• To Kill a Mockingbird

  • By: Harper Lee
  • Narrated by: Sissy Spacek
  • Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (46,631 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
To Kill a Mockingbird  By  cover art

To Kill a Mockingbird

By: Harper Lee
Narrated by: Sissy Spacek
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.19

Buy for $25.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial review


By Mysia Haight, Audible Editor

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD REMAINS TIMELY FOR CONFRONTING THE REALITIES OF RACISM, BRUTALITY, AND INJUSTICE IN AMERICA

I first read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was a 'tween for an English class assignment. As a bookish kid, I remember being struck by Harper Lee’s writing—the vivid sense of place (small-town Alabama) and time (the Depression era), memorable phrases like "the head-shaking, quelling of nausea and Jem-yelling," and casual remarks rich in wisdom. And, of course, I was awed by Atticus Finch. What girl wouldn’t want this wise, calm, quietly righteous man for a father? His unshakable conviction and courage in the face of prejudice, cruelty, and injustice was inspiring. Thanks to Atticus Finch, I became obsessed with a real-life legendary lawyer, Clarence Darrow, and devoured every book written by or about him I could find. For a minute, I contemplated pursuing a career in law. Then, I got called for jury duty, realized that gripping courtroom drama was rare, and channeled my fascination into reading legal thrillers by John Grisham.

For me, Mockingbird was all about Atticus. Even though I was a voracious reader from a young age, I didn’t connect with Scout, a precocious 9-year-old—until my daughter, a tomboy, became a 'tween. As a white mom to a Black daughter, I have always been conscious of race. But in 2012, when Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American boy, was fatally shot on a street in Florida for looking suspicious—and his killer was acquitted—I became painfully aware of racism and its dangers. Even though we lived in a diverse city in northern New Jersey, I began to fear for my daughter’s safety. Lucero couldn’t understand why I suddenly objected to her wearing a hoodie and lectured her about the importance of avoiding strangers and the police. Trying to explain racism and injustice to my innocent, trusting daughter made me think of Scout. And so, I found myself longing to revisit the novel I fell in awe with in middle school and get reacquainted with its young narrator. A few years later, when Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek signed on to narrate the audiobook, I decided to go back and give Harper Lee’s classic a listen as a mother.

While centered on a racially charged case—a Black man falsely accused of the brutal rape of a young white woman— To Kill a Mockingbird is, at its heart, Scout’s coming-of-age story. It’s told from Scout’s perspective, both as a woman looking back on her childhood and as a child awakening to the harsh realities of life in Maycomb, Alabama, and her father’s commitment to doing what’s right and just, regardless of the risks or repercussions. Narrating the audiobook, Spacek, a native Texan, draws us into the rhythm and routines of life in a small Southern town. What’s more, she embodies Scout—in all her frustrations, enthusiasm, and idealism—and her gradual awareness of the prejudice all around her. As the novel progresses, Scout develops a moral compass and sense of empathy. Guided by her father’s example and gentle reprimands, she comes to see folks in Maycomb who have been ostracized and demonized—including the town’s Black residents and her reclusive, seemingly creepy neighbor, "Boo" Radley—as people, pure and simple. And that’s what ultimately saves her.

Continue reading Mysia's review >

Publisher's summary

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south - and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred, available now for the first time as a digital audiobook.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father - a crusading local lawyer - risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.
©1988 Harper Lee (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"It's good to be reminded of the power wielded by this classic of American literature. As the introductory music fades and Sissy Spacek begins her narration, we immediately enter the small town in the Deep South where all the timeless issues of kindness and cruelty, inclusion and prejudice are played out in a story told by a little girl named Scout. Instead of offering a range of accents, Spacek reads the story entirely in her own, or Scout's, voice. The choice works, for the book is written from Scout’s point of view, and Spacek has just the right level of Southern accent for easy listening. This is an unforgettable story well told. 2007 Audies Award Winner." (AudioFile magazine)

"Atticus Finch is a timeless American hero who has been played by the likes of Gregory Peck in film and Jeff Daniels on the stage. But in Sissy Spacek’s narration of To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s Harper Lee’s narrator, Scout, who becomes the listener’s moral guiding light and closest confidante. You forget you’re listening to the voice of an adult, so wholly do Spacek’s Southern rhythms embody the young tomboy as she witnesses the racial injustices of the Depression-era South unfold before her." (The New York Times Book Review)

Featured Article: The top 100 classics of all time


Before we whipped out our old high school syllabi and dug deep into our libraries to start selecting contenders for this list, we first had to answer the question, "How do we define a classic?" The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might guess, though there’s a lot to be said for the old adage, "You know it when you see it" (or, in this case, hear it). Of course, most critically, each of our picks had to be fabulous in audio. So dust off your aspirational listening list—we have some amazing additions you don’t want to miss.

What listeners say about To Kill a Mockingbird

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    39,836
  • 4 Stars
    5,004
  • 3 Stars
    1,171
  • 2 Stars
    291
  • 1 Stars
    329
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36,245
  • 4 Stars
    3,817
  • 3 Stars
    917
  • 2 Stars
    211
  • 1 Stars
    217
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35,437
  • 4 Stars
    4,135
  • 3 Stars
    1,144
  • 2 Stars
    269
  • 1 Stars
    273

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the Great American Novels

I just listened to this again, after working through the just released Go Set a Watchman. It has made me feel even more strongly that Watchman should never have been released. It is such a pale derivative of this American classic.

And while I am a big Reese Witherspoon fan, Sissy Spacek does an amazing job of narrating To Kill a Mockingbird.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a fun read

I decided to listen to this for fun and I really enjoyed it! I especially loved Sissy Spacek's accent. This story has a really important story to tell, and everybody should read this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It's a Classic for a Reason

If you could sum up To Kill a Mockingbird in three words, what would they be?

Racially relevant today

What was one of the most memorable moments of To Kill a Mockingbird?

The trial scene with the Euwells on the stand and Atticus Finch examining them was quite gripping.

Which character – as performed by Sissy Spacek – was your favorite?

Scout, of course. Sissy Spacek could not have performed the role more perfectly. She was a natural, being Southern, but she also portrayed the character with raw emotion that was just right for a young girl. Bravo performance!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I listened to it while walking 4 miles a day, so it took me several weeks to finish. Each time I started listening, I didn't want to take out my headphones and get to work after my exercise with Harper Lee and Sissy Spacek.

Any additional comments?

For some reason I never had to read this in school and with Harper Lee's new book out, I decided it was high time I chose to read this book. I'm glad I did. It is amazing how little has changed in seven decades and how relevant much of it is today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional

Truly, a modern classic. Despite the book being set in the 30's, its subject matter remains current and relevant. The narrator does a great job at bringing the story to life. 10/10!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic thru and thru

Great story and fabulous narrator. A timeless tale that carries messages still appropriate for today. Listened on a long road trip. Well worth it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

True American Classic.

Years after first reading this story, it remains an excellent summary of of an era.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My very favorite!

Sissy Spacek is amazing as the narrator. Love this book more than any other book I've purchased!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Fantastic

I enjoyed listening to this masterpiece on my hour drive back and forth to work. I can't wait to encourage all my grandchildren to read it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

AMAZING!

This audio book was amazing. The author portrayed the characters very well, I loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

To Kill a Mocking Bird

The story was wonderful. It was not read with an Alabamian accent. The reader sounded like she was from Tennessee. So different! I enjoyed it though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!