Skip to content

Where Books Lead

  • Home
  • About
    • Rating System
    • Privacy Policy
  • Reading like Rory
    • Index
    • Book Reviews
    • Where Books Lead
  • Boekrak
    • Indeks
    • Uit die Boeke
  • Contact

Why You Shouldn’t Be Reading Go Set a Watchman

October 22, 2015 by Elmien Ackerman

Go Set a WatchmanA few weeks ago, I found myself in the bookstore looking at To Set a Watchman in the window display. The new or old novel, depending on who you ask, had so much hype around it that I couldn’t help but notice the bright orange cover. I had to remind myself that I was in the bookstore to buy ONLY books that are on the Rory Gilmore Reading list.

I had found a “few” books when To Set A Watchman caught my eye again. Should I or shouldn’t I? I loved To Kill a Mockingbird , so I can’t miss out on another Harper Lee, right? I was sure that To Set a Watchman would have made it onto the Rory Gilmore Reading List if the series was still running. The poor clerk behind the desk just smiled and waited as I took the book, put it back and finally bought it (with my credit card). I was super excited to see what all the hype was about.

Go Set a Watchman

If you haven’t read it, here’s a short synopsis:

Go Set a Watchman is set two decades after To Kill a Mockingbird. The now 26-year-old Jean Louise (Scout) Finch returns to Maycomb, Alabama from New York City to visit her father, Atticus. Scout, however, now realises that a lot has changed and that maybe her father isn’t the man she thought he was. The novel is set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South in the 1950s.

That’s basically what the novel is about. I felt like To Set a Watchman was a political essay. I couldn’t connect with the older Scout or as she now prefers to be called Jean Louise. She seemed so focused on being right that nothing else seemed to matter. The novel focused on how things or rather people have changed since she last visited her hometown. The title Go Set a Watchman is a reference to a Biblical verse about the moral compass which most of Jean Louise’s family seem to have mislaid.

Atticus isn’t the man we remember

The much-loved father figure in To Kill a Mockingbird returns in To Set a Watchman but he isn’t the man we remember. Atticus no longer defends innocent young black men. He now has rather racist views on how black people should be treated and what rights they should be allowed to have. Jean Louise has to deal with the question of whether her family had always been racist or if they had changed over the years?

Jean Louise’s return to Maycomb also sees her clashing with her snobbish Aunt Alexandra and her uncle Dr. Finch. Their quarrel towards the end of the novel made me really uncomfortable. The way Dr. Finch spoke to Jean Louise and lashed out at her was quite unsettling.

The only thing that made the novel worth the read was flashbacks to Scout’s childhood. These memories are so much like scenes from To Kill a Mockingbird that it’s a shame they couldn’t be included in the original novel.

Go Set a Watchman reminded me that sometimes some things are better left unsaid or in this case – unread. Rather reread To Kill a Mockingbird.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Related

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Post navigation

Previous Post:

Attachments – Rainbow Rowell

Next Post:

Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel by Lauren Graham

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

An obsession with reading and a love for the show Gilmore Girls has led to Where Books Lead.

A blog about books.

Subscribe to Where Books Lead

where_books_lead

South African book blogger
Copywriter | INFJ | Gilmore Girl

"The people who stand before kings may look like t "The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” – Malcolm Gladwell
👑👑👑

#bookobsessed #booklovers #blog #ilovebooks #igbooks #currentlyreading #bookishlove #goodreads #bookgram #booklife #bookclub #bookgeek #ilovereading #instareads #literature #bookreviewer #storyofsuccess #outliers #successfulpeople #malcolmgladwellquote #bookquotes #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagramsouthafrica #bookstagrammer #bookquoteoftheday #readingtime
“The best kind of writer – the kind who makes “The best kind of writer – the kind who makes you feel like you’re a genius, rather than he’s a genius.” – Dominic Maxwell, The Times 
🖊🖊🖊
Dominic Maxwell perfectly sums up how I feel about Malcolm Gladwell's writing.
🖋🖋🖋
Read my full review of Outliers on Where Books Lead (link in bio).

#bookblogger #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #bookstagramza #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #booknerd #bookaddict #book #bookphotography #bookaholic #reading #booksofinstagram #instabook #booklove #bookblog #igreads #bookreview #blogger #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #read #reader #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bookcommunity #outlier #malcolmgladwell
“Successful people don’t do it alone. Where th “Successful people don’t do it alone. Where they come from matters. They’re products of particular places and environments.” – Malcolm Gladwell 
🎧🎧🎧
Still busy devouring all things Gladwell. I’ve just finished his podcast Revisionist History, and I’m anxiously awaiting season 6. If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend it. Gladwell’s soothing voice, captivating anecdotes, and fascinating historical facts are bound to provide you with a new perspective on the past.
🎧🎧🎧
Have you listened to Revisionist History? What's your favourite podcast? I love Revisionist History and Armchair Expert – they're my favourites.

