first looks

It’s Time to Read the First Chapter of Harper Lee’s New Book, Go Set a Watchman

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 05: Pulitzer Prize winner and
Harper Lee. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Happy Friday: The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian have exclusive excerpts of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, the author’s first release since To Kill a Mockingbird. The book, slated to hit shelves July 14, was reportedly Lee’s first attempt at a novel. Both outlets have published the first chapter of Watchman on their respective websites for your previewing pleasure. The text has received “a very light copy edit,” according to Jonathan Burnham, publisher of HarperCollins’s Harper imprint. Whether you believe that or not, it’s about time you met Scout in her 20s. What are you waiting for? Go set that watchman! (If you’re trying to figure out which place to read chapter one, WSJ offers more background on the excerpt, while The Guardian has a nifty interactive, with cool art and ambient sound. Both give you the option to listen to Reese Witherspoon read you the chapter. Enjoy!)

Read the First Chapter of Harper Lee’s New Book