Community Chat

[Marp2]

<cite class="el-editorial-source">(CNN)</cite>Fifty-five years after "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee is publishing a second book, her publisher said Tuesday.

"Go Set a Watchman," which Lee completed in the 1950s and then set aside in favor of "Mockingbird," will be published July 14. It follows Scout, the little girl of "Mockingbird," as an adult.

The manuscript was rediscovered last year, Lee, 88, said in a statement from her publisher, Harper.

"In the mid-1950s, I completed a novel called 'Go Set a Watchman,' " she said. "It features the character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort. My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout's childhood, persuaded me to write a novel (what became 'To Kill a Mockingbird') from the point of view of the young Scout.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/living/feat-harper-lee-new-book/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_m...

[lulu2]

I look forward to some great summer reading.

[Marianne1]

I am VERY excited.

I wonder what Scout would think of today's societal issues.

(I know the book is based on the 50's, I just wonder about the 20teens)

[tansy]

I should reread To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm looking forward to the new read

[deepwaterdotter]

Can you imagine the bidding war for the movie rights?

[issiestorm]

Thanks for posting this Marp! That's great news.

[DoneTryin]

Thanks for sharing! I'm really looking forward to reading that when it's available.

[Marp2]

On 2/3/2015 deepwaterdotter said:

Can you imagine the bidding war for the movie rights?

Casting might be a problem. Who could possibly replace Gregory Peck as Atticus?

[adelle38]

I'm concerned that Harper Lee who has been in a nursing home since 2007 might not be competent to decide whether to publish anything. From what I've read this is an earlier version of To Kill a Mockingbird which was deemed not worthy of publication in the 1950's.Since Ms Lee never chose to publish it previously, I have concerns that this is merely an attempt to make money off her reputation. I hope I'm wrong. Here's an interesting piece on the subject.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/02/03/harper-lee-to-publish-sequel-to-to-kil...

[DoneTryin]

On 2/3/2015 adelle38 said:

I'm concerned that Harper Lee who has been in a nursing home since 2007 might not be competent to decide whether to publish anything. From what I've read this is an earlier version of To Kill a Mockingbird which was deemed not worthy of publication in the 1950's.Since Ms Lee never chose to publish it previously, I have concerns that this is merely an attempt to make money off her reputation. I hope I'm wrong. Here's an interesting piece on the subject.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/02/03/harper-lee-to-publish-sequel-to-to-kil...

I don't think residing in a nursing home necessarily makes a person incompetent to make their own decisions.

After reading the article, it appears that the "new" book was simply set aside by request of the editor to re-write it from a child's perspective, which resulted in the award-winning To Kill A Mockingbird. Since Ms. Lee has always been such a private person, no doubt she wasn't in a rush to continue being published if it was going to result in so much attention.

I also hope it's not an opportunity to exploit the author, though I do look forward to reading this book when I can get it this summer.