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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
lizkocher's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Grief
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicide, and Blood
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
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!!!
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.
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.)
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, and Classism
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
dark
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
1939, a small town in the South of the USA. A handful of characters lend us their perspectives - a bar owner, a young teenager, a black doctor, a newcomer with an alcohol issue, and the mute employee of a jewellery. Together, they draw a complete portrait of this average town in all its intricacies and daily struggles, while each one battles their own demons and nurtures their own longing for something more.
I have to admit it took me a long, long time to get into this book, so much so that I kept wondering if I was right to keep reading for the first 150 pages. Something in the language made it hard for me to read with any fluidity, although there weren't particularly complex words or idioms specific to the time this book was written. Then, without my noticing it, I got attached to these very flawed characters and started to care. They are very different from each other by the author does a spectacular job of giving each one a voice. I can't speak to the disability representation. I'm honestly not sure how well that is done, especially in the first pages where it intersects with fat representation.
On the whole, though the story and characters are rooted in their times, this book has a timeless quality to it given the number of themes that are still sadly relevant today (see the content warnings). There are some really harrowing passages, but they all are quite short and the changes in points of view makes it easier to bear. All in all it wasn't an easy book to read for several reasons, but I'm glad I did. Definitely not a favourite, but one I can tick off my classics' list.
I have to admit it took me a long, long time to get into this book, so much so that I kept wondering if I was right to keep reading for the first 150 pages. Something in the language made it hard for me to read with any fluidity, although there weren't particularly complex words or idioms specific to the time this book was written. Then, without my noticing it, I got attached to these very flawed characters and started to care. They are very different from each other by the author does a spectacular job of giving each one a voice. I can't speak to the disability representation. I'm honestly not sure how well that is done, especially in the first pages where it intersects with fat representation.
On the whole, though the story and characters are rooted in their times, this book has a timeless quality to it given the number of themes that are still sadly relevant today (see the content warnings). There are some really harrowing passages, but they all are quite short and the changes in points of view makes it easier to bear. All in all it wasn't an easy book to read for several reasons, but I'm glad I did. Definitely not a favourite, but one I can tick off my classics' list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality
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
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Alcoholism and Cancer
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