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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Carson McCullers is beloved of those Southern Literary Trailers who flow through my Goodreads timeline, receiving regular glowing praise. I've never felt the urge to read Lonely Hunter, but on finding this intriguing (and slight) old Penguin I knew it was my time to meet Ms McCullers.
The titular novella is quite something. A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the story of Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose cafe serves as the town's gathering place, her hunchbacked lover and an evil ex-husband. It is completely unlike any other portrait of love, loneliness and betrayal that I've ever read. There's a sense of magic in the prose, of strange things told in a matter of fact way, told so well that you don't even question the unrealities of the story. On reflection this is what I loved the most.
The rest of the stories were OK but none could come close to matching the feeling or the quality of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. Thank you Melanie, Jeffrey, Mike, Franky et al without you I would never have been encouraged to meet this wonderfully talented writer.
The titular novella is quite something. A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the story of Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose cafe serves as the town's gathering place, her hunchbacked lover and an evil ex-husband. It is completely unlike any other portrait of love, loneliness and betrayal that I've ever read. There's a sense of magic in the prose, of strange things told in a matter of fact way, told so well that you don't even question the unrealities of the story. On reflection this is what I loved the most.
The rest of the stories were OK but none could come close to matching the feeling or the quality of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. Thank you Melanie, Jeffrey, Mike, Franky et al without you I would never have been encouraged to meet this wonderfully talented writer.
Loved these short stories. There’s a beautiful sadness in stories that leave you wondering about the meaning. Loved it.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
داستان تو آمریکا می‌گذره، در یک آبادی، و اکثر روزها هوا گرمه. یه حال رخوت‌آلودی. کم نور. و یه جورایی بنظرم نقد دنیای مدرن بود در قلب خودش. فرو ریختن همه چیز. از دست دادن شادی و عشق. و تنها چیزی که می‌مونه؟ صدای سوت کارخونه.
شخصیت‌پردازیش رو خیلی دوست داشتم. در ذهنم زنده شدن و انگاری که می‌شناسمشون و مشتاقم به دیدنشون. به اینکه یه روزم رو توی اون آبادی بگذرونم و شنبه شب برم کافهٔ میس آمیلیا و قوزی.
شخصیت‌پردازیش رو خیلی دوست داشتم. در ذهنم زنده شدن و انگاری که می‌شناسمشون و مشتاقم به دیدنشون. به اینکه یه روزم رو توی اون آبادی بگذرونم و شنبه شب برم کافهٔ میس آمیلیا و قوزی.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I'm giving 3 stars to The Ballad of the sad café only, not the others, because nobody warned me there were going to be more stories in the book.
I only read one of the other short stories but I barely understood a thing so I decided I wasn't going to read the rest. I'm still counting it as a finished book because I read the story that I was here for, the first and longest one (90 pages).
I did enjoy the story even though there were no chapters and it was a little hard to keep track of what was happening.
The story is pretty confusing, there's no denying, but it was entertaining so I'm giving it 3 stars 🤷
(Also I'm sure Cousin Lymon liked Marvin, I'll go down with this gay theory)
I only read one of the other short stories but I barely understood a thing so I decided I wasn't going to read the rest. I'm still counting it as a finished book because I read the story that I was here for, the first and longest one (90 pages).
I did enjoy the story even though there were no chapters and it was a little hard to keep track of what was happening.
The story is pretty confusing, there's no denying, but it was entertaining so I'm giving it 3 stars 🤷
(Also I'm sure Cousin Lymon liked Marvin, I'll go down with this gay theory)
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ballad is perhaps the best novella ever written about loneliness and love.
The writing of Carson McCullers is nothing short of wondrous, and I have never read (or met?) a more loving writer. Themes of love are abundant in this short story collection - yet fleeting. Fleeting, yet unwavering, a can of contradictions that make more sense than they should. A man who loves his wife after years of mutual divorce; another who loves still, though disturbed by his wife's alcoholisms. McCullers pulls us with the strength of a bright-eyed child to her inexorable conclusion that people love, 'in spite' - they are capable of loving in spite, but are equally capable of loving in spite of themselves.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No