Harper Lee: Us Author Of To Kill A Mockingbird Dies Aged 89

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35616011

One of my favourite books...RIP Harper !

[-Talbot-]

2 on the go already.

[ummmm]

Did she write any other books?

I did read To Kill a Mockingbird.

RIP

[DTCwordfan]

Yes, but only published 2 years ago and written before Mockingbird - a close friend was describing Mockingbird as all-consuming to her as the success took her unawares. The 2nd novel was 'Go Set a Watchman.'

[ummmm]

DT...have you read it?

[Togo]

Mockingbird was brilliant. Truly a novel of it's time. I recently read it again and could still connect. I did so, to afterwards read Go Set a Watchman. Did not have the same impact in any way. I am now reading The Martian. R.I.P Harper Lee.

[DTCwordfan]

Not the new one, was supposed to be part of a trilogy with Mockingbird - that I have read.

[mikey4444]

There have been rumours circling for many years, that she never actually wrote "To kill a Mocking Bird" but it was instead penned by Truman Capote.

Not sure what substance there is in that story though.

[mazie]

I think that might be the other way round Mikey....


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/14-things-you-didnt-know-about-harper-lee-and-truman-capotes-friendship/

[Baldric]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1475545.html

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Media-and-TV/Question1475575.html

[mikey4444]

Mazie...very interesting !

I put "In Cold Blood" into my marooned on a "desert island list of books"

But it has always seemed to me a bit odd that Lee should write such a wonderful book such as Mocking Bird and then virtually disappear from public life afterwards.

[mazie]

I heard a programme today on Radio 4 Mikey...She was astounded by the success and publicity and became a recluse. She was relating stories her Father told the family about his work as a lawyer in the South.

[DTCwordfan]

some of those lawyers were amazing people, mikey....I had the privilege of meeting Jackie Robinson's lawyer, who finished his career as a fairly well known US judge, a man of amazing intellect and partiality in a then (and maybe now) biased system. This was through his daughter who became a friend of mine.

[wired]

Wee calf posted this at 15.56

[ummmm]

So what?

[Peter Pedant]

so its is a duplicated thread ( actually trooplicated ) and people can get twice the glory for their one liners for the price of one ....

so umm you could post on the other thread:
I am told this is a duplicated thread ( actually you would know it was duplicated by posting there but it is more literary to say 'I am told'... ) and the comment/one liner I have is the well used: " so what "

and so following my own advice : ( yes you will find this on thread no 2 ) she was a one-hit wonder along with - A tree grows in Brooklyn [ the sequel Joy in the morning wasnt much good )
and Little Women - I cruelly suggested that Little Men should better have died in the american civil war

BUT..... got set a watchman - alot of peopel said it was too muchlike a first draft of To kill a mochngbird ......
also step forward the editor who said she had made Harper Lee rewrite a lot of it - to the extent that she could be co-author

[Metaphysicalus]

I read To Kill A Mockingbird as a teenager, and it affected me tremendously - one of the great works of literature. Also just noted that Umberto Eco, author of The Name Of The Rose has also passed on. R.I.P to both.

[Metaphysicalus]

Mikey, Truman Capote who started the rumour that it was he who'd written Mockingbird had fallen out with her and in his latter years was alcoholic, and addicted to pharmaceutical drugs. Their styles of writing are completely different. Capote ( who's Cold Blood is another classic book) became a regular on many U.S. talk shows and basically became a caricature of himself. Mockingbird and Watchman were written as one book, which was then edited down.

[mikey4444]

Metaphysicalus...thanks for your posts.

She helped Capote in Holcomb, when he went there to do his research for In Cold Blood, which is, as you say, another excellent book.

But I have always found her behaviour after Mocking Bird was published to be slightly odd.....she became almost a recluse, which I find a bit difficult to fully understand.

[Metaphysicalus]

Mikey. She was a very private person and didn't like the limelight. Truman Capote was portrayed as Dill in the film ( the little boy who was the children's friend). All the best.