This one is a re-read for me. I originally bought my copy at my beloved, now-shuttered What The Book? in Seoul in 2012, though the cover of the Mariner Books edition that came out in 2000, with its haunting photo of Carson McCullers, was a constant presence in my high school book store visits. The text also made an impression on me, and long after I forgot the events of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, the emotional wallop it packed lingered. It’s remained in my library ever since.
I picked it up again for a re-read now, in June 2025, because I was craving a comfort read. On a related note, I got the notion that it would be the perfect gift for a new book friend I’d recently made, and while “I don’t remember anything that happens in the book, but I know that I loved it” might be a glowing recommendation, it’s not a very convincing one.
In no way was I disappointed.
I don’t know why I never picked up another book by McCullers. Part of it is no doubt due to the fact that I try to read as many authors as possible rather than hyperfocusing on just a few. But I expect I didn’t want an inadequate follow-up to tarnish my affection for The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
Maybe now in 2025 I can give it a shot.
