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brandonjbudd's review against another edition
3.0
While the shorter works bear McCullers sense of voice and she effectively inhabits her characters, she benefits when she has more room to work with. Her longer works surpass her shorter works, allow for more growth and sophistication of her characters and, ultimately, pack more punch. As such, Member of the Wedding and Ballad of the Sad Cafe aren't to be missed. Both are heart wrenching in their slow, methodic ways. The other shorter works feel like sketches. They are remarkable in their own ways, but end up forgettable.
krobart's review against another edition
3.0
Although McCullers is known as a “Southern Gothic” writer, the only piece in this collection that truly fits that description is “The Ballad of the Sad Café.” This story illustrates her ideas about love–that people love other people who are unattainable and that even the most unlikely people can be the recipients of adoration or even obsession. Several of the other stories are also about this theme. Readers familiar with McCullers do not expect cheerful tales, but they are beautifully written and evocative.
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/collected-stories/
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/collected-stories/
moseslh's review against another edition
4.0
[b:The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|37380|The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|Carson McCullers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385265834s/37380.jpg|860196] is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to read this collection of McCullers' short stories/novellas. Overall it was a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories were quite good, others were merely okay, but "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," her 60 page novella, was excellent and brings up my rating of this book from three to four stars. It's a bit of a depressing story, but I think it's McCullers at her finest, and it really resonated with me. "The Member of the Wedding," the 140 page novella, had its moments but was not on the same level.
McCullers' short stories in this collection were often quite moving. I found her stories about children to be particularly well done. Overall, many of the stories in here are worth reading, but if you just read one it should definitely be "Sad Cafe."
McCullers' short stories in this collection were often quite moving. I found her stories about children to be particularly well done. Overall, many of the stories in here are worth reading, but if you just read one it should definitely be "Sad Cafe."
lknano's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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
3.75
amynbell's review against another edition
2.0
These "short stories" are more like vignettes. It's like getting a small peek into someone's living room one afternoon and seeing how empty everyone's life is. She showcases child prodigies who just want to be normal, stay-at-home-wives that drink themselves silly out of boredom, suicidal stay-at-home-wives, and bored musicians and writers.
I first discovered McCullers in reading her short story, "The Sojourner". And, frankly, that's the best of all of the short stories in this book. It took me forever to force myself to read the last 3 stories.
Her novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, is a wonderful book. I hope the novellas included in this book match it in some way, but I'm saving them for later and considering them books unto themselves because feel they need to be judged as individual works and not as a part of these boring, boring short stories.
I first discovered McCullers in reading her short story, "The Sojourner". And, frankly, that's the best of all of the short stories in this book. It took me forever to force myself to read the last 3 stories.
Her novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, is a wonderful book. I hope the novellas included in this book match it in some way, but I'm saving them for later and considering them books unto themselves because feel they need to be judged as individual works and not as a part of these boring, boring short stories.
jenna0010's review against another edition
4.0
McCullers' prose is achingly honest. I loved the story "Haunted Boy" and the last two longer works in this collection - "Ballad of the Sad Cafe" and "Member of the Wedding" were sparse and sad. This was good. That is all.
cynthiaelyseeh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kathrynb03's review against another edition
4.0
The short stories didn’t start to get good for me until near the end. Of course Carson McCullers is a fabulous writer. Her prose is almost uncanny. It’s pure realism on the surface but the story is all underneath, in the subtext, the metaphor, the tone and the feeling you get. The Haunted Boy and The Sojourner were my favorites. And I really liked the second half of The Member of the Wedding.
Sucker 3.5
Court in the West Eighties 2.5
Poldi 2.5
Breath from the Sky 3
The Orphanage 3
Instant of the Hour After 4
Like That 3.25
Wunderkind 3
The Aliens 2
Untitled Piece 3.75
The Jockey 1 no I didn’t like this one
Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland 4
Correspondence 3ish
A Tree A Rock A Cloud 3
Art and Mr. Mahoney 4.5
The Sojourner 5!!!
A Domestic Dilemma 5
The Haunted Boy 5!!
Who Has Seen the Wind 4.5
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe 4.5
The Member of the Wedding 4.5
Sucker 3.5
Court in the West Eighties 2.5
Poldi 2.5
Breath from the Sky 3
The Orphanage 3
Instant of the Hour After 4
Like That 3.25
Wunderkind 3
The Aliens 2
Untitled Piece 3.75
The Jockey 1 no I didn’t like this one
Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland 4
Correspondence 3ish
A Tree A Rock A Cloud 3
Art and Mr. Mahoney 4.5
The Sojourner 5!!!
A Domestic Dilemma 5
The Haunted Boy 5!!
Who Has Seen the Wind 4.5
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe 4.5
The Member of the Wedding 4.5
ladyfromthemixedupdesk's review against another edition
3.0
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and The Member of the Wedding are easily 4/5.
Everything else is a 2.
Everything else is a 2.