Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

10 reviews

spooky_coochie's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, and Police brutality

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Violence, Grief, and Classism

dustghosts's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.75

- There is a lot of period-standard racism, ableism, and antisemitism throughout the novel that can be difficult at times, and I think modern readers should prepare themselves for that. While capturing wider attitudes and tensions about these and other social issues, I think there’s a sense of empathy and human understanding that pervades McCullers’ writing despite— and, actively despite— wider society’s lack thereof (both within the book and without). I read Native Son just before this and was surprised how many ideas and sentiments echoed and mirrored throughout the two books, and I think the whole thing is a feat considering not only the time period but also McCullers’ age at the time of writing. Still, ymmv. 

The structure: a series of vignettes, each from a different main character, and repeated in parts, is really interesting and admirable from a writing point of view. The loneliness that sets each of these characters apart also strings them together in a way that’s hopeful, strange, sorrowful, frustrating. The selfishness of that loneliness, and the way that it prevents each of the characters from recognizing it in each other, I found heartbreaking at times. Very accessible writing, even today, and again— the empathy and real feeling imbued into each character shines. 

I had to take long breaks in-between reads, here, but I think that’s more to do with seasonal garbáge than anything. It weighs heavy to read a book where the characters’ troubles and gripes still reverberate today, and especially when you’re so close to each of these characters. A theme of futility vs optimism (“what is it all for?”) plagues character and reader alike. I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I wish I had more folks to talk about it with!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Violence and Vomit

stinekristin's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Suicide

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

kenkennady's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, and Classism

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

clellman's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

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

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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

4.5

 The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a classic that wowed me. It was published in 1940 and set in a small mill town in the South in the late 1930s. McCullers masterfully depicts a group of people who all feel like outsiders, not fitting with the society they live in. Themes like race, class, politics, religion and disability all feature prominently. This is definitely not a feel-good read - trigger warnings for police brutality and gun violence amongst others - but I loved McCuller’s' writing and the atmosphere she created.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Alcoholism and Cancer

virginbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, and Police brutality

vif's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide