The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
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- For the song 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter' see The Cosmic Game
| The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | |
 Cover of a recent reprint edition |
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| Author | Carson McCullers |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Publication date | 1940 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 356 pp |
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a 1940 novel by American author Carson McCullers. It is about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the U.S. state of Georgia. The novel was chosen as a selection for Oprah's Book Club in 2004.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The struggles of four of John Singer's primary acquaintances make up the majority of the narrative; they are Mick Kelly, a young girl, Jake Blount, an alcoholic labor agitator, Biff Brannon, a restaurateur, and Dr. Benedict Copeland, an idealistic African-American doctor.
[edit] Criticism
The novel is among many works of art by numerous authors which have been subjected to social criticism for the manner in which deaf people are represented[citation needed]. The novel's protagonist, John Singer, is "silent," a characterization which is said to perpetuate the notion that deafness detaches people from the world around them and should therefore be seen as negative or unfortunate. Social critics and scholars in deaf culture, as well as deaf people themselves, find these kinds of representations to be unrealistically generalized.[citation needed] On the other hand, Singer is represented as a kind, understanding character who communicates well with others.
[edit] Film adaptation
A 1968 film adaptation of the same name was directed by Robert Ellis Miller. It stars Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, Laurinda Barrett, Stacy Keach, Percy Rodriguez, Chuck McCann and Cicely Tyson. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Alan Arkin) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Sondra Locke).
[edit] Play adaptation
A stage adaptation of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter premiered on March 30, 2005 at The Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The show ran until April 24 of that year, and then toured.
The play was an Alliance Theater presentation done in association with The Acting Company out of New York. The play was in two acts adapted from the novel by Rebecca Gilman and directed by Doug Hughes.
[edit] The Cast
Singer - Henry Stram
Mick Kelly - Julie Jesneck
Dr. Copeland - Ron Cephas Jones
Portia - Roslyn Ruff
Biff Brannon - Randall Newsