man this is a fantastic book. once again, i remembered fuck all about this book even though i read it in high school. texas education system, you really are shitty, and from what i understand in speaking with the empty headed youth of today you are even worse now.
but when people speak of the great american novel, this is the book they are talking about, isnt it?
i like the trick harper pulls off that all great writers do when they set up stuff and it doesnt feel like setup. we learn about the ewells and the cunninghams on a lark but that shit pays off toward the end. like the old dictum 'it is art to conceal art.' which yes i did hear from james gurney and not whatever ancient philosopher he heard it from.
according to wikipedia harper lee is still alive. is she the dirk nowitski of the literary world and one great work was all she had in her?
miss maudie warmed my atheist heart with the line 'How so reasonable a creature could live in peril of everlasting torment was incomprehensible.'
and this book is fucking funny. how talented was harper to pull off the climax of the book with scout wearing a fucking ham costume? jem is all 'gimme yr hock ah my arm.'
