Harper Lee

[RED-DOG]

This is quite an amazing story really.

Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. She won a Pulitser Prize and was given all sorts of other awards.

That was that really. She never gave interviews or talked about her success and she never wrote anything else.

Then, despite the fact that she is 88 and nearly blind and deaf, she published another novel, Go Set a Watchman, which she wrote before To Kill a Mockingbird.

Now here's the amazing bit.

Go Set a Watchman, which went on sale on Tuesday, apparently holds the No. 1 spot of Amazon.com's most popular authors list. Since it was announced in February, the novel has become the website's most preordered book of any genre. The 2 million orders on Amazon alone could generate $30 million in revenue.

I wonder if there will be a third book?

Click to see full-size image.

[Omm]

This is quite an amazing story really.

Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. She won a Pulitser Prize and was given all sorts of other awards.

That was that really. She never gave interviews or talked about her success and she never wrote anything else.

Then, despite the fact that she is 88 and nearly blind and deaf, she published another novel, Go Set a Watchman, which she wrote before To Kill a Mockingbird.

Now here's the amazing bit.

Go Set a Watchman, which went on sale on Tuesday, apparently holds the No. 1 spot of Amazon.com's most popular authors list. Since it was announced in February, the novel has become the website's most preordered book of any genre. The 2 million orders on Amazon alone could generate $30 million in revenue.

I wonder if there will be a third book?

Click to see full-size image.

To Kill A Mockingbird was a part of the school curriculum 20 years ago when i was studying for my GCSE's, As well as Lord of the Flies, because of the depth that we went into the books half the year read one book and the other half read the other. I read Lord of the Flies and that's what i done my English GCSE course work on. I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird but will certainly give it a try, The Lord of the Flies is the one book that has always stayed fresh in my mind and was such a powerful story line, I imagine To Kill a Mockingbird to be of similar stature. 

[Jon MW]

This is quite an amazing story really.

Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. She won a Pulitser Prize and was given all sorts of other awards.

That was that really. She never gave interviews or talked about her success and she never wrote anything else.

Then, despite the fact that she is 88 and nearly blind and deaf, she published another novel, Go Set a Watchman, which she wrote before To Kill a Mockingbird.

Now here's the amazing bit.

Go Set a Watchman, which went on sale on Tuesday, apparently holds the No. 1 spot of Amazon.com's most popular authors list. Since it was announced in February, the novel has become the website's most preordered book of any genre. The 2 million orders on Amazon alone could generate $30 million in revenue.

I wonder if there will be a third book?

Click to see full-size image.

I think the first part is the amazing part - the second part is surely just a consequence of the first?

I can't really think of any other author who has had such an iconic book (particularly in America - relevant because of the size of their market) - who then hasn't done anything else.  Iconic author publishes worldwide massive sensation - does nothing for 50 years, then publishes another book - it's always going to have that kind of sales I would have thought.

[RED-DOG]

This is quite an amazing story really.

Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. She won a Pulitser Prize and was given all sorts of other awards.

That was that really. She never gave interviews or talked about her success and she never wrote anything else.

Then, despite the fact that she is 88 and nearly blind and deaf, she published another novel, Go Set a Watchman, which she wrote before To Kill a Mockingbird.

Now here's the amazing bit.

Go Set a Watchman, which went on sale on Tuesday, apparently holds the No. 1 spot of Amazon.com's most popular authors list. Since it was announced in February, the novel has become the website's most preordered book of any genre. The 2 million orders on Amazon alone could generate $30 million in revenue.

I wonder if there will be a third book?

Click to see full-size image.

I think the first part is the amazing part - the second part is surely just a consequence of the first?

I can't really think of any other author who has had such an iconic book (particularly in America - relevant because of the size of their market) - who then hasn't done anything else.  Iconic author publishes worldwide massive sensation - does nothing for 50 years, then publishes another book - it's always going to have that kind of sales I would have thought.

I think that's a pretty fair assessment Jon.

It wouldn't surprise me if TKAMB hit the top of the charts all over again now. I might even read it myself when if it's on Kindle.

[AndrewT]

The whole thing seems kinda iffy to me - if she'd wanted to release the book, she could have done so at any point in the past fifty years. All of a sudden, when she's 88, after having suffered a stroke, nearly blind and deaf, and reliant on others to get through her day does she decide to release the book. Some people are going to make a lot of money out of this book, nearly all of whom are not Harper Lee - I just can't help but feel a vulnerable old woman is being taken advantage of here.

[RED-DOG]

The whole thing seems kinda iffy to me - if she'd wanted to release the book, she could have done so at any point in the past fifty years. All of a sudden, when she's 88, after having suffered a stroke, nearly blind and deaf, and reliant on others to get through her day does she decide to release the book. Some people are going to make a lot of money out of this book, nearly all of whom are not Harper Lee - I just can't help but feel a vulnerable old woman is being taken advantage of here.

I would definitely say that that is a pretty fair assessment as well.

Do you think it's wrong though?

[Doobs]

The whole thing seems kinda iffy to me - if she'd wanted to release the book, she could have done so at any point in the past fifty years. All of a sudden, when she's 88, after having suffered a stroke, nearly blind and deaf, and reliant on others to get through her day does she decide to release the book. Some people are going to make a lot of money out of this book, nearly all of whom are not Harper Lee - I just can't help but feel a vulnerable old woman is being taken advantage of here.

I would definitely say that that is a pretty fair assessment as well.

Do you think it's wrong though?

Harper Lee is going to make a lot of money too.  I am fairly sure she has come out and said she wants to release it.  If her mind is sound who are we to tell her what is best for her?  Having failing eyesight and hearing have nothing to do with the state of her mind, so can't see how they are even relevant other than to pull on our heart strings.

I don't know how we judge that she is getting more taken advantage of than anyone in a band, or releases any other book, or performs in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical or just flips burgers in McDonalds.

[Doobs]

And FWIW Lord of the Flies > To kill a mockingbird.  It was just ok for me and not particularly memorable.  Will probably read this at done stage though.

[BigAdz]

Who says we don't read books anymore?!

A great tale that should get even more reading....even if it is on a kindle.

[MintTrav]

I can't really think of any other author who has had such an iconic book (particularly in America - relevant because of the size of their market) - who then hasn't done anything else.

Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind.

[Jon MW]

I can't really think of any other author who has had such an iconic book (particularly in America - relevant because of the size of their market) - who then hasn't done anything else.

Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind.

  good call

[The Camel]

I can't really think of any other author who has had such an iconic book (particularly in America - relevant because of the size of their market) - who then hasn't done anything else.

Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind.

  good call

JD Salinger didn't produce anything for the last 50 years of his life.

[Longines]

Google turned up a couple more:

Anna Sewell - Black Beauty
Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights

[Graham C]

In defence of Emily's slackness, she did die young.

[MintTrav]

Mike Tyson - Undisputed Truth