Books

Did Harper Lee Write a THIRD Novel?

by E. Ce Miller

In what may be the most insane news of the day, there's a possibility that there may be a third Harper Lee novel. Yup! Lee's lawyer, Tonja Carter, has hinted that there may be yet another manuscript in the writer's infamous safety deposit box (the one in which Go Set A Watchman was mysteriously — and controversially — discovered). So, just as bookstores across America are hosting To Kill A Mockingbird read-a-thons, and readers are gearing up for Tuesday's release of Go Set A Watchman, rumors of a third Harper Lee novel have surfaced, meaning that there may be no end in sight for the Harper Lee-mania that has overtaken book-lovers everywhere.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal — the first Carter has given about the release of Lee's second novel — the lawyer mentions that another "significant number of pages" have been discovered in the writer's safety deposit box, saying vaguely, “Was it an earlier draft of ‘Watchman’, or of ‘Mockingbird’, or even, as early correspondence indicates it might be, a third book bridging the two? I don’t know..."

This statement recalls a similar claim Lee's agent made in February, citing that To Kill A Mockingbird was intended to be a trilogy, beginning with Mockingbird and ending with Watchman — which possibly confirms that this third novel, as Carter suggests, would bridge both.

Given the dubious circumstances under which Go Set A Watchman was discovered, and the allegations (refuted by both her lawyer and agent) that Lee never wanted the novel published to begin with, readers have plenty to say about the possibility of a third novel. Here's how the Twittersphere is responding:

In defense of the writer, given that some believe she is being taken advantage of:

Sarcastically, given the seemingly not-so-coincidental discovery of a third novel, just as the hype of Go Set A Watchman has reached full-throttle:

With some LOLs:

With plot suggestions for even more novels to come:

And finally, with a suggestion so horrifying, I almost didn't include it here:

Whether you're riding Harper Lee-hype bandwagon, or protesting all the buzz in defense of what may or may not be Lee's wishes, there is definitely no doubt that Go Set A Watchman won't be the last we hear about the Pulitzer Prize-winning author.