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dustghosts's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- There is a lot of period-standard racism, ableism, and antisemitism throughout the novel that can be difficult at times, and I think modern readers should prepare themselves for that. While capturing wider attitudes and tensions about these and other social issues, I think there’s a sense of empathy and human understanding that pervades McCullers’ writing despite— and, actively despite— wider society’s lack thereof (both within the book and without). I read Native Son just before this and was surprised how many ideas and sentiments echoed and mirrored throughout the two books, and I think the whole thing is a feat considering not only the time period but also McCullers’ age at the time of writing. Still, ymmv.
The structure: a series of vignettes, each from a different main character, and repeated in parts, is really interesting and admirable from a writing point of view. The loneliness that sets each of these characters apart also strings them together in a way that’s hopeful, strange, sorrowful, frustrating. The selfishness of that loneliness, and the way that it prevents each of the characters from recognizing it in each other, I found heartbreaking at times. Very accessible writing, even today, and again— the empathy and real feeling imbued into each character shines.
I had to take long breaks in-between reads, here, but I think that’s more to do with seasonal garbáge than anything. It weighs heavy to read a book where the characters’ troubles and gripes still reverberate today, and especially when you’re so close to each of these characters. A theme of futility vs optimism (“what is it all for?”) plagues character and reader alike. I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I wish I had more folks to talk about it with!!!
The structure: a series of vignettes, each from a different main character, and repeated in parts, is really interesting and admirable from a writing point of view. The loneliness that sets each of these characters apart also strings them together in a way that’s hopeful, strange, sorrowful, frustrating. The selfishness of that loneliness, and the way that it prevents each of the characters from recognizing it in each other, I found heartbreaking at times. Very accessible writing, even today, and again— the empathy and real feeling imbued into each character shines.
I had to take long breaks in-between reads, here, but I think that’s more to do with seasonal garbáge than anything. It weighs heavy to read a book where the characters’ troubles and gripes still reverberate today, and especially when you’re so close to each of these characters. A theme of futility vs optimism (“what is it all for?”) plagues character and reader alike. I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I wish I had more folks to talk about it with!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Suicide, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Hate crime, Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Ableism
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Violence
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