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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Author: Carson McCullers
At its center is the deaf-mute John Singer, who becomes the confidant for various types of misfits in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s. Each one yearns for escape from small town life. When Singer's mute companion goes insane, Singer moves into the Kelly house, where Mick Kelly, the book's heroine (and loosely based on McCullers), fi...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780553269635
ISBN-10: 0553269631
Publication Date: 7/1/1983
Pages: 320
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 71

3.7 stars, based on 71 ratings
Publisher: Bantam
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

xserafinx avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 78 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 11
"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."
lildrafire avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 117 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
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.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
"....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."
Cattriona avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 200 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is a Southern Gothic classic, written when the author was only 23 years old. It is not a "fluffy" read, dealing with themes of poverty and loneliness, and treatment of some characters (such as the deaf and the mentally ill) would be questionable by modern standards, but the characters are well-drawn and make you think. Recommended.
CraftyTJ avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 381 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A book about an interesing bunch of misfits in a small town. Each character is so very well discribed. The book shows the isolation and lonliness these characters go through as they bond with each other as best they can in their small southern town. A very good read.
Read All 70 Book Reviews of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"

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JackieH avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 36 more book reviews
This book reminded me of a gritty To Kill a MockingBird" It's a story of 4 different people living trying to find there way in the racist south. This a definite must-read!
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on
I just finished this book and I was happy that I choose it. This bok reminded me of really gritty form of the book To Kill a Mockingbird. It seemed like the main charchters all were fighting against society and he ideas that they wanted to change
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 27 more book reviews
classic story in small southern town-good book club story
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 3 more book reviews
It had a good plot and the politics of it made you think but for the most part it was a yawn.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 113 more book reviews
I have loved this book forever and reread when Oprah put it on her list. A classic read.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 16 more book reviews
This is a remarkable first book. The author was 23 when she wrote this wonderful book.
maryelizabethliberty avatar reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on
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.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 6 more book reviews
Interesting observations and language for so young a writer.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 107 more book reviews
A timeless classic regarded as one of the 20th century's great literary masterpeices.
reviewed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on + 231 more book reviews
A modern classic about searching and the loss of innocence.


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