A classic 100% worth reading

I’m always sceptical about the classics - 100 books everyone should read in their lifetime, books included in the canon, stuff like that. Sometimes they’re there simply because they’re old and we don’t have much else or because they were super popular at their time which doesn’t automatically mean they’re good by modern standards. But this book, in MY opinion, is one that deserves to be read.

If you look at my Goodreads, you’ll see that I started Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in mid-October. It took me a while to get into it, especially because I had to read stuff for uni as well, but I read the last ~200 pages out of ~300 yesterday and the day before. On Thursday, I was super tired after uni and decided to read a bit before going to sleep, but I couldn’t stop until I got to the end of the trial scene. It was that good. Also, I must say, it’s so well written. It takes a bit too long for the story to get to the point but it does help to round the characters and set the scene for everything that is about to happen.

Do I wish I would’ve read this earlier? Yes. It’s easier to read than, say, ‘Wuthering Heights’ (of which I remember nothing). So, if you’re looking for an easy classic, this could be it. However, this was a very good time for me to read it. I’ve been learning about the American School of Anthropology as well as different perspectives on race, racism, and culture. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is an excellent fictional ethnography of its times and it points out some very important discussions around intersectionality*, feminism, racism, and - may I add - ageism.

* The short explanation: how different characteristics - class, ethnicity, gender - influence social status

The long definition: intersectionality [/ɪntəsɛkʃəˈnalɪti/] noun - the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.