I am of two minds about Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman, even after reading the first chapter here.
It’s narrated by Jean Louise Finch, (you know her as Scout, I imagine) and I started thinking of the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird (and oh my gosh, you can watch the whole movie online here, if you don’t mind subtitles). And that got me to thinking about Mary Badham, who played Scout.
I loved Scout. Or I guess, more accurately, I loved how Mary Badham played Scout. And I began to wonder about her, if she were still alive or if she’d played any other role. (She is, and she has.) So when I saw that she was also famous for a Twilight Zone episode (the last Twilight Zone episode!) called “The Bewitchin’ Pool”…well, I had to watch it, and you can, too, right here.
It was a good one, for sure. And she was very good in it. Anyway, before I knew it, my Friday afternoon was gone.
Not too long ago, one of the Junior Halls (who had looked at the blog) asked why I said that I fished on Fridays. “You don’t fish,” she said. (She’s always been a rather literal child.)
How about you? Did the first chapter of Go Set a Watchman grab you? Or do you think there was good reason that Harper Lee kept it locked away for all these years? And didn’t you wish, maybe for just a minute, that Atticus Finch were your daddy? (I kinda loved that Mary Badham kept in touch with Gregory Peck till his death in 2003–and that she always called him Atticus.)
Cathy C. Hall Writes 
I started reading the chapter, but life got in the way -will go back to it (and buy the book – fascinated to read it – even if it isn’t as fabulous as Mockingbird). I I have something of a connection with the movie, as my great uncle, Aaron Stell, was the film editor for it. I would have LOVED Atticus as my father. Great post 🙂
Oh, how cool is that, Joanne?! Yep, Atticus was like the Southern version of Father Knows Best! 🙂
Cathy–This has whet my appetite. I am looking forward to reading it, even if it DOES pale next to Mockingbird.
I think I’m gonna have to read it, too, Sioux, though I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed. (Of course, I’ll probably wait till I can get it from the library and by then, that lawyer will have found ANOTHER Harper Lee book!)
Well, you got me clicking to this and that and that and this, etc. After all that reading about Watchman, I’m not sure I want to read it now! I love Mockingbird so much, and I don’t want to see Atticus portrayed as anything but wonderful.
Exactly, Lisa.
Hi Cathy, I found your blog from Lisa’s “Yoda” post — but I promise I won’t call you “Yoda” 😉
Great post here. While I’m looking forward to reading Watchman, I fear it won’t compare to Mockingbird, which I’ve always so dearly loved. Interesting tidbit that Mary Badham stayed in touch with Gregory Peck until his death, and that she called him Atticus. And oh, yes, he was the perfect daddy.
I love your blog — it seems like such a joyful, smile-inspiring place 🙂 I’ll definitely be back to visit!
Yep, I think we’re all concerned that Watchman won’t compare–maybe even Harper Lee was concerned about that, too…could be why she sat on it for so long.
So happy to have you here, Theresa! Thanks for the lovely words (and thanks for calling me Cathy 🙂 …I just can’t seem to break Lisa of that Yoda habit. I mean, I’m not THAT old!)