Radley, come out of his house. Their peaceful lives of childish games and the way they view their town and neighbours are changed forever, however, when Atticus is appointed by the court to represent Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a truly wonderful novel and its lessons about the importance of tolerance and understanding are just as relevant today as they ever were. As a story, it is by turns humorous and tragic, magical and brutal, while as a piece of social commentary it serves to highlight a deeply disturbing facet of American history. Harper Lee is an exceptional writer, her prose style is elegant and warm and demonstrates a clear love for the people and places of her youth, however flawed they ultimately proved to be. In a way, the huge success of To Kill a Mockingbird did something of a disservice to readers since, without the massive public scrutiny and adoration for her work, Harper Lee would surely have gone on to write further novels, but it would be impossible to deny that the triumph and praise that has been heaped on the book was undeserved. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend To Kill a Mockingbird to anyone who is seeking to read a truly great novel.

As to this particular edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, it is a delightful book to own and read. It is a stunningly designed clothbound, hardback edition released to commemorate the book's 50th anniversary and is beautiful to behold. This would make an excellent gift or special purchase for readers who love To Kill a Mockingbird and would appreciate a particularly fine edition to add to their book collection.

To Kill A Mockingbird : Hardback : Cornerstone : 9780434020485 : : 29 Jun 2011 : 'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' Atticus Finch gives this advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of this classic novel - a black man charged with attacking a white girl.