For some readers, the long-awaited release of Harper Lee’s second novel, “Go Set A Watchman,” is a literary dream come true.

But to others, like biographer Charles J. Shields, the book is simply a mistake: It should have never been published at all, he says.

Here’s why:

1. It’s the work of an amateur: uneven, unconvincing and lacking development. If the name “Harper Lee” hadn’t appeared on the cover, or “Atticus” inside, it would have stayed in the file cabinet in Alice Lee’s law office.
2. There’s no takeaway. For a supposedly serious novel, no one changes significantly or learns much. In fact, the narrator seems to acquiesce to what the way things are in the end.
3. There’s racism, sexism, and class consciousness in the novel, but the narrator seems to think all three are humorous.
4. The vulgar remarks about African Americans are extremely inappropriate.
5. The author reveals too much about herself, which a skillful editor would never have allowed. There’s no persona. It’s clear Lee doesn’t like men; she thinks heterosexual relationships are ridiculous; she’s angry about being female.

At the end of the day: There’s no art to this book.

 

Do you agree with Shields? Hear from both fans and critics of Harper Lee’s new novel in this month’s Readers’ Review – join the conversation.