Darlings, This Is No Carly Simon And James Taylor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            "Mock!
                                             YEAH!
                                             Ing!
                                             YEAH!
                                             Bird!
                                             YEAH!
                                              Yeah!
                                              YEAH!"
                                                  --"Mockingbird," by Carly Simon and James Taylor
                   
                      Darlings, I have read it, and I have things to say.

                       History has played a series of tricks on Harper Lee.  If the scuttlebutt is to be believed, she wrote this before her most celebrated work.   If this had been published first, her story would have been entirely different. But, then, I do not think this book would have been published, if not for "To Kill A Mockingbird."  For one thing, there are some situations, like Scout's--excuse me, here she is now predominately referred to as "Jean Louise"--struggles with puberty that might have seemed too graphic for the time.  Then there was the editor, who was so captivated--as was I-- by the childhood sequences, and wanted to know more about them--as did I--that he suggested she write about that.  Which she did, and the results have delighted generations now for 55 years.

                         This demonstrates that "To Kill A Mockingbird" answers questions "Go Set A Watchman" asks.  It was almost inevitable the more renowned book had to be published first.  And I will throw out one tidbit-it answers one question I always had, about the death of the children's mother.

                            So, how was it?  Wonderful!  It is a book to stand beside 'Mockingbird.' and not a duplication.  Oh, Harper's voice is still Harper's voice; how refreshing, in this age to read clear, lucid prose, that contains almost poetic sentences that hit the reader right between the eye with the keenness of their observation.

                            I expected to be disappointed, but I was not.  This is an inevitable continuation of the first book, with Miss Jean Louise, now in her late twenties, making those discoveries about her childhood hero--that he has feet of clay--that we all do, and have.  But no one tells it with as much insight as Harper Lee, and no one can.  That is her special gift, and it is, again, splendidly in evidence, here.  When I reached the end, just as with 'Mockingbird,' I wanted more!

                           The big surprise, for me, was that minor characters, like Atticus' sister, Alexandra, and brother, Jack, are given more air time than he.  In fact, the quote on back of the book jacket comes, not for Atticus, but from Jack.

                            The only thing I found to criticize was a phrase I found, referring to Scout not being "a member of this wedding."  I thought it extremely commercial, and could not decide if it was included at the suggestion of an editor, or if it was her own homage to Carson McCullers.

                              As for the controversy surrounding Atticus' so-called racism, well, Harper was, after all a lawyer's child, so she treats this with more ambiguity than has been suggested, allowing  readers to draw their own conclusions.  I will say that when I finished this book, my love for its characters had not changed.  I only got to know them a little better.

                              Which we do, as we get older.  So, "Go Set A Watchman" is at the right place in literature where it belongs.

                                I wish I could go visit Harper Lee.  I would approach her, and say--

                                "Oh, Miss Nelle; you've done it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                  The wait was well worth it, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!