Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

9 reviews

olliyeen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-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 the best book I have ever read. I say this without hyperbole. I have never had so much meaning put into so few words. The queer subtext was rolling over the pages, without a single recognizable word of queer vernacular. It was achingly beautiful

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Medical content

paulinib's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

heartworn69's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Racism

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!!!

---

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

phantomgecko's review against another edition

reflective 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

4.0

A book about people and how they feel. Things happen, but what happens is secondary to how the characters feel about it. I enjoy these sorts of books as long as the characters are likeable or at least interesting.

Kinda depressing though how this 80 year old novel is making some of the exact same social commentary you could make today. (You know, the racism and the capitalism.)

What does it say about me if John Singer is my favorite character? Am I projecting onto him just like the characters of the book? I don't think so? I just like misunderstood and depressed characters? I do not get his relationship with Antonapoulos, but it makes me feel bad for him (and thus want to protect him and like him.)

I assumed the book would culminate with Singer's death somehow. It being a suicide...a suicide because of the death of Antonapoulos...a suicide that none of the other characters will ever understand because none of them knew anything about Singer.... chef's kiss.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

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

---

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

---

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. 

---

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

melissacushman's review against another edition

reflective 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

4.0

Meditation on loneliness and misfits trying to find connection. Very mature writing and themes, hard to believe it was written by a 23-year-old! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality