Book Notes | ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’
The Modern Library ranked The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers seventeenth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Time magazine included it in its 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. In 2004 the novel was selected for Oprah's Book Club.
McCullers was born on February 19, 1917, in Columbus, Georgia. She took writing classes at Columbia University and New York University from 1935 to 1936. She died from a brain hemorrhage on September 29, 1967.
Published in 1940, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter was her debut novel; she was 23 at the time of publication. The novel enjoyed a rapid rise to the top of the bestseller lists, although it received a divided reception from the critics. Kirkus Reviews wrote: “Direct, uncompromising, a distinguished piece of writing whose very subject matter will make it almost impossible to sell.”
Set in the 1930s, in a southern town much like the one in which McCullers was raised, the book revolves around the enigmatic figure of John Singer, a deaf-mute who finds himself on his own after 10 years of sharing a silent routine with his only friend and fellow deaf-mute, Spiros Antonapoulos.
When Antonapoulos, after a stretch of increasingly erratic behavior, is committed to an asylum, Singer finds himself more isolated than ever—until he comes to board in the house of the Kelly family and becomes the confidant of four of the town’s loneliest souls: the café owner Biff Brannon, the heavy-drinking political radical Jake Blount, the Black doctor Benedict Copeland, and a 12-year-old girl with dreams of a musical future, Mick Kelly. These four characters, estranged from family, friends, and community by the remoteness of their longings, find consolation in the hushed politeness of Singer’s company.
We had a good discussion when the UMRA Book Club met on July 21, although members found McCullers’ novel dark and bleak. We questioned why the book was so popular when it was first published, and why it is on so many current lists of best novels. Not many in our group would recommend the book to others.
— Diane Madlon-Kay, UMRA Book Club I
Book Club I in July
Fri, Jul 21 2023, 2pm
Diane Madlon-Kay will lead the discussion of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 21.
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.