3.5/5

“She looked him full in the face with the most amazed expression. Even now he could not think of it without a shudder. And after a horribly long stare Alison had burst out laughing yes, laughing. She laughed so hard that she choked herself and someone had to beat her on the back. Finally she excused herself from the table. And all through that tormenting evening whenever he looked at her she gave him such a mocking smile.”

Tragedy, Tension, Repression
Love Triangle, Military, Southern Gothic

Through unsettling haunting prose, this novella lulls into a harsh drama in southern gothic style. The tragedy rests in lost dreams, fleeting landscapes, and incisive portraits of lingering attachments and touching alienation to understand why they do the things they do and want the things they want.

I’m not sure this was for me. There was a psychological suspense element that was well done but, beyond that, there wasn’t much here. The writing was good enough to keep me going but it was a short book so that wasn’t really an issue. This was my first McCullers so I may give her more famous novel a shot and see if that agrees with me more.

To be honest I wasn't expecting such a dark and fast-paced story. Although I've read other works by McCullers this one made me feel way more disturbed than usual.

It's amazing how the scenes are vividly set with few words. Even when it's night the immersion of the reader is almost instantaneous. McCullers has a way with scenery that always gets me by surprise, because the way she writes feels lazy and even accidental sometimes.

On the other hand, I felt that some of the characters echoes others from 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter'. Even though they are not the same, it seems that some are like another side of the same person. For example, Ellgee Williams - one of the main characters - echoes Singer (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter). Maybe the fact that this book was published only a year after THLH is one of the reasons why the similarity between characters is so strong.

Now the story... I can't even imagine how can anyone go as deep as McCullers. I truly felt that my heart would sink at the end of the story. She has the ability of working with themes that are usually considered chocking and make them exactly what they are: simple. Instead of making a big drama out of sexual desire and relationships, she shows how common are all these feelings and sad conflicts that people avoid. This story brings to the surface inner feelings that many like to pretend they don't have, and it shows the damage all this blindness to our true selves can cause.

This is definitely not a book for people who seek a fast but light story. For those who want to dive in the deep corners of the human heart, this is one of the best calls.

A small book plunges us into a closed session in a military barracks. We know there will be a drama, but who of the six characters will be the victim? Under the background of adultery, each character is ultimately very alone with his tensions and neuroses.
Good writing quality.

This was a pretty incredible novella - packed with so many painful observations on humans and sexuality in just a few pages. I would love to see this one on more queer studies syllabi, because I had never heard of it before I was looking for more Carson McCullers to read. Also, the introduction by Tennessee Williams was an insightful/sassy essay on how to respond to people who wonder why they should ever read sad books.