Search - The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

"This book is huge. I approached it with skepticism. Half way through the book, I wasn't wowed. Then while I was telling somebody else about it, it dawned on me how deep the characters and the story had grown. It's a coming of age story for a whole town and one young girl. Every character is so natural through the story that a rich diversity of music, politics, philosophy, and religion is subtly and radically revealed.

Mick Kelly's experiences at her "prom" and the swimming hole, her relationships with her siblings, and obsession with music provide a parallel for the life of each other person. A deaf-mute as a focus to share a secret with each character was inspired. We're all individuals in the same boat. The abrupt last sentence of Part 2 is brilliant.

It's a simple story to enjoy with plenty to discover and digest throughout."

Set in the backdrop of the Great Depression this book lets the reader "feel" how it might have been to be poor and from the South. The novel is rich with characters that McCullers breathes life into--by the end of the book you KNOW Mick Kelly, Mr. Singer, Dr. Copeland, Portia and the others. You feel the pain that is felt over injustice, hunger, racism, and poverty. Highly recommend.

"....tells an unforgettable story of moral isolation in a small Georgia mill town in the 1930's. At its center is the deaf-mute John Singer, who becomes the confidant of various misfits yearning for escape from their lives."

I also did not enjoy this book. I found it difficult to stay focused with the introduction of so many different characters. Definitely a "downer" too.

I was not all that impressed with this book.

I didn't like this book very much. the writing was good but the characters just didn't hold my interest. The town's beloved mute was a magnet for so many in the small town, but not for me. I kept expecting something to click between them and instead it all just fell apart. I wanted to like it, kept holding out hope, but there was none to be found.