Novel, Sequel, Draft: Classification and the Reception of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman

Abstract

abstract:The publication of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman (2015) presents a fascinating study in contemporary reception, as reviewers were puzzled with how to categorize the book: was it a “new novel,” a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, or a draft? This article examines how the classification of Watchman dovetails with reviewers’ concerns about the publishing industry overstepping its bounds. Additionally, it traces how reviewers used Watchman’s ambiguous status as a means of both defending and critiquing the character of Atticus Finch. Ultimately, studying reviewer classifications of Watchman through its initial reception provides an avenue for reviewers to reassess the role of To Kill a Mockingbird as a representative of our national literature, as “required reading” for schools, and as a personal source of inspiration for individual readers.