The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

[DATo]

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
by Carson McCullers

The story centers on John Singer who is a well adjusted, intelligent, and perceptive man of middle years. John Singer works in the back room of the local jewelry store in a small town as an engraver. John Singer is also a deaf mute. The only friend he can identify with and communicate with fluently through signing is another man with a childlike mentality reminiscent of Lenny in Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men. With others he must read lips and communicate by writing on a small pad of paper he carries with him at all times.

As the story evolves Singer meets various people who are each enmeshed in their own set of problems. He boards with a family whose principal bread-winner is unable to work and has let the room for extra income. The youngish teenaged daughter in this family is frustrated by her inability to pursue music which she loves with passion. Singer also meets a transient homeless man, an African-American doctor, and others who are equally frustrated by events which have convoluted their lives.

Because Singer cannot speak he soon finds that he has become a sounding board for those who need to express the sad conditions of their lives. Singer assumes a self-imposed responsibility to help these people whenever he can by both "listening" to them and by taking an active role whenever possible to help them. But it soon becomes apparent to the reader that Singer himself lacks the means to express himself and to express his own torments as a result of his handicap. He is mired in a lonely and silent world from which he cannot escape.

This novel's unforgettable ending is expressed in the question asked by the characters. The inclusion of the question is one of the finest examples of writing genius I have ever encountered. It is a question which we, the readers, though we know the answer to it, and though we desperately wish to communicate it, find that much like Singer we cannot.

This classic novel soars with poignancy and intelligent writing. It is one book I can recommend with total confidence.


From Wikipedia :
In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter seventeenth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

[Fran]

@DATo
Read it years ago & agree totally with your review: an unforgettable book. Now that you have reminded me I'm going to have to give it another airing. Definitely will have to move to a desert island for the peace & quite or I'll never get through all these great recommendations.

[DATo]

@DATo
Read it years ago & agree totally with your review: an unforettable book. Now that you have reminded me I'm going to have to give it another airing. Definitely will have to move to a desert island for the peace & quite or I'll never get through all these great recommendations. :lol: :lol:

Fran,

I stumbled upon this book as I was perusing my bookshelves and it occurred to me that I had not seen this title mentioned in the forum before. If I had, I've forgotten it. In the event you are curious, my edit was to note that many asked "the question" not just one character. I had forgotten that. I think in the movie only Mick asked it at the very end and I had confused that with the novel's take on it.

I thought it was interesting that McCullers appropriately named her main character "Singer".

[amqzong]

Meh, I didn't enjoy it. But that's probably because we had to write an essay on it for English class and we were forbidden from using the obvious theme of loneliness, and I struggled a lot with finding a suitable topic.

[Redlegs]

This book completely captured my heart - it was an absolute delight from start to finish. So many wonderful characters, all so brilliantly drawn and developed.

My favourite was the young teenage girl, Mick. I just so felt for her and wanted her to have a wonderful life.

Great review, DaTO.

[gali]

This book is on my reading list and I plan to read it. Thank you for your review and for reminding me of the book.

[Fran]

This book completely captured my heart - it was an absolute delight from start to finish. So many wonderful characters, all so brilliantly drawn and developed.

My favourite was the young teenage girl, Mick. I just so felt for her and wanted her to have a wonderful life.

Great review, DaTO.

Glad you enjoyed it ... did Mick remind you of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird?

[Redlegs]

This book completely captured my heart - it was an absolute delight from start to finish. So many wonderful characters, all so brilliantly drawn and developed.

My favourite was the young teenage girl, Mick. I just so felt for her and wanted her to have a wonderful life.

Great review, DaTO.

Glad you enjoyed it ... did Mick remind you of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird?

She did a little bit Fran - although Mick was perhaps exposed to more of life's realities and did not quite have the same degree of innocence and awe that Scout did.

[DATo]

Redlegs,

Mick was considerably older than Scout. I think Scout's age was 6 - 7 in Mockingbird while Mick was about 14 -15. I thought McCullers captured the psyche and worldview of the adolescent in Mick very well in her description of her. Though Mockingbird is one of my favorite novels of all time and a book which I think deserves the title of the oft sought The Great American Novel, I think critics who considered Scout a bit too advanced for her age were somewhat correct. While Scout's perceptions often made her appear older than her years the description of Mick was right on target.

It may interest people who are familiar with these two books to learn that Carson McCullers felt that Harper Lee had borrowed heavily from her in creating Mockingbird - an accusation I strongly disagree with.

