. I had never heard of her work before (which, of course, reveals how much I have yet to read). I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this slim little novel.This is her first sentence: “An army post in peacetime is a dull place.” And then she goes on to disprove this very notion. True, the post is all about routine and drill. But she takes us into the homes of the officers and their wives and into one enlisted man’s head. The horrors are there just behind the picket fence and inside the otherwise stark barracks. The characters fall in love with the wrong people (most often ones to whom they are not married) and take out their inner angst with garden sheers used on their own nipples, in one ghastly example. Those Southerners. Cukoo. McCullers gives every single one of her characters a lobotomy.
The insanity and despair of the characters is made even more compelling by McCullers extremely tight prose style. The sentence structure and diction are militant—no lyrical episodes to take a trip into metaphysics or provide enough words for a soft landing. These characters are doomed to fit into their little sentences.
colorful vocabulary, phrases and some sentences too
swardthe grassy surface of land
mufti
ordinary dress as distinguished from that denoting an occupation or station ; especially : civilian clothes when worn by a person in the armed forces
“He had a sad penchant for becoming enamored of his wife’s lovers.”
slattern
an untidy slovenly woman; also : SLUT, PROSTITUTE
fractious grace
termagant wife
an overbearing or nagging woman : SHREW
grim vivacity
badinage
playful repartee / banter
cerise curtains
a moderate red
merriest malice
cynosure
one that serves to direct or guide / center of atrraction or attention
frippery
something showy, frivolous, or nonessential : LUXURY, TRIFLE
"The sun and firelight were bright in the room."
"Like all very stupid people she had a predilection for the gruesome, which she could indulge in or throw off at will."
"And having given up life, the Captain suddenly began to live."
hauter
arrogance, haughtiness
sluggish grace
repressed agitation
hobbledehoy
an awkward gawky youth
lazy tenderness
velleity
the lowest level of volition / a slight wish or tendency (inclination)
sough
to make a moaning or sighing sound
some useful links
Biography of Carson McCullers
The Carson McCullers Project
Audio Recording of McCullers
The Tragicomic Vision in McCullers (literary criticism)
The Carson McCullers Project
Audio Recording of McCullers
The Tragicomic Vision in McCullers (literary criticism)
1 comment:
May I suggest, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by McCullers? It was my first (and as of yet only) experience with her work. It's worthy of a read.
Love your recent entries btw. Miss ya'!
T :)
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