Day 151
Amid all of the hoopla over Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman, I have decided to read it for myself. So far I am a third of the way through the book. I am still undecided and will reserve final judgement for the final page.
So far the writing definitely has Harper Lee's voice and as a first novel shows the usual mistake(?) of over writing. That is adding too much unnecessary information. I have seen it in other popular first and second novels. Many good writers will loosen up after the first and let the story flow on it's own. Without too much story background or filler.
It has long be speculated that Go Set a Watchman was actually the rough draft for Too Kill a Mockingbird but I disagree. So far Watchman has only one flashback to childhood. And an exceptionally long flashback at that.
It may be that the flashback has more to do with the story, that remains to be read.
I believe Harper Lee, like many other authors, was trying so hard for the perfect novel that she became stuck and started working on something simpler a.k.a. her childhood just to keep writing. Eventually the story took on a life of it's own and literary history was made.
The free flowing style is evident in the second novel which was the first published. The first try was set aside and forgotten for many years. Literary experts believe it was forgotten for good reason.
Again, I'll reserve that judgement until I have finished.
Until tomorrow,
Ken
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