[gali]

Mockingbird is one of my favorite books!! Thanks for the anecdote.

[Redlegs]

Redlegs,

Mick was considerably older than Scout. I think Scout's age was 6 - 7 in Mockingbird while Mick was about 14 -15. I thought McCullers captured the psyche and worldview of the adolescent in Mick very well in her description of her. Though Mockingbird is one of my favorite novels of all time and a book which I think deserves the title of the oft sought The Great American Novel, I think critics who considered Scout a bit too advanced for her age were somewhat correct. While Scout's perceptions often made her appear older than her years the description of Mick was right on target.

It may interest people who are familiar with these two books to learn that Carson McCullers felt that Harper Lee had borrowed heavily from her in creating Mockingbird - an accusation I strongly disagree with.

I think you are absolutely right DATo. Both books are completely charming and full of great characters, and if there weren't so many other great books to read, I would happily read both of them again.

[Fran]

A work colleague of mine told me this morning that he spent Xmas reading & watching the movie of a great book - To Kill A Mockingbird it was called! He thought Gregory Peck was outstanding.
It's on his son's school book list for this year & he wanted to be in a position to discuss it with his son.

Not being a regular reader he was amazed at how much he enjoyed the book and he thinks he now understands why my desk is always awash with books. Who knows I might just have a convert, lead by example.

[DATo]

A work colleague of mine told me this morning that he spent Xmas reading & watching the movie of a great book - To Kill A Mockingbird it was called! :roll: He thought Gregory Peck was outstanding.
It's on his son's school book list for this year & he wanted to be in a position to discuss it with his son.

Not being a regular reader he was amazed at how much he enjoyed the book and he thinks he now understands why my desk is always awash with books. Who knows I might just have a convert, lead by example. :)

That is a fascinating and touching story Fran. I can just imagine your friend's reaction when he came to the "Hey Boo" moment. I think that was the single-most powerful scene I have ever experienced in literature. How nice it would be to re-experience those moments in books again for the first time! Tell your work colleague that I envy him. He is in a position to embark upon a magnificent voyage on the sea of literature should he choose to do so, and, furthermore, he has someone as experienced as you to steer the ship for him ... what else could anyone ask for? *L*

[Fran]

A work colleague of mine told me this morning that he spent Xmas reading & watching the movie of a great book - To Kill A Mockingbird it was called! He thought Gregory Peck was outstanding.
It's on his son's school book list for this year & he wanted to be in a position to discuss it with his son.

Not being a regular reader he was amazed at how much he enjoyed the book and he thinks he now understands why my desk is always awash with books. Who knows I might just have a convert, lead by example.

That is a fascinating and touching story Fran. I can just imagine your friend's reaction when he came to the "Hey Boo" moment. I think that was the single-most powerful scene I have ever experienced in literature. How nice it would be to re-experience those moments in books again for the first time! Tell your work colleague that I envy him. He is in a position to embark upon a magnificent voyage on the sea of literature should he choose to do so, and, furthermore, he has someone as experienced as you to steer the ship for him ... what else could anyone ask for? *L*

Thank you for your kind comments. Indeed, it would be lovely to be able to reexperience favourite scenes as if for the first time. But at least we can depend on nostalgia to bring much of the feeling back.

[DATo]

To whomever may be interested,

I realize this post is not on topic but I thought that those who have responded to this thread who have mentioned To Kill A Mockingbird might find it of interest. I had meant to mention this in my last post to Fran but forgot to.

I was given, as a gift, a book written by Charles J. Shields entitled Mockingbird - A Portrait Of Harper Lee. This is an amazingly detailed biography of Harper Lee which is mesmerizing. It is filled with anecdotal events in her life as well as a highly detailed history of the events involved in writing and publishing her book as well as the production of the movie. For instance, did you know that at one point on a cold, snowy night in New York while working as an airline ticket clerk, Harper Lee, in a bout of frustration, threw her entire manuscript out of the fifth floor window of the apartment where she was living, and then in a panic scurried down to rescue it? - can you imagine what one page of that manuscript would be worth today to a collector?; or, that her father had actually defended two Negros in a court case similar to the one in the book?; or, that she had given her father's pocket watch (which I believe was the one used in the movie) to Gregory Peck as a gift?

This is a totally engrossing, nonfiction book which I heartily endorse for all fans of Harper Lee and her masterpiece.