The book club girls and I chose to read Carson McCullers' "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" last meeting. You can see from the book cover that this book may not be so happy, but this is an anniversary cover and is actually a photo of the author. I think it really shows a little window into an author's life because, unfortunately, I feel that most profound authors are a brooding bunch and have some major personal issues. This is also what probably makes them interesting and able to escape reality to put words onto paper in such a distinct manner. Hmmm to envy or not to envy.
McCullers is a Georgia author from Columbus and this book is set in this area without giving exact geographic location. I find it phenomenal that she was only twenty-three when she wrote this wonderful book and she deserves all the praise that litters the back of her book. The best "back of book quote" comes from Mary Sarton. She writes "When one puts [this book] down, it is with... a feeling of having been nourished by the truth." I read that sentence before I read the book and wondered what it was driving at and now that I am finished I think it is a perfect statement.
McCullars finds a gripping and interesting way to tell the story of a number of characters lives. They are all unique and all serve a purpose to get to a defining end which for better or worse is definitely truth. So well thought out are the characters and how interested you become in their well being. It is everything you could ask for in a book. This book is about social class, race, and generally the human species and our ability to survive together. Amazing book. I am for sure going to partake in McCullers other novels when I've finished up this project. (That may be years from now, but I WILL be reading more of her stuff.)
When the book club met in July, I was the only one who had finished the book because, well, I think we are all getting caught up in our summer activities but the girls said they were definitely going to finish it. So maybe I will be able to share there insights when we meet again.
I also just finished Graham Greene's "The Heart of the Matter." While these books both have the word HEART in the title and are both set in the 1940's they are extremely different. They both refer to The War but McCullars is looking at it from the "far away thing that is happening over there" point of view of small town America and Greene is looking at it as the reason his characters have a job to do in West Africa. (Both do not like the Germans...)
Greene's book tells the story of a distinguished police officer who has made his life and career in West Africa. His wife can't stand to be there anymore and can not figure out why her husband hasn't had enough of the place. He won't leave even when he has the chance to. But all that is back story but eludes to the meat of the book. It is all about love and what that really is and how it works when you are of devote Catholic faith. Scobie, the police officer, falls so deeply that he doesn't really even know if it is love. In his mind, the feeling of being responsible for making someone happy means love and he can not stand to not meet his responsibilities. This book has such a different look at what love could be. The way this man deals with it is just utterly tragic. It makes this book thought provoking in the fact that it is like nothing else I have read on the subject and the fact that it is completely believable makes it all the more a worthwhile read.
On to the new stuff, The book club chose to read "The Sheltering Sky," by Paul Bowles. This is a post WWII book set in North Africa. (This is becoming a theme! I now know what type of book I need to write to get on a "Best" list.) This book is suppose to be about marital woes and traveling debacles so it should be interesting. I've only read the first 10 pages so we'll see where it goes from there.
Happy Reading!
