Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 and I do not think she expected (or even hoped for) the amount of attention the book has received. It won the Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. The author herself is an enigma: she does not make public appearances nor communicate with fans and has stated she will not publish another book. So it seemed weird when her lawyer, Tonja B. Carter, discovered a manuscript in the safety deposit box and Lee consented to publish it.

Go Set a Watchman reads like it was not given a professional edit which, given the circumstances, makes sense. I don't mean to suggest it is full of typos and such, but it does lack the polished tone found in Mockingbird. The novel follows Scout, now an adult living in New York and going by her given name Jean Louise, visiting Maycomb and being shocked by all that has changed. I think it reads like a logical sequel; Scout now sees through adult eyes what she thought she understood as a child and the reality disturbs her. That being said, if Watchman had come first I don't think we would be discussing it in English classes across the country. I don't think people would re-read it as often as they do Mockingbird. I don't think Monroeville would have Watchman-themed everything and be thriving on tourism like it is with Mockingbird.

My verdict is: do not go out of your way to read it. And my main reason? Because I still do not believe that Harper Lee ever intended that book to be published, in her lifetime or posthumously. I think, like a lot of people out there, that Tonja B. Carter is taking advantage of her elderly, famous client. When she dies, it will be interesting to see what happens to her estate.

While reading Watchman I also read The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills which boasts an in-depth look at Harper Lee ("Nelle") as the reporter-turned-author befriended and became the neighbor of the Lee sisters. I thought it might provide, or hint at, the reason for publishing Watchman now, but it doesn't. The book follows Marja in Monroeville, the real life basis for Maycomb. Her true friendship is with Alice, whom consents to be interviewed about her and her family, while Nelle is on the fringe not permitting much about her to go into the memoir.

My expectation for the memoir, that it would provide insight into the Lees through at least Alice's eyes, was not met. The memoir is really about Marja. First she has this opportunity to write a story on Nelle and manages to impress them because she's not too pushy, then she decides to rent a house in Monroeville and starts interviewing Alice for the book. There are chapters where she recounts information from the interviews with Alice but it is mostly her day-to-day interactions with the sisters: having coffee, going fishing, having meals, being starstruck, etc. It is about Marja living next door to the Lees, not a tell-all with brand new information about Nelle.

As with Watchman, the story about the book is more interesting than the story in the book. As it was about to be published, Harper Lee released a statement: "I have not willingly participated in any book written or to be written by Marja Mills. Neither have I authorized such a book." And then her older sister, Alice, released a statement: "I am writing to reaffirm my and my sister Harper Lee's support of, and cooperation with, Marja Mills's forthcoming memoir, The Mockingbird Next Door." And then Harper Lee responded with, "normally, I would not respond to questions about books written on my life. Miss Mills befriended my elderly sister, Alice. It did not take long to discover Marja's true mission; another book about Harper Lee."

And then later, Alice released another statement: "Imagine my shock when I began to read and get clear about the statement ... When I questioned Tonja I learned that without my knowledge she had typed out the statement, carried it to The Meadows and had Nelle Harper sign it. ... Poor Nelle Harper can't see and can't hear and will sign anything put before her by any one in whom she has confidence. Now she has no memory of the incident." And yet allegations of elder abuse have been unfounded.

The only conclusion I have based on this information is that it is tragic that Nelle Harper seems to have someone advocating for her that is really advocating for themselves. I really think if she wanted that novel published, it would have been long before her stroke. New information, or speculation, seems to be coming around all the time and I will continue to follow the stories (even the ones who incorrectly identify Jem as Scout's younger brother) in the hopes it comes to a satisfactory conclusion. Maybe her nieces and nephews will step up: for some reason I think it'll be easier to swallow if they abuse the money and novel rights left to them rather than some lawyer.