The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
By: Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
She wrote this when she was 23 (WHAT??). She was heavily influenced by music and intended on studying music at Julliard until she fell ill. She then changed her mind and studied Creative Writing at Columbia University in New York.
From what I can tell, this book is about a deaf-mute man making friends with misfits in a small town. He has this other mute friend but she goes crazy. After that happens he goes to this house of the town misfits. The house is owned by a person who is crazy about music. It's based in the 1930's so there is also some racial tension involved.
I would be interested in reading this book. I think it would be cool to read something in a different perspective. I also think it was written in a very interesting time. Something I would be unsure about is that it is realistic fiction. I have a lot of trouble reading realistic fiction. I can do it, but it is still a challenge.
"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody"
The Catcher in the Rye
By: J.D. Salinger (1919-2010)
I didn't know that he was alive in 2010!!! I thought that was really cool for some reason. Salinger really struggled with the newfound fame created by his writing. He became somewhat of a recluse. He grew up in Manhattan, I'm jealous.
The Catcher in the Rye is story about a completely narcissistic teenage boy. He doesn't apply himself in school and flunks out everywhere. He is very smart and conscientious. Even though he has those qualities he tends to exaggerate, contradict himself, and overall just blow smoke. The book is mainly just about a privileged teenage boy trying to figure things out.
I love this book. I chose this as my ending quote because I love it. I feel kinda cliche for loving it but oh well. I recommend this book because I feel like everyone reads it differently. I thought it was satirical and making fun of teenagers for thinking we have it all figured out. Some people I've talked to thought Holden was not the "phony" and that he was a smart cookie. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is a fan of structure in a story. This book has no plot or exposition.
I guess I'm cliche, too, because I really loved Catcher in the Rye also. Holden reminds me so much of my best guy friend in high school. I need to read that one again soon. I recently grabbed The Heart is Lonely Hunter from the book room with plans to read it. I'm going to read Still Alice over break though, before I see the movie. I'm sure both will break my heart.
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