Celebrities and Writers React to Go Set a Watchman on Twitter

2 minute read
By Sarah Begley

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that readers take personally. Many Americans read it at a young and impressionable age, and the story has clearcut, admirable heroes. Now that its sequel-slash-parent novel, Go Set a Watchman, has been published, people have strong feelings.

On one side are devotees who are simply pumped to have a new novel from a beloved author. On the other side are those who worry that Harper Lee may have been somehow coerced into releasing the book, which was reportedly originally written as a draft of Mockingbird. And there are those alarmed by the early reviews that reveal Atticus Finch, portrayed as a righteous savior in the classic, is racist. Here’s what notable writers, celebrities and public figures are saying about the book on Twitter.

N.B.: Reese Witherspoon voiced the narration for Go Set a Watchman’s audiobook.

Some journalists offered ideas for other controversial sequels, riffing on the idea of characters acting against type:

And some fans just seemed very excited for their new read:

Not sure whether you want to pick up the new book? Read TIME’s review of Go Set a Watchman.

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