Read This.
Carson McCullers, pictured above nestling into jazz singer Ethel Waters’ bosom, knew how to capture and illuminate subtlety. She had a knack for examining quiet, small town life in a respectful way that showcased simple beauty and mundane drama without slipping into glorification or camp.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a perfect example of that. Add this to your summer reading list because, frankly, I can’t imagine even reading this book during any other season.
McCullers’ characters inhabit a finite southern town. This sharp focus throws her subjects under a microscope and the result is a meaningful examination of her characters; everyone counts, no one is insignificant. Her presentation of southern life rings as true as Flannery O’Connor’s, though not as dark. The overall tone and feel of this book is what would happen if the styles of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Harper Lee had a love child.
Carson McCullers thoughtfully finds beauty and depth in unlikely places. Her cast of misfit characters need each other, though they mostly can’t recognize it. They serve as mirrors, refracting indirect light on one another in a way that is both surprising and satisfying for the reader.
