I only know what I heard on the TV news -- that supposedly our former hero, Atticus, is portrayed as being racist in this newer work. I will be sure to read it when I can find it.

I'm really conflicted on this one. Unless a vast majority of early readers declare that Go Set a Watchman is another classic, I'm 95% sure I won't read it. In my mind, To Kill a Mockingbird is just about a perfect book, I don't need to know what happens next, particularly if it will shift my understanding of the characters in a negative way.

I am waiting for the reviews to come in, so we'll see. Frankly, I'm not optimistic, but I'm trying hard to keep an open mind. The fact that Harper Lee always declared she would never publish anything else and now after this there might be a third manuscript in the wings just raises red flags for me. I can't help but think this is a money grab by her lawyer/representative/whatever she is. I'd hate to see Lee's reputation tainted by a story or stories that she never intended to publish.

(I just saw this on the Onion site and had to add it: http://www.theonion.com/article/harper-lee-announces-third-novel-my-excellent-care-50840)

I'm going to wait for some reviews before buying this. The thought of Atticus as a racist is hard to deal with.

I put the wrong format on reserve at the library; I read and am a terrible listener, but unfortunately, the CDs showed up for me. Listened to four chapters on way home and so far, I am not impressed. Don't know if it is Reese Witherspoon's southern accent which seems to fade in and out, the difficulty in telling which character is speaking, or that Jean Louise (not Scout anymore) seems sort of like a bratty and shallow young adult. It seems that we learned about the characters in TKaM by their actions and the storyline, but here the characters are described endlessly without much going on other than trite conversations. I will keep listening (or reading, if my ebook reserve comes thru soon) and hope it gets better.
I, too, am trying to keep an open mind but "money grab" is in my thoughts too.

Regarding racism, we have to remember that books reflect the current thinking. I am not always comfortable when reading the Golden Age books that I enjoy. The racist and class put-downs irritate me but that was how these things were commonly viewed. We have to make allowances or stop reading these books!

Bookmom, below is a link to a review about the book from the UK Daily Telegraph, which might make an interesting comparison with the comments in the US press.
Harper Lee

Vee, very interesting article. Based on that and on another review (below), I've decided I'm not going to read it. But if anyone on RP does, I would still love to hear your thoughts on it!

http://bookriot.com/2015/07/16/go-set-watchman-will-break-heart-read-anyway/

I finished it. Luckily, someone gave me the book and I could stop listening to Reese Witherspoon on audio--her narration was distracting. Vee, the article you linked to pretty much sums up how I felt: this is a coming of age story about a young woman who finds out her revered father (and boyfriend) have feet of clay. I have no trouble believing, as it has been reported, that Watchman is an unedited draft. Way too much internal thought process, not much going on story-wise. The best writing revolved around Jean Louise's remembering her childhood with Jem and Dill, out of which she crafted TKaM.

While everyone's beloved Atticus isn't as "fleshed out" in this version, he is more complicated. Atticus is a lawyer and in TKaM, he upheld the law as was his duty. His personal beliefs, repugnant and shocking to modern readers, weren't as unusual then. Jean Louise represents change and must be her own watchman, as we are all charged to be.

Money grab? I vote yes. Not because now the legacy of Atticus is sullied, but because much of the writing is poor, the manuscript went unpublished for 55 years, and now Lee is arguably impaired. And to publish it as a stand-alone novel, unedited? Money grab.

I read both the reviews posted here. The one from the UK makes it sound as if the novel is poorly written. The second review has a bit more of an appeal. I think one of the points made is that the South is not monolithic. Its people are very complex and there are several cultures within the South itself. Maybe I will give this book a try but I am not rushing out to buy it.

Martin, I completely agree!

I am revolted by what seems to be the sheer greed of some people who allow exploitation of dead authors.

I had better not name anyone as this is an open forum but I am sure you can all think of a few writers who have had their books televised and the plots mucked about with!

Martin, I cannot disagree with you.