Bookish atheists

[Winter LilyParticipant]

I saw something online that had about there being some controversy about Harper Lee’s new book Go Set A Watchman calling the book a fraud. Here is a link to the page: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/opinion/joe-nocera-the-watchman-fraud.html?referrer=&_r=0

• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  Winter Lily.

[.Spectator]

I don’t think it’s a fraud…

[Winter LilyParticipant]

@BelleRose I don’t think of it to be a fraud either but they seem to be talking about whether or not its actually new. Some think that it’s not new and so they then go and call it a fraud.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  Winter Lily.

[.Spectator]

My understanding is it was written FIRST (a long time ago)….but never published…until now 🙂

[Winter LilyParticipant]

@BelleRose That’s what my understanding of it is too. But then why call it a fraud?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  Winter Lily.

[.Spectator]

Because people are stupid, lol!!

[Winter LilyParticipant]

@BelleRose LoL! ?

[Winter LilyParticipant]

@BelleRose So since Go Set A Watchman was written in mid-1950s and To Kill A Mockingbird was written in the 1960s then the proper thing todo is to read Go Set A Watchman first? Right? But Harper Lee never truly meant for Go Set A Watchman to be published so instead she wrote and published To Kill A Mockingbird Which people thought was the first book and that Go Set A Watchman is the second book when in fact it’s the first. Don’t mind me I’m just a bit confused as to which one to read first.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  Winter Lily.

[.Spectator]

Well, most people have already read To Kill a Mocking Bird….and not to give any spoilers but….for some people it’s devastating because the impressions that were left with after To Kill a Mockingbird are turning out to….be different than they thought…and we’ll leave it at that….

I would read To Kill a Mockingbird first….I think that’s the point, even though it was written second, I think reading in the order published will give you the biggest WOW…personally….

But don’t substitute my judgement for your own;)

[SteveInCOParticipant]

Wait though.

And I admit upfront I’ve not read either book, but I don’t think you should find it devastating that stuff an author never intended to publish, that was written before the “canonical” work (TKAM) contradicts the work.

It’s entirely possible that as she thought about the characters, she decided to send them in a different direction from what she showed in earlier, unpublished works. And that may even be the reason she never published GSAW, because the characters were in fact different people.

It’s like complaining that a first draft has differences from the published story, except that its the author’s conception of the character that has evolved, not the plot line. (Please don’t confuse this with a character changing over time in the published work, that is ordinary character development. This is the author recasting the character entirely.)

[.Spectator]

@steveinco

There are a few very specific reasons why I advised to read To Kill a Mockingbird first….and if I explain it it will give it away….

[SteveInCOParticipant]

Based on what little I know, I’d read it first… then take the other one with a grain of salt, it’s not necessarily the same set of characters.

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