To Kill A Mockingbird
Apparently you may have heard of this book. I can't believe I've never read it before now. Everyone I know has read it and has told me they would loan me their copy, but it never happened, so now I've gone and got my own - thanks for nothing everyone else!
Anyway, I was given a Kindle as a Fathers Day present, and I decided I should start off by reading something worthwhile. However, I'm not entirely sure I need to review or give my opinion about this book. I mean, what do I have to add to one of the most widely read and respected books of the 20th Century?
Maybe I should use this review to give my thoughts on the use of a Kindle. Like a great many people, I was of the opinion that 'nothing beats a book - that feeling of cracking open the spine and leafing through the pages'. I always thought a Kindle would be useful if you travelled a lot, or if you, as I once did - spent 2 years in a small town in Nigeria with not a lot else to do. Though I wasn't pining for a Kindle - I am a gadget fan, and once this opportunity was offered to me, I couldn't turn it down.
So, how does it compare to reading a book? Pretty well actually. The screen reads exactly like a page of a book - regardless of the angle of view and how sunny it is. If, like me, you end up reading a book on a train while standing - being able to hold the 'book' and turn the pages with one hand is pretty useful. There are lots of other handy gadgets, including a dictionary option for when you're reading clever books. - and many other things I'll probably never get round to messing about with. The only downside I can see is that I have about 150 books lined up, and I find it difficult to stick to one book when I know there's 149 others I want to get to. I did manage to read To Kill a Mockingbird straight through, but since then I'm on 2 books at the same time.
I think my missus is happy that we wont have to find more storage space for all my books - but I do still have about 25 paper books still left unread.... when will I get to them?
So, To Kill A Mockingbird is ace. I think I pretty much knew the story and had heard the names Atticus Finch and Boo Radley long before last week. If you've never read it, you really should - it's not a difficult read - and covers racism, tolerance, prejudice, decency and not judging a book by it's cover. You probably know that because you read it when you were 15, but my English teacher made us read an awful book called "Men Withering" instead, which is like sitting inside licking stamps, when all your friends are outside playing football. Dont read Men Withering - not even on a Kindle
Maybe I should use this review to give my thoughts on the use of a Kindle. Like a great many people, I was of the opinion that 'nothing beats a book - that feeling of cracking open the spine and leafing through the pages'. I always thought a Kindle would be useful if you travelled a lot, or if you, as I once did - spent 2 years in a small town in Nigeria with not a lot else to do. Though I wasn't pining for a Kindle - I am a gadget fan, and once this opportunity was offered to me, I couldn't turn it down.
So, how does it compare to reading a book? Pretty well actually. The screen reads exactly like a page of a book - regardless of the angle of view and how sunny it is. If, like me, you end up reading a book on a train while standing - being able to hold the 'book' and turn the pages with one hand is pretty useful. There are lots of other handy gadgets, including a dictionary option for when you're reading clever books. - and many other things I'll probably never get round to messing about with. The only downside I can see is that I have about 150 books lined up, and I find it difficult to stick to one book when I know there's 149 others I want to get to. I did manage to read To Kill a Mockingbird straight through, but since then I'm on 2 books at the same time.
I think my missus is happy that we wont have to find more storage space for all my books - but I do still have about 25 paper books still left unread.... when will I get to them?
So, To Kill A Mockingbird is ace. I think I pretty much knew the story and had heard the names Atticus Finch and Boo Radley long before last week. If you've never read it, you really should - it's not a difficult read - and covers racism, tolerance, prejudice, decency and not judging a book by it's cover. You probably know that because you read it when you were 15, but my English teacher made us read an awful book called "Men Withering" instead, which is like sitting inside licking stamps, when all your friends are outside playing football. Dont read Men Withering - not even on a Kindle
Men Withering. Jesus wept that was awful. Giving someone a book is meant to be a gift not something akin to an ancient curse. We read that for what seemed like about four years and I still amn't sure what it was about.
ReplyDeleteAm enjoying the reviews very much.