Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird"

I recently read "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee; up until that point I probably was the only person in the world who had lived to be 22 without having read it. The book has won many notable awards; I haven't heard one person say anything negative about it, and I'm not going to be the first. I find it genius; there has never been a book that gave me as much pleasure as it did. I love the characters, the story, and, most of all, the way it is written.

Some people have told me that being an English major would ruin books for them. I think it's the opposite. Maybe reading closer and thinking critically would ruin some books, but not when what you're reading is something as intelligent as this. The more I think about it--the more attention I pay to it--the more I get from it. Lee's work is like a delicious, multi-nutritous dish that gives as much joy as nourishment for the brain and the soul. It explores childhood in relations to race, gender, and society, in such a way that could not have been more insightful or heartfelt. There is not enough praise in this world for this book, and I can't possibly think of one that hasn't been said before. It is a true classic, one which belongs in a bookshelf of every household, and in everyone's heart, old and young.