The bane of a freshman’s existence is the ninth grade English curriculum.  But if you are able to survive all of the reading guides and motifs charts, you might just be able to actually enjoy some of the required reading.

The story of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one such book, and can seduce a reluctant reader to enter the world of slow moving Maycomb, Alabama, and step into the shoes of six-year-old Jean (Scout) Louise Finch. Although the book has some intense, high suspense moments, the plot is mostly lethargic and the story’s real beauty lies in its ability to paint a clear picture of life in the South during the 1930s. The story is told from the simple, innocent mind of Scout as she starts to discover that the town she has known and loved all her life has a maliciousness on the issue of race, the cause of which she can not fathom. Containing scenes of hilarious parody, extreme bravery and violence, the book has something that can appeal to everyone, but patient people in particular will find this book enjoyable; for the book’s brilliance is masked behind many long uneventful passages, which although tedious, are necessary for the reader to get a good feeling for the small, slow moving, Southern town of Maycomb.