Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

4 reviews

jimio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Unnervingly prescient for something published in 1940. Carson McCullers was only 23 years old when she wrote this and it’s filled with a tender wisdom that recalls those other great writers of so-called gothic fiction – fans of William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, or Cormac McCarthy should read this if they haven’t already. 

Stirring up themes that still linger today – BLM, the 1%, fascism in the US, and even the fluidity of gender – this is a powerful book of muscular prose that deserves a modern audience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Suicide, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming and Child abuse

crizzle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

aliceandhoney's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

elphaba105's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is probably my favourite novel of all time. It follows four characters and the friendships they each form with a deaf man, Mister Singer. Each character feels alone and misunderstood in society for different reasons and believe that Singer is the only one who can understand them, despite the fact he is mute. Singer in turn loves dearly his friend Antonapoulos, the only person who he can communicate with in sign language, but is separated from him due to mental disability. Exploring grief, racism, the alienation caused by capitalism and disability, it’s a beautiful and heart-wrenching book. I’ve read it twice (so far) and think about it constantly. I’m not sure I will ever find a book that touches my heart in the same way that this does. It’s very character-driven and almost unrelentingly bleak the whole way through, which I love, but if you’re looking for a lot of plot or a happy ending, you won’t find it here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content