As most people know by now, Nelle Harper Lee (Harper Lee, author of the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird") died on Friday, February 19, at the age of 89. Toward the end of her life, Lee was living in a nursing home; she had suffered a stroke, and both her vision and hearing were impaired. She had also published a second novel less than a year before her death.
"Go Set a Watchman" was published on July 14, 2015. It was a much-anticipated release. Up until this point, Lee had only published one novel and claimed she would never release another. This is where things get a little sketchy. Why would she finally give in and release another novel at this point in her life? Of course, the novel sold quickly—over 1.1 million copies in a week. "Go Set a Watchman" was marketed as sort of a companion novel or “sequel” to Lee’s beloved "To Kill a Mockingbird," which many of us read in high school and fell in love with. Readers were eager to get their hands on the book and catch up with the lives of Scout and Atticus Finch.
Among all the excitement of this new release, Lee herself was forgotten. Lee’s sister and protector, Alice Lee, had died less than a year before; her new protector, Tonja Carter, brought the “new” manuscript to the publishing house shortly after, claiming that she had found it just prior to Alice’s death. Some people believe that Carter had really found the manuscript years prior, and was waiting for the moment when she would be in charge of Harper Lee’s affairs to bring it to the publishing house.
According to critics, "Go Set a Watchman" reads suspiciously like a first draft of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The style of writing is far removed from the love and craftsmanship which "To Kill a Mockingbird" is known for, the scenes don’t always add up, the characters aren’t as well-developed. Atticus Finch, the hero who combats bigotry in "To Kill a Mockingbird," is infamously racist in "Go Set a Watchman."
"Go Set a Watchman" is not a “new” novel that Harper Lee finally decided to release when she was on her deathbed. She was denied agency in her old age and forced into publishing a rough manuscript that she never wanted published. Harper Collins took advantage of her, risked her reputation and made money off of her inability or unwillingness to spend the last months of her life fighting an exhausting legal battle.
I refuse to let this unethically published “second novel” tarnish my opinion of Harper Lee and her writing.I will never read this book because "To Kill a Mockingbird" is important to me and because it shouldn’t have been published in the first place. Harper Lee’s death has brought this issue to light once again; I’m sure sales for both of her novels will go up in the aftermath, and I would encourage everyone to honor Lee’s memory by revisiting the genius and nostalgia of "To Kill a Mockingbird," and by staying as far away as possible from "Go Set a Watchman."
