“‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ captured the most interesting part of our lives”

“Honestly, if this book had been written at almost any other time, it would have been pretty damn boring.”

Atticus Finch reveals all in The Onion.

After old Bob Ewell closed that chapter in our lives by falling on his knife, the kids settled into their schoolwork and joined glee club. Jem played baseball for a while, but he didn’t really like it. Sometimes they’d drop in at the Radley place to pay their regards to Arthur. They even stopped calling him Boo. After a couple years he died of pneumonia. Or was it diabetes? I suppose I was saddened that he didn’t live to see another adventure—but then again, how many chances does one reclusive idiot man-child usually get to stand up for justice in the face of small-minded ignorance, and change the course of a community forever?

As for Scout, “I guess she was all adventured out after she got knocked down in her ham outfit.”

He’s only revealing what all writers know about our characters. Readers say, “Their lives are so tense.” Well, no. If I’m going to write about Evan Delaney’s year, do you think I’m going to talk about the fifty-one weeks when she does laundry, goes grocery shopping, and stands in line at the post office without being chased by crazed Chihuahuas/homicidal rock singers/lethal ex-hookers?

Atticus Finch, in his wisdom, understands. “There’s no denying it was a narratively gripping time.”