Customer Reviews

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Oprah's Book Club)

5 star:		(138)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

Carson McCullers should be right up there with Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Williams as one of the great Southern United States writers, yet for whatever reason, she is lesser known. But at 23 years of age, she published 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter' a masterpiece depicting the very essence of acceptance, emotion and humanity. The novel follows the lives of five people; a radical communist, an African-American doctor striving for racial equality, a girl on the cusp of womanhood, a voyeur cafe owner and at the heart of the novel, a wealthy, good-hearted mute. We see how their lives collide, coincide and intertwine as they seek comfort from their generally poor and desolate lives.

It is fascinating to me, the calibre of McCuller's engaging prose and her insights, being a very young southern woman who grew up in the 1930s. The characters and their points of view about life in the south seem written from a modern outider's perspective (Sue Monk Kidd's 'The Secret Life of Bees' comes to mind). As well, the characters have heart but oftentimes, their relationships with one another do not, making for a brutal look at love and friendship rarely seen. Singer, the mute, is one of the most heartfelt, interesting, sad and likeable characters in literary history and it is remarkable how McCullers depicts his emotion and communication without ever using dialogue.

If you enjoy southern gothic literature, you cannot miss 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter' -- you learn without being preached to, cry without contrived sappiness, and at times, feel genuine triumphs and joys so great, you smile or even laugh out loud. GREAT novel.

Southern literature has always fascinated me. From Faulkner to Childress I don't seem to be able to get enough. While I enjoy O'Connor enough, I find McCullers so much more accesible. The story of a lonely girl--a coming-of-age-story really--THE HEART is one of my favorite books. The protagonist lives in a boarding house that her mother runs, and upstairs lives a mute. In the town, there are two of the--mutes--and the main character makes, or rather "tries" to make friends with the one in the house. She plays records for him and we feel her frustration at trying to make him understand what music is. Since he's deaf, he can't comprehend. The girl is frustrated on so many levels: She feels trapped by the small southern town she lives in, she wants to be a musician and really has no outlet for this, even making a makeshift violin out of a cigar box, she has a bratty little brother, and she feels that no one understands her. I would equate this book to other great southern classics such as "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Lee or McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood" as they too are coming of age books, each one totally different. If you have a heart you'll love "THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER."

Worthy of a place on your book shelf, May 24 2005

I consider The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter to be a classic novel. It certainly is a masterpiece. The setting of the story is down south in Georgia. The era is during the Great Depression. This was an era of racial tension especially in the south, but as is often the case in the novel, music proved to be a strong source of solace and passions are stirred to add vigor to the romantic side of things. Even though they lived in a delicate world of their times, the characters live their lives oblivious of the constraints around. The strength of spiritual isolation is strong and mirrors the reality of mankind. The novel portrays the purpose of man in his God-given role on earth. This is a novel that will be enjoyed by generations to come. Just like The Usurper and Other Stories, this book carries a deep message.

The Heart is a lonely Hunter is a very different sort of book. I've read quite a few books, and never one quite like it. One person I know compared it to the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath because of the dark story line. The story is based upon the lives of 5 main characters, the majority of the story telling spent on the mute John Singer and the teenager Mick Kelly. Themes of alienation, isolation, intolerance, loneliness, and the fulfillment of dreams dominate the novel. The opposite of a superficial book, this story is about how people feel at their core and their dreams and aspirations. The writing is good, but just not very happy. The focus is more on how lonely each character feels and for what reasons. After reading it, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter forced me to think deeply. And I believe the title sums up what Carson McCullers was trying to say in her first novel.

Mick Kelly, a young tomboy of a girl who has a fire in her belly for classical music and tends her brother Bubber, is a dynamic enough character to make this book a must read. Add to her presence characters like John Singer, a mute resident of the Kellys' boarding house, Bill Brannon, proprietor of the New York Cafe, Doctor Benedict, who is black in a small southern town early in the 20th Century, Mady Copeland, drinking Jake Blount who has visions, and you have a mix worth of solid reading. The book has some of the deeply introspective magic of Sherwood Anderson's WINESBURG, OHIO, but is an original on its own. It is an amazing accomplishment for a 23-year old to write what is her master work. By reading this book you will know the characters as well as family members, and the book will make you smile, and will leave a lump in your throat. This book is to novels what CASABLANCA is to movies -- not a wasted word -- a classic!

This book is set in a small, indistinct southern town, full of misfits -- people who don't feel like they quite fit in anywhere -- with different desires and dreams. A lot of what McCullers focuses on is the inability of individuals to express themselves to others. Instead, they put their energies towards self-destructive habits such as drinking, fighting, and sexual depravity.

Two of the main characters are Mick Kelly and John Singer. Mick is a young tomboy who comes of age in the story. She doesn't have money for instruments or lessons, but she goes through a deeply personal attempt to find the kind of happiness and beauty she finds from musical expression. Mick, like many of the townspeople, finds beauty and intrigue in the deaf mute, John Singer. John Singer leads a quiet life, but is deeply troubled by the loss of his longtime friend Anatopolous, who is also a deaf mute. John Singer becomes a mystical figure to the townspeople, becoming a projection of each individual's personal desires. Part of his mysticism forms around the fact that he is a deaf mute, therefore communication is limited, mostly a one-way event. People pour all their wishes and dreams into their projections of him.

Amazingly, Carson McCullers was only 23 when this book was published. How a person that young (well, my age, in fact) could write with such an insightful view of humanity, as well as politics, art & music is impressive. Her prose is descriptive, but at the same time spare. The narrator of the book gives a limited-omniscent view, so while you know what each character might think, you feel you only are scratching the surface of their thoughts. In many cases, what you find is that the individuals themselves don't quite understand their own motives or desires.

This book in many ways reminds me of Sherwood Anderson's classic novel, Winesburg, Ohio. The power of these books is not in what is said or the events themselves, but the things left unexplained,what we are prompted to think about as a result.

This book is set in a small, indistinct southern town, full of misfits -- people who don't feel like they quite fit in anywhere -- with different desires and dreams. A lot of what McCullers focuses on is the inability of individuals to express themselves to others. Instead, they put their energies towards self-destructive habits such as drinking, fighting, and sexual depravity.

Two of the main characters are Mick Kelly and John Singer. Mick is a young tomboy who comes of age in the story. She doesn't have money for instruments or lessons, but she goes through a deeply personal attempt to find the kind of happiness and beauty she finds from musical expression. Mick, like many of the townspeople, finds beauty and intrigue in the deaf mute, John Singer. John Singer leads a quiet life, but is deeply troubled by the loss of his longtime friend Anatopolous, who is also a deaf mute. John Singer becomes a mystical figure to the townspeople, becoming a projection of each individual's personal desires. Part of his mysticism forms around the fact that he is a deaf mute, therefore communication is limited, mostly a one-way event. People pour all their wishes and dreams into their projections of him.

Amazingly, Carson McCullers was only 23 when this book was published. How a person that young (well, my age, in fact) could write with such an insightful view of humanity, as well as politics, art & music is impressive. Her prose is descriptive, but at the same time spare. The narrator of the book gives a limited-omniscient view, so while you know what each character might think, you feel you only are scratching the surface of their thoughts. In many cases, what you find is that the individuals themselves don't quite understand their own motives or desires.

This book in many ways reminds me of Sherwood Anderson's classic novel, Winesburg, Ohio. It shares commonality in narrative style, themes of isolation, loneliness and the inability to express everything in words. The power of these books is not in what is said or the events themselves, but the things left unexplained, what we are prompted to think about as a result. I enjoyed Heart Is a Lonely Hunter very much, but try it for yourself! Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Carson McCullers, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition," an engaging, highly entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.

I consider The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter to be a classic novel. It certainly is a masterpiece. The setting of the story is down south in Georgia. The era is during the Great Depression. This was an era of racial tension especially in the south, but as is often the case in the novel, music proved to be a strong source of solace and passions are stirred to add vigor to the romantic side of things. Even though they lived in a delicate world of their times, the characters live their lives oblivious of the constraints around. The strength of spiritual isolation is strong and mirrors the reality of mankind. The novel portrays the purpose of man in his God-given role on earth. This is a novel that will be enjoyed by generations to come. Just like DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, this book carries a deep message.

This is the first McCullers' book that I have read and it has become one of my favourites. It felt like a timeless story that could have been written only yesterday instead of in the 1930's. It also could have been written by a much older, experienced person instead of a young girl of 23 years. It is a gentle, sad story that might have been typical of small town life. It was very refreshing to feel submerged in the slow pace and emotion of life in a long gone era. The story touched me in an unexpected way, and I know I will long remember the characters and their individual stories.

The story is about a deaf mute named John Singer, who after his best friend(also a deaf mute) Antonapoulos is sent to an asylum becomes lonely, four other characters also become lonely due to some result of isolation; Dr. Copeland is seperated by his family and his race because of his high education and viewpoint; Jake Blount is angry because the radical social viewpoints he has, won't be understood by anyone else in the town; Mick Kelly cannot communicate with her family because of they do not share her interests and ambitions; Biff Brannon becomes alone when his wife dies and ponders and struggles to resolve inner conflicts in life. The book isn't too long and the pace isn't too slow. The dialogue, pace, and tone is astonishing. It is a great book that I highly reccomend this book.

this was the greatist yet saddest book i have ever read. i am almost in eighth grade and was assigned this book to read and i am very glad i was assigned this book. the heart is a lonley hunter is about four very different yet very alike people strugling through life. this is definentley a life changing book. this book i recomend to teens and adults only because young childeren between the ages of 1-11 may not be able to understand the true meaning of the story. if i could give this book ten stars i would.