Like many, I was over-the-moon excited to hear that Harper Lee was finally publishing a sequel. I re-read
To Kill a Mockingbird to prepare for the release, and then dove right in. Here's my review:
Go Set a Watchman by
Harper Lee
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the first chapter and all the childhood flashbacks in the remaining chapters, many of which did not appear in the original novel. It was odd to read a few unpolished sections that made it into the final
Mockingbird novel, as they were a bit incongruent with what was eventually published and a significant key detail was changed. Tough to review the rest, as it was a rough draft. I wish I hadn't read any reviews that contained spoilers so that I could feel the emotions along with Scout. I can see why the publishers advised her as they did way back when -- the memories of childhood newly revealed in
Watchman were just as compelling as the ones that appeared in the polished-for-publication
Mockingbird novel. I wish the original author had worked this into a sequel and written a longer ending, but it still is fascinating to see the backstory into how her work was created. Rating: 3 stars -- "I liked it"
My other reviews on Goodreads