To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

I’m sure that most bibliophiles have fond memories of this book, whether they read it when they were 10 or 18 or 39 or whenever.  It’s one of those classics that is pretty much universally loved, so probably nothing I’m going to say here will blow your mind, but it’s what I wanted to talk about today, so there!

I’ve told you a little bit before about this incredible high school english teacher that I had.  She really was the best.  I was always in love with reading, but she managed to bring that out in everyone.  She had us reading great books and her enthusiasm for the books rubbed right off on us.  One of the books we read with her was To Kill a Mockingbird.  I’m pretty sure that she’d been teaching this book every year for the last 20 years or so, but you could tell that she’d do it for 20 more given half the opportunity.  Inspiring, really.

I remember that I was in this class full of the loudest, most obnoxious kids possible, myself included.  We were freshmen and we had english right after lunch. It was maybe the worst combination ever, but she had no problem subduing us by reading out loud.  Seriously, it was like a drug.  Anyway, my fondest memory of her reading this to us is this: At the end of the book, when (*spoiler alert!*) Scout meets Boo, she read Scout’s line in just the sweetest voice, with a little southern accent: “Well, heeeey, Boo.”  And for some reason, I just loved that.  It was, for me, the most memorable line of the book.  After we were done with the book, we watched the movie and the whole time, I was just waiting to get to that line.  And it was the biggest letdown of all time.  Maybe I just didn’t like the girl in the movie or something, I have no idea, but I was like, “that was it?!” So funny.

She also cried during a couple parts of the book, which I thought was so sweet and funny because this wasn’t the first time she’d read it. It was probably closer to the 100th.  In fact, I’m pretty sure she’d read it earlier in the day.  It just always made her cry because she loved it so much.  So frigging adorable.

Just an added bonus: I was looking for a clip of “Hey, Boo” on youtube, but instead found this. I have no words. Just watch.

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” ‘There are books full of great writing that don’t have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story, Bobby.  Don’t be like the book-snobs who won’t do that.  Read sometimes for the words- the language.  Don’t be like the play-it-safers that won’t do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and a good words, treasure that book.’

‘Are there many of those, do you think?’ Bobby asked.

‘More than the book-snobs and play-it-safers think. Many more.’ ”

Good stuff, huh?

I was trying to think of, for me, books that have had both. Tough question.

Off the top of my head I thought of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Stand by Stephen King, and (of course) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Maybe there are more, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind.

What books, for you, have both?