2km (kilomockingbirds)

I recently re-read To Kill a Mockingbird. I did this because when I tried to talk to someone about it having read it for the first time at the age of 21, they said 'What are you in high school or something?' (I should add that they're American). Now, aside from To Kill a Mockingbird being a excellent book that I would recommend to anyone, did he have a point? Does being forced to read something in school hinder your enjoyment of it, even to the point of putting you off reading forever? I have always been a reader, and so when it came to reading and writing about Of Mice and Men during GCSE English it was nice to go in depth. I liked the book too, like To Kill a Mockingbird it deals with some pretty serious issues. The former is perhaps about eugenics, the latter about racism, both about innocence.

But being forced to read a book, rather than doing so by choice, will inevitably dampen enjoyment of it, especially if an essay is due. It seems that two things could happen. The reader realises that reading and understanding a book without having to eloquently express plot devices to a teacher is much better and will happily read books their whole life; that or the reader gets fed up and swears off reading forever. I feel sorry for those people.

Anyway, back to the original topic of this post. While reading the book I found myself nostalgic for a childhood in the 1930s American south that I never had. It can do even that, so if you have not, read it yourself. You shan't be disappointed.