#outliers #malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwelloutliers #penguinbooks #nonfiction #whattoreadnext #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #bookrec #bookcommunity #booksofig #whitebook #success #wherebookslead #bookphoto #bookpotography #bookstagram #newreads #currentread #booklover #podcasts #revisionisthistory #revisionisthistorypodcast #armchairexpert #armchairexpertpodcast #podcastrecommendations #podcast #currentlylistening
I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. Rec I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. Recently finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell – it was so good (link in bio for my full review). Blink is on my list as my next Gladwell read and I'm currently reading Lost Connections by Johann Hari (and loving it).
📖📖📖 
Do you read a lot of non-fiction? If so, please share your recommendations with me?
📖📖📖

#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwelloutliers #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #nonfictionrecommendation #penguinbooks #penguinbookcovers #blinkmalcolmgladwell #johannhari #lostconnectionsbook #orangebooks #orangeaesthetic #orangeisthehappiestcolour #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramsa #bookblog #bookreview #books #bookphotography #bookphoto #photosofbooks #reading #readinglist #wherebookslead #bookstagramza
"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good." – Malcolm Gladwell.
🎼👨‍💻🎧
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell found that practice does make perfect. Through a unique set of circumstances and extraordinary opportunities, Mozart, Bill Gates, and The Beatles had extra time to practise and hone their skills, which allowed them to become a musical prodigy, an innovative visionary, and the most influential band of all time, respectively.
🎼👨‍💻🎧

#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellquote #malcolmgladwelloutliers #malcolmgladwellbooks #practicemakesperfect #storyofsuccess #practicepracticepractice #practicmakesperfect #mozart #billgates #thebeatles #musicalprodigy #visionary #band #reading #bookworm #nonfiction #bookquotes
“Orange is the happiest colour.” - Frank Sinat “Orange is the happiest colour.” - Frank Sinatra
🍊🍊🍊

Have you read any of these? What’s your favourite orange book?
🍊🍊🍊

I love all of these - an orange book for every mood.
🍊🍊🍊

#orange #orangestack #orangebookstack #orangeisoptimism #orangeisthehappiestcolour #1984 #georgeorwell #outliers #malcolmgladwellbooks #celestengbooks #everythinginevertoldyou #ageofiron #jmcoetzee #angusthongsandfullfrontalsnogging #louiserennison #davidlevithan #davidnicholls #robbell #howtobehererobbell #gertvloknel #bookstagram #reading #bookstagramsouthafrica #books
How much preparation is needed to achieve success? How much preparation is needed to achieve success? 
🎓
🎓
🎓
“Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” - Malcolm Gladwell writes in Outliers: The Story of Success 
🎓
🎓
🎓
Read my full review of #malcolmgladwelloutliers on the blog. Link in bio.

#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwellquote #malcolmgladwellisagenius #nonfic #success #successmindset #successquotes #motivationalquotes #hardworkpaysoffs #tenthousandhours #tenthousandhourrule #talent #preparation #bookstagram #bookstagramsouthafrica #booklover #reading #readingtime #wherebookslead #instabook
BOOK REVIEW (LINK IN BIO) Outliers: The Story of S BOOK REVIEW (LINK IN BIO)
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
📈 📈 📈
In Outliers, Gladwell examines our understanding of success by looking at a successful person’s circumstances. From discovering that most all-star hockey players in Canada are born in January to finding out why successful lawyers in New York in the mid-1970s to the end of the 1980s were almost all Jewish, Gladwell shows how when we are born influences our chances of achieving success.
📈 📈 📈 
Your place of birth is just as important as the decade in which you are born. Gladwell looks at why Korean Air had a track record of plane crashes in the 1990s, and what role cultural legacy had to play. Of course, when and where you are born, and the language you speak is not the only indicator of success. Gladwell explains that not every hockey player born in January ends up playing at a professional level. “Achievement is talent plus preparation,” Gladwell writes. But exactly how much preparation is needed? “Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours,” Gladwell explains. 
📈 📈 📈
In Outliers, Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man (or woman). Our place in history, our culture, language, geographic location, and circumstances, all influence the opportunities available to us. The factor we do have control over, however, is how hard we work. None of the outliers achieved success without putting in at least ten thousand hours.
📈 📈 📈
If you've read my blog, you'll know that I think #malcolmgladwellisagenius 
Dominic Maxwell explains it best: "The best kind of writer – the kind who makes you feel like you’re a genius, rather than he’s a genius." So, if you want to learn something new (and feel really smart🤓) read a Malcolm Gladwell book. 

Outliers gets 🦋🦋🦋🦋/5 from me.

Blink is next on my list.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man (or woman) – there are many factors that influence our chances of success. Our place in history, our culture, language, geographic location, and circumstances, all influence the opportunities available to us. Read the latest book review on the blog (link in bio) to learn why successful people are products of particular places and environments.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwellquote #malcolmgladwelloutliers #outlier #outliers #outliersmalcolmgladwell #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookblog #bookstagramza #bookstagramsouthafrica #reading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #reviews #blogger #booknerd #bookaddict #goodreads #bookgram #bookreviewer #instareads
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Where Books Lead

Where Books Lead

Follow Where Books Lead

  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Recent Posts

  • Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
  • #Blessed: A book review of The Blessed Girl
  • Book review: Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to come
  • Understanding social anxiety and the fear of talking to strangers
  • Five valuable lessons I learned from Talking to Strangers

Recent Comments

  • Why You Shouldn’t Be Reading Go Set a Watchman | Where Books Lead on Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
  • qrparker on The Giver – Lois Lowry
  • Anna-Marie Jacobs on Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

Archives

  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • September 2016
  • January 2016
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Reading like Rory
  • Uit die Boeke
  • Where Books Lead

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
© 2021 Where Books Lead | Theme by SuperbThemes
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.