ipb1's review against another edition
4.0
3.5* An everyday story of dysfunctional folk in the back of beyond. If there is any allegorical import I'm damned if I can decipher it. Just plain odd.
gorecki's review against another edition
5.0
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe is a touching and colorful love story with several layers. Miss Amelia, the main character of this novella, is a woman living alone and never needing any help or anyone for anything. She is equally good at fixing things in her home, distilling the best alcohol in the area, and managing her own store. After being married for 10 days and then separating from her husband, she leads a lone life in perfect order until her hunchback cousin Lyman doesn't move in with her one evening. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe is a story about the power of the lover and the beloved. Of the cruelty of lovers and of the heart depicted as a cafe - when one opens it to other people, they come in and get drunk on the love it has to give, and then break and destroy everything in their intoxication. The use of a lot of colors in the narration and description of people and places makes the novella extremely visual.
Wunderkind revolves around a similar topic as The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. A young piano student is proclaimed a wunderkind by her teacher after their first meeting, but then loses her talent and her overall grip over music. Even though she still has the music on the tips of her fingers, she cannot deal with the emotions it brings - she puts them into her playing either too early, or too late, becoming helpless and confused.
The Jockey is a short story of devotion to your friends and loved ones and sacrificing your career and reputation in the name of this affection, while Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland takes into the world of pathological lies and how important they can be.
The Sojourner is a short story that can resonate with anyone who lives or has lived as an expat - the feelings of going back into a life and country you have left behind, how such experience can open doors you have always considered closed. As well as one of the biggest fears of an expat.
A Domestic Dilemma is the sad account of a family dealing with the problems of alcohol and the destruction it brings, while A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud is a heartwarming story of how one person can reach a state of full love by making small exercises in acceptance and loving - starting from small objects, like a pebble, and moving forward with bigger and bigger ones. A gold fish, a tree, the sky, I love you.
Wunderkind revolves around a similar topic as The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. A young piano student is proclaimed a wunderkind by her teacher after their first meeting, but then loses her talent and her overall grip over music. Even though she still has the music on the tips of her fingers, she cannot deal with the emotions it brings - she puts them into her playing either too early, or too late, becoming helpless and confused.
The Jockey is a short story of devotion to your friends and loved ones and sacrificing your career and reputation in the name of this affection, while Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland takes into the world of pathological lies and how important they can be.
The Sojourner is a short story that can resonate with anyone who lives or has lived as an expat - the feelings of going back into a life and country you have left behind, how such experience can open doors you have always considered closed. As well as one of the biggest fears of an expat.
A Domestic Dilemma is the sad account of a family dealing with the problems of alcohol and the destruction it brings, while A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud is a heartwarming story of how one person can reach a state of full love by making small exercises in acceptance and loving - starting from small objects, like a pebble, and moving forward with bigger and bigger ones. A gold fish, a tree, the sky, I love you.
mkalany's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
novelnymphet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sfletcher26's review against another edition
4.0
Having been a bit of a devote of Capote for a number of years I was aware of his awe and respect of the work of Mccullers and have therefore had a couple of her books on my shelves but never got round to reading any of them.
This is a collection of her short stories which I have to say range from the brilliant to the good, Domestic Dilemma and Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland in particuar being absolute gems. I can see that like Capote, Mccullers will become a firm favourite of mine.
This is a collection of her short stories which I have to say range from the brilliant to the good, Domestic Dilemma and Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland in particuar being absolute gems. I can see that like Capote, Mccullers will become a firm favourite of mine.
literallyfrodo's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zoe_celeste123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.25