To Read or Not to Read: Scout, Atticus, & Boo

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, has sold 30 million copies since it was first published in 1960. Since then the novel has been taught in high schools across America. It’s popularity has expanded past the borders of the United States. British librarians named it the one book every adult should read, according to a 2006 poll conducted by the Guardian newspaper.
Journalist Mark McDonagh Murphy, put together a documentary in honor of the 50th anniversary of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The book “Scout, Atticus, & Boo” is a collection of the interviews that Murphy conducted in order to create her film. 
Harper Lee retreated from the spotlight soon after her novel became a success. She has not done any interviews since the 1960's. Since the author of the novel is no longer willing to talk to the media, Murphy has conducted interviews with the next best things. “Scout, Atticus, & Boo” contains interviews with Harper Lee’s sister, Alice Finch Harper, and several other personal friends of Harper Lee. The book contains reflections of several people who were involved with the making of the screen play adaption of “To Kill a Mockingbird” which first premiered in 1962, as well as interviews with other writers and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey. Every interview reveals unique insight into the novel, and how it has changed its readers.
“Scout, Atticus, & Boo” does not focus on any specific subject concerning “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Instead, the collection strives to touch on every aspect of the novel. Harper Lee’s decision to forgo interviews is side by side with the emotional connection many readers felt with Scout. Everything from Lee’s relationship with Truman Capote to the filming of the movie can be found within the pages of “Scout, Atticus, & Boo” ensuring that readers have a multi-dimensional understanding of the literary importance of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
However, Murphy’s attempts to interest and inform the reader fail in several important areas. The book is divided into two parts, the first of which reads like a very long newspaper article. Part I is complete with interesting quotes from well known individuals, that are repeated in Part II, the interview portion, of the book.
Such repetition is made even more troublesome because it soon becomes clear that there aren’t enough facts to give the book momentum. While every interview contains the speaker’s unique outlook on the story, the facts are repeated again and again. There simply isn’t enough interesting information to fill all 200 pages.
The negative effect of the repetitive interviews can be avoid by reading “Scout, Atticus, & Boo”  in multiple sitting over a period of several days. However, another of the books downfall’s can not be cured.
All of the interviews in “Scout, Atticus, & Boo” appear to have originally been in a question answer format, and the answers were spoken aloud. This one of the best ways to conduct interviews for a documentary or newspaper article. However, when the interviews are put on paper, the reader is left with a choppy and in some places pathetic reading experience. The spoken word simply does not translate well into print.
While “Scout, Atticus, and Boo” has flaws, I would strongly recommend it to any reader devoted to Harper Lee’s novel. However, those who read and simply enjoyed “To Kill a Mockingbird” will find “Scout, Atticus, & Boo” relatively dull. The book is good for what it is, but only a truly devoted fan of Harper Lee will be able to enjoy every page.