Harper Lee's long-awaited 'Go Set a Watchman' hits shelves

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman," a follow-up to the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," was released Tuesday.

From the moment publisher HarperCollins, announced "Watchman" in early February, reactions of ecstatic disbelief have been shadowed by concerns about the book's quality, 89-year-old Lee's involvement in the release and the jarring transformation of Atticus Finch.

"The hype is definitely there because 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is so beloved by readers, and so everyone has been waiting 55 years to read the next book by Harper Lee and here it is," said Sherri Gallentine, head book buyer for Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena.

In slightly varying accounts, Lee's attorney Tonja Carter has said she came upon the "Watchman" manuscript last year while looking through some of the author's papers.

"Watchman" was written before "Mockingbird," which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. But it takes place 20 years later, in the 1950s.

Pre-orders have already made "Go Set a Watchman" one of the year's top books and did not let up despite lukewarm reviews and the unwelcome news that Finch, one of the all-time literary heroes, was a bigot in "Watchman."

The majority of book-lovers who purchased the book Tuesday said they wanted to know more about the beloved characters in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and had been eager for the book's release.

"She's always been one of my favorite writers so I definitely want to get her book on the first day out," Deanna Sprinkel said.

Still, the shift in Finch's character is stopping some from buying or reading the novel.

"I have an image of Gregory Peck as Atticus in the other book she wrote, 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' but this book they say something about racism and I don't want to spoil my memories of him," George Stapleton said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.