Carson McCullers, one of America's greatest Southern writers, was often misunderstood, as many people were put off and/or unwilling to deal with her (at the time) controversial subject matter. MCCullers used the grotesque as exaggerated symbols of everyday experience. The loneliness and isolation of her gothic-like characters were merely extreme examples of feelings we all have, though magnified and intensified to the nth degree.

Tennessee Williams, in his introduction to MCCullers' "Reflections in a Golden Eye", posed the question (in a mock dialogue) most people asked about writers of the 'gothic' school such as Carson McCullers, Flannery O'Connor, Katherine Anne Porter and Eudora Welty: "Why do they write about such dreadful things?" Williams replies, " In my opinion it is most simply definable as a sense, an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern society.. Why have they got to use..symbols of the grotesque and the violent? Because a book is short and a man's life is long... The awfulness has to be compressed."

McCullers, unlike any writer I have ever read, pierces the heart of themes such as love, isolation, and loneliness with her lucid, poetic prose. Tennessee Williams, in Virginia Spencer Carr's biography of McCullers summed up McCullers' writing as follows: "I have used the word 'heart', but it is not an adequate word to describe the core of Carson McCullers' genius....I believe, in fact I know, that there are many, many with heart who lack the need or gift to express it. And therefore Carson McCullers is what I would call a necessary writer: She owned the heart and the deep understanding of it, but in addition she had that 'tongue of angels' that gave her power to sing of it, to make of it an anthem."

Until very recently, it was quite difficult to find a nice hardback copy of Mc Culler's novels. Each one of them is absolutely priceless and unforgettable; believe me when I tell you that "The Ballad of the Sad Café" is one of those stories that long remain on your mind. Mc Culler's novels, clearly influenced by Faulkner, surpass the master himself in magnetism, , power of storytelling and above all, characterization. If you add to all this a dose of gothic dark strangely ambivalent sense of humour, the result is certainly a writer utterly impossible to classify, novels that you really enjoy reading and characters that you are very unlikely to forget. Besides I am fully in love with the Library of America hardback editions and Mc Cullers certainly deserves to be included in this collection.
Later, if you want to give yourself a treat, go and buy her autobiography, although unfinished, a memorable book.

The first part of this book is McCullers' "unfinished" autobiography. For me, reading this was like having a one-on-one conversation with a writer that I have read and admired since high school. The second part, wartime correspondence between McCullers and her then ex-husband Reeves, provided a great deal of insight into the personalities of both. I found these letters to be very moving. Also included in the book are previously published notes on THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER along with a detailed chronology of McCullers' life and works. ILLUMINATION AND NIGHT GLARE is a treasure for literary enthusiasts--especially fans of McCullers.

Impressively detailed account of the life of one of America's great southern writers.

In her lifetime, Carson McCullers was many things to many people, and the conflicting accounts are fascinating. She could be very charming and attentive, a soft-spoken original with deeply engaging, large eyes. But she was a difficult friend to many, becoming obsessively clingy and demanding of attention. A bitch and an angel; as unshakably sulky or as light-hearted as a child. Her hair she always carefully brushed, and yet sometimes she wore outfits so outlandish, she was mistaken for a tramp. (that's hobo, not slut). She was a sensitive and imaginative author who touched many hearts with her unsentimental writings about human longing.

Reading this book has been a strange ride. As impartial as the text is, it is next-to-impossible to avoid getting emotional as the reader, as I will explain in a moment.

The biographer has done a fantastic job of getting those who knew Carson to come forward with their various memories. It is very well-written, with family trees, thorough footnotes, many voices, interesting photos, an appendix consisting of summarized events in McCullers' life, and an excellent index. A generally well-edited and constructed biography, I find no fault with the biographer. It's the life of Carson McCullers that is so twisted and sour. That said, there are fun stories about living with Gypsy Rose Lee and of staying at Yaddo, the famous writers' retreat. But Carson's life was not easy. Tales of her drinking and near-delusional imagination, of her horrendous fights with husband Reeves McCullers, of lingering ill health, and of her leeching on friends has made reading this quite impartial book a considerably saddening adventure. Nestled in the text is the rather interesting nugget stating that, soon after McCullers hit the literary big time with her The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, she was told during a psychiatric Rorschach evaluation that if her neuroses were to be cured, she would lose her ability to write so sensitively. (!)

Increasingly, McCullers lived her life with a disturbing mix of exaggerated suffering, of need and meanness, along with what the biographer saw as an irresistible love of love itself. But this reviewer is sure that some of her friends must have felt like flies caught in a puddle of spilt honey.

It has been interesting to read about how McCullers worked, and how she drew inspiration from real life events, acquaintances and their own tales. This haunting biography could be of interest to other writers, if only as a kind of caveat. The thoroughness of Carr's work allows an observant reader to glean lessons about the power of the human spirit and the destructiveness of the attitude that insanity fuels talent.

The main character in this story is Private Ellgae Williams. It is set in an Army Post. Private Ellgae Williams is a shy but determined young man. He is very dedicated to the army and his assigned work. Even when not on duty the private likes to hang around the post. The antagonists in this story are Captain Penderton and his wife. Captain Penderton is a very hostile man. He comes off as a strong man, but in reality he is very weak. He is a coward in many ways, he never stood up for himself especially to his wife. Mrs. Penderton isn't a modest person at all. She is the strong person in the family and takes advantage of that in every way. She is the kind of person that runs around on her spouse and doesn't even think twice about it. Carson McCullers used flashbacks in this book as well as metaphors. She portrayed real problems that happen in real life. McCullers did a very good job on this piece of work. The way she described the characters, I could picture each one, vividly. McCullers did a very good job at proving that the world was not only all about the "American Dream" and the people's goals toward that, but also the ones that rebelled and were not afraid to do the unusual. If you like books with twists and turns from the usual plots then you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Carson McCullers (a woman, by the way, despite another reviewer's assumption to the contrary) wrote much fiction involving the nature of love. She was never quite as romantic as that may sound: McCullers was one of the masters of the Southern Gothic genre, and Reflections in a Golden Eye is her best work. Her characters are stark and clear, her style crisp, and the action visible. While this is an easy novel to read in some senses, it is more of a prose poem in a novel form. The story deals with two couples on a drab and dull Army base and a young private's animalistic "awakening." His awakening coincides with those of the Captain and the Major's frail yet strong-willed, and bordering-on-insane, wife (whom McCullers seems to identify with most). McCullers dips in the consciousnesses of the five major characters and the result is chillingly beautiful. It's a shame this, McCuller's second novel and most unique of all her works, is out of print.

One would expect a 20-something year old in 1940s southern USA to be all prim and nice, with no knowledge of such things as deep emotional trauma and burning homosexual desires. Well Carson McCullers defied conventional wisdom and not only was aware of such matters but deftly encapsulated it in a short, brutal novel. Reflections in a Golden Eye is a painful examination of the wrecked lives of two couples (, and other characters, ) on a military base in the South. There is little in the way of action or story per se, but it is her examination of characters which makes this novel such a winner.

This novel is not for everyone. It is rather depressing, with everyone leading neurotic lives. No happy endings, and one has to wonder if there is moral to the story. But those who can tolerate looking at the world without wearing rose-colored glasses will appreciate this masterful work.

PS - the novel is MUCH better than the film. And I enjoyed it better than her other famous novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

Unlike previous reviewers, I was not terribly impressed with Clock Without Hands. While obviously Carson McCullers wanted to make a rather emotional, dramatic statement regarding racism in a changing 1950s Georgia, I believe she "over-egged the pudding". The story itself is about a small town in Georgia where several related characters, centered on a elderly judge, struggles with the pace of change with regards to racial equality. While the interactions and complications between the characters are interesting and, at times, quite moving, I felt the basic premise of the story was compromised by two-dimensional racial stereotypes. I thought the young protaganist, a blue-eyed negro, was in particular very poorly developed.

However Clock Without Hands does not discourage me from exploring further works from Ms. McCullers. I was particularly impressed by the amazing Reflections in a Golden Eye, which I strongly recommend over Clock Without Hands for those uninitiated with her work.

Geez...what can I say about this book? Well...I could start by saying that is was an excellent novel. Being 16 years old and all, this book really explained to me how some of the old southerners thought. They still had pride in the "old south" and it fascinated me that the old judge wanted Confederate money to be made redeemable into US dollars. I just could believe it. It portrayed racist, economic, and political issues in a very believable way. It was, all in all, emotional and it really had every emotion contained within it. At times it was funny. At times is was serious. Sometimes it was happy. Sometimes it was sad. It really gets you going once you read the first 10 pages. I liked it very much and do recommend it to everyone -- regardless of age.

Written in 1953, this book explores the racial tensions in a small southern town. The winds of integration are in the air and the Old South is dying. The story is told through several characters. There's a pharmacist dying of leukemia who struggles with the diagnosis. There's a elderly judge who's a former congressman who really believes that the confederate money hoarded in his attic will some day bring him riches. There's the judge's grandson who sees changes coming. And then there's a young blue-eyed Negro who tries to be accepted.

Carson McCullers is a master of setting the stage for this disturbing tale which is certainly not comfortable to read. Each of the characters is exaggerated but that is her intent. She lays out the conflict with surgical precision and creates a world that doesn't exist any more. It's a brutal world and all the sugar coated Southern niceties just don't help. There's violence in the air. I felt it coming throughout and hoped it wouldn't happen. But the conclusion is inevitable.

Fine book. Fine writing. Recommended.

I'm not a fan of the open-ended short story, being a tale that is redolent with symbolism that I'm certain is there but just don't "get." Unfortunately McCullers' tales seem to fall into this category so I was not terribly thrilled with the stories. However, as a body of work they were interesting--the themes of lost childhood, changing sibling relationships, disgruntled musical prodigies, and general loneliness / rejection emerge and give a nice sense of continuity to the works. The inclusion of two of her novellas is nice; I appreciate the longer story format for the ability to get to know the characters and setting a little better.

Overall I'd recommend picking up McCullers' novellas and if you're thrilled with those, tackle her short stories.

I've loved Carson McCullers for years, and her complete works have only been sporadically available. Her miniatures are near perfectly realized works of literary art, and this collection is a fine introduction to a great writer from the south who seems to have dropped of the critical radar. Her output is quite small, finely honed, and the prose is like a clear blue sky. Her longer works are worth searching for, and I recently noted that The Library of America has been hard at work making sure that Carson will continue to be read....!

I have always read stories in the past that gave me feelings right away. After reading these short stories, I was somewhat confused why McCullers didn't elaborate, or why she ended the story where she did. It was only after reading her biography, that I began to reread the stories and became obsessed with all of them. The meanings became clearer, the ideas behind them were revealed, and she has become my favorite author. I would recommend this to anyone, and I would also recommend her novels too. Enjoy.

Carson Mccullers was a writer who had a confused, dramatic personal life, from a psychological as well as physical perspective. The feelings of alienation and suffering were prevalent in her life and had a direct influence on her writing. "The Ballad of the Sad Café" is a direct reflection of her personal suffering.
The story could be categorized as simple and to a certain extent grotesque, centred around three main characters: Amelia Evans, her cousing Lymon, and ill-natured Marvin Macy, all of them eccentric individuals. The setting is a small town alienated in time and space. McCullers writings should be interpreted in an allegorical way. In this particular story she deals with her pessimistic outlook on the nature of love, which according to her is bound to bring tragedy (as much as her own love life was involved in failure).
The story abounds on symbolisms and metaphors. Many of her stories are set in the American South and she addresses, in a beautiful allegorical way, the reality of racial bias (in the case of "The Ballad of the Sad Café" she uses the song of the chain-gang men).
Despite this expressionistic stage, the reader cannot help feeling empathy for the characters and their drama, which is exactly what McCulleres is willing to achieve through her writings. Highly criticized as well as praised by her contemporaries, McCullers has been somehow forgotten. Many certainly have watched the film "The Heart is a lonely Hunter" but few remember her as the creator of such a beautiful and touching story.

Carson McCullers, Ballad of the Sad Cafe was an extremely amazing tail. I read this book for an english class and I came to the conclusion that this story was not about love, but deception. Look closely at the way Lymon grew so attached to Marvin so quickly, and how at the end of the fight Lymon ruined the action. All signs point toward a definte duo of trash when it comes to Lymon and Marvin. The biggest kicker of them all is the end of the story with the prison men on the side of the road.

McCullers' captures the essence and delicacies of love in "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe." Three highly unusual lovers attempt to understand their feelings and desires. Each lover becomes a beloved and nothing seems to work positively. But look more closely: The real lover is the unidentified narrator, who painfully (as experienced by a lover) tells the story. The other stories included in the book magnify and enhance McCullers' universal concept of love and the loneliness and isolation of every lover. This is truly a book to read and enjoy. Then, think about it!

A grotesque human triangle in a primitive Southern town...A young boy learning the difficult lessions of manhood...A fateful encounter with his native land and former love...These are [arts of the world of Carson McCullers - a world of the lost, the injured, the eternal strangers at life's feast. Here are brilliant revelations of love and longing, bitter heartbreak and occasional happiness - tales that probe the very heart of our lives. It was a good story. she was not a very good person - nor was he. He a sponge who only cared about himself and she was a niggerdly woman, although the town really needed her.

Carson McCullers is a wonderfully compassionate author and this novel showcases the best of her abilities.

I enjoyed the book, but then again I'm already a faithful fan of McCullers and used the book mainly as background information for a research paper. There were several points and concepts Bloom brought up that I had never put together, which was very helpful. I thought the book was helpful and informative, and a good general overview for the casual reader.

One of the most amazing things about The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is that Carson McCullers was only 23 when she wrote this. The writing in this novel is incredible. I think the reader should be prepared for the fact that this story is melancholy and can be depressing at times, but at the same time is brilliant in its character depth and social understanding. I wish I would have read this novel in highschool as there is clearly a lot of symbolism and statement that would lead to great discussions. The center of this novel is John Singer a deaf-mute who is feeling abandoned after his life-long friend Antonapoulos is sent away to a distant hospital. The novel introduces us to 4 lives: a young girl named Mick who grows up in poverty; Dr. Copeland, an African-American doctor; Jake Blount a wandering alcoholic and Biff Brannon a cafe owner. We learn the loneliness and pain of each of these characters and watch as each one is drawn to the mute, John Singer. McCullers details her novel with many truths about the human spirit, as well as some political and social statements of her own. It is said that much of the novel is autobiographical as McCullers was raised in a small southern town, primarily by her African-American maid. I would suggest that the reading of this novel is coupled with a little research about McCullers and some background info on the novel for full appreciation. Upon completion I am glad that I read this and can appreciate it for all that it offers and is trying to say.

Carson Mc Cullers has exposed to us through this novel, the loneliness we all experiance, no matter how full our lives may seem.

The story involves the lives of some wonderful characters. Set in the Deep south in the 1930's, John Singer and Antonapoulos, both deaf mutes, and seemingly life partners, are separated when Antonapoulos is sent to an asylum. Singer takes a room in a boarding house owned by the Kelly family and meets Mick Kelly. A tomboyish 13 year old girl with a passion for music and culture. Being the youngest of the girls in the family, much of the responsibility is put upon her to not only watch, but basicly raise her 2 younger siblings. With the help of Portia, a simple black woman employed by the Kelly's. Who's father Dr.Copeland, stuggles with the oppression of his people. Always battling within himself and his children. A man well educated and sucessful being a black doctor, yet all of his children a dissapointment to him. Their lack of interest to not only better themselves, but also their lack in his cause. Jake Blount, a drunken, outspoken man teams up with Singer in a relationship left empty for both he and Singer. Both being very well read people, he and Singer can't seem to connect as Singer and Antonapoulos did. Biff Brannon, a local restaurant owner, unhappy in his own marriage that has run dry, has only a few fond memories to reflect on when his wife passes away. And a new life which he looks forward to is never quenched. As Singer goes on with his life quietly, each of these characters are drawn to him, each for their own reasons. Searching for something that none will find.

Mc Cullers writing style is very enjoyable. Each chapter almost entirly dedicated to each character, giving you a great sense of who this character truly is and what they are feeling. Also each chapter seems to be a little story by it's self with in this story line. This book is a fast read, easy to understand, and very clarified. Carson's use of southern black dialec is truly an asset in giving you a great feel for the south. I do recommend this book, it's a wonderful insight to a feeling deep within each and every one of us.

This is one of the best books I've read in a while. It is very sad; you can't decide which character is the worst off. Mick, the gangly tomboy who is tryign to find some beauty in a harsh world, while also trying to deal with the problems of her family and the trials of growing up. Dr. Copeland, the educated black doctor, bitter against the injustices shown his people. Biff Brannon, the hardened restaurant owner, who shows signs of being a homosexual in a time when being a homosexual was not acceptable. Jake Blount, the radical drifter, who talks and talks but no one listens. And Mr. Singer, the deaf mute with a longing for his best friend, the only person who understands him. All of these characters are fully drawn, and each one of them makes you care deeply for him/her, even though they are very hard to like. You read on, wanting to know what happens to these people, and whether anyone finds happiness at all. While the ending is not all that happy, the point is made. Everyone is searching for something, whether it be beauty, like Mick, or understanding, like Mr. Singer. And as the title says, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. My only regret is that I waited so long to read this book.