Will you Go Set a Watchman?

Very few books evoke as much universal praise as To Kill a Mockingbird. In 2010, bookstores and libraries across the United States planned events to celebrate the book's 50th anniversary; at the same time, the book rose to the top of several bestseller lists in the UK. Atticus is even a popular baby name for parents inspired by the character's bravery and moral compass.

In February of this year came an exciting-yet-puzzling announcement: Harper Lee's second book, Go Set a Watchman, would be released in the summer. Although Lee publicly claimed to be ecstatic about the release, the questions and concerns came immediately: why did the reclusive Lee decide to release a new book now? Did she really want this or was an adviser taking advantage of her? How could the book live up to its beloved predecessor?

(We should warn you: while we won't give away anything in this post, links from this point forward will most likely have plot spoilers.)Days before its official publication date, the first chapter was released to even more controversy and, for some people, a palpable sense of grief. 

Reviews of the book have been mixed - and some lovers of Mockingbird have declared that they won't read Watchman. We won't comment on the book in this post, but as a staff who critically reads literature regularly, the chatter has given us food for thought. Does reading the book somehow make a person complicit in Atticus Finch's development as a character? Can a reviewer really objectively evaluate the quality of Lee's writing? Does reading the book make us feel differently about Lee or Mockingbird? Should Watchman be read in classes as a companion piece in schools? We could go on.

It may seem trite to say that books we love become part of us, and it's easy to forget the power of words in our 140 character-at-a-time world. But as the reaction to Watchman show us, when a book is beloved we become so invested in the characters and their worlds that we are genuinely angry and disappointed when they don't live up to our expectations. For any writer (or should we say every writer) who's ever questioned why you're toiling away at your latest piece, it's comforting to know that words have the amazing potential to make people feel something.

Will you be reading Watchman? Why or why not? Tell us what you think in the comments!

US cover of Go Set a Watchman Photo: Wikipedia