Fans of “To Kill a Mockingbird” will have read about three-quarters of the first chapter of Harper Lee’s hotly anticipated second novel before their stomachs drop.
We’re not going to reveal the stunning plot development right here, because everybody hates spoilers, right?
The first chapter of the novel, “Go Set a Watchman,” was published online early Friday ET by The Guardian in the U.K. and The Wall Street Journal in the U.S. Reactions swiftly followed on social media, with many readers flabbergasted by the big reveal concerning Jem Finch, a central character in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The start of “Go Set a Watchman” picks up the story of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the young girl who narrates her adventures in the rural South in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
