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I basically started this book so I would have a background before I read the newly released sequel. This is one of those books which are socially relevant and so don't get relegated back to the dusty shelves where they belong. It's considered to be an indictment against racism in American society, but I did not find it all that powerful.

For one thing, we look at the entire issue of racism from a white point of view, which basically just skims over the daily humiliations and trials of being a black person in the segregated and racist society of the American South. The Finch family is the primary focus of the book, especially the two children (Scout and Jem), who have no knowledge of these issues, right till the end of the book. The legal case only takes up a small part of the book and while it makes a point about inherent racism in the courts, it really does not dig deep into the issue.

The story-telling is rather lacking with paper-thin characters and no actual focus. The book is divided into two parts and the first part is almost entirely Scout and Jem and their daily lives, which I found pretty pointless. They go on endlessly about their silly games and there is far too much attention given to some mysterious neighbour who doesn't really serve a purpose except to act as a deus-ex machina at the end. The second part is better structured but even here, it is still about the Finch family.

Child narrators almost always have a major problem with lack of understanding of the world around them, which does not work for me at all as a narrative. Looking at the story through the lens of an innocent white girl serves no purpose. She has no clue about the harshness of the lives of black people because she is sheltered, ignorant and innocent. If a child's viewpoint was even required, which I would definitely argue against, why not a black child who would have the right experience. Maybe even Tom Robinson's daughter?

There is not much done in terms of character development, except for Scout herself, and perhaps her brother. But these two should not be the focus of this story because they are really peripheral characters looking at the action taking place around them. Atticus Finch borders on a Gary Stu character. On a more personal level, I could not connect to the characters or to the story except in a few rare instances.

I did like a few scenes, especially the courtroom ones. I found Mayela Ewell the most interesting character in the book and would have enjoyed a bit more focus on her and how she felt about her life and her lies. Scout's development of a relationship with her aunt got me interested in spite of myself. But overall, I don't think this book even does its job properly. I found it hugely problematic that for an acclaimed novel against racism, the black characters aren't developed much or even exist for the most part in the narrative.