What an Ending!

The end of this novel is where Harper Lee shines. I stayed up an hour past my bedtime to finish it, even though I have read it before and know exactly how it ends. I love it when a book is so good that I get the same rush reading the ending no matter how often I've read it before.

I especially admire the end of this book in light of other books I've been reading lately, where the author really doesn't know how or when to end the book and does a poor job. The need to resolve every past and future issue ends up in an anti-climatic, poorly written ending that usually doesn't flow with the rest of the book. No interruption of flow here. I like Harper Lee's writing all the way through, but it is these last chapters: the descriptions, the seamless weaving of storylines, the drama, the final character sketches and revelations (both Boo and Tate), the right mix of action, dialogue, and internal thinking, where she really rises above the average writer. Just like last time, Lee had me absolutely entranced and by the time I was done reading, I have to admit I had a big lump in my throat.

The idea of this book is fantastic. She writes about big issues from a child's point of view. It feels realistic and sincere. She tackles racism, poverty, ignorance, women's issues, cruelty, violence, and even single parent families (both Scout and Dill). She doesn't go into each issue in depth or even try to pinpoint and resolve Scout's feelings on each issue. She is surrounded by it, and like the rest of us, is constantly working through her feelings and understanding of issues and doesn't come to any final resolves or resolutions in life. Because it is written from a child's point of view, the language is simpler, which is more powerful. This is a kid we can all relate to, but contrary to what many of her contemporary critics said, this is not a kid's book. You have to be an adult to really "get" this book. Absolutely beautiful and fantastic. If I had written this book as my first novel, like Lee, I think I would have been pretty reluctant to try and follow it up. If everyone just wrote the one good novel they had in them and skipped the rest of the crap they write, it would be quite a compelling literary world.