A review by shanviolinlove
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
5.0
Carson McCullers. First time I encountered her was reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (and yes, I was wildly impressed by the fact that she published that at age 23). This next novel has been on my to-read list for ages. Saw it on a bookshelf and snatched it up.
For those who are familiar with The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, you may find some similar elements. While not by any means "retelling" this story in The Member of the Wedding, McCullers does focus the story on a preteen girl in a small southern town, negotiating her role in the world, her womanhood, her geographic frustrations and colossal ambitions (both heroines manifest an appreciation for music). They are also both positioned in a relationship with a younger boy and with slightly un-involved parents.
Frankie, a.k.a. F. Jasmine or Frances, is a relic of any childhood. Though McCullers pins her on a timeline during the second world war, her plans and ideals, her inflated self perception, her love for and indignation with her caretaker, her juvenile reactions to situations, and her sophomoric attempts to be "sophisticated" all point to the lost age of growing up, the years straddling childhood and adulthood. Reading this novel, I chuckled at or was horrified by some of the things Frankie would say or do, and other times, she would be bringing forth a memory of mine. This is something Carson McCullers has carefully crafted, an almost tangible piece of any human past that one cannot simply dismiss.
For those who are familiar with The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, you may find some similar elements. While not by any means "retelling" this story in The Member of the Wedding, McCullers does focus the story on a preteen girl in a small southern town, negotiating her role in the world, her womanhood, her geographic frustrations and colossal ambitions (both heroines manifest an appreciation for music). They are also both positioned in a relationship with a younger boy and with slightly un-involved parents.
Frankie, a.k.a. F. Jasmine or Frances, is a relic of any childhood. Though McCullers pins her on a timeline during the second world war, her plans and ideals, her inflated self perception, her love for and indignation with her caretaker, her juvenile reactions to situations, and her sophomoric attempts to be "sophisticated" all point to the lost age of growing up, the years straddling childhood and adulthood. Reading this novel, I chuckled at or was horrified by some of the things Frankie would say or do, and other times, she would be bringing forth a memory of mine. This is something Carson McCullers has carefully crafted, an almost tangible piece of any human past that one cannot simply dismiss.