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Go Set a Watchman

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Harper Lee's 'Watchman' Is A Mess That Makes Us Reconsider A Masterpiece

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Depending on whom you ask, Go Set a Watchman is either a recently discovered first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird — or a failed sequel. Either way, critic Maureen Corrigan calls it "kind of a mess."

Harper Lee's 'Watchman' Is A Mess That Makes Us Reconsider A Masterpiece

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How Harper Lee Went From Wannabe Writer To The Jane Austen Of Alabama

Harper Lee's friend Michael Brown took this picture of the author in October 1957, the same month she signed with publisher J.B. Lippincott. Michael Brown/Courtesy of Columbia University hide caption

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Michael Brown/Courtesy of Columbia University

Book News & Features

How Harper Lee Went From Wannabe Writer To The Jane Austen Of Alabama

Lee once said she wanted to be the chronicler of "small-town, middle-class Southern life." Even without her highly anticipated second novel, Go Set a Watchman, many fans would say she succeeded.

How Harper Lee Went From Wannabe Writer To The Jane Austen Of Alabama

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50 Years On, 'Mockingbird' Still Sings America's Song

To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted into a film in 1962, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, Mary Badham as Scout and Phillip Alford as Jem. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images hide caption

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Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Books

50 Years On, 'Mockingbird' Still Sings America's Song

When it was published in 1960, Harper Lee's modest novel helped Americans think differently about race. Now, 50 years later, To Kill a Mockingbird still resonates in a much-changed America. NPR's Lynn Neary examines the lasting impact of Scout Finch and her father, Atticus — a lawyer who defends a black man unjustly accused of rape.

50 Years On, 'Mockingbird' Still Sings America's Song

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What Are Your Summer Reads?

Final Chapter: Listening to Your Suggestions

This summer, we've talked to authors, scientists, performers and others to find out what they've been reading, for work and for fun. We also asked our listeners to tell us what books have kept them up through the night, eager to find out how the story ends.

Final Chapter: Listening to Your Suggestions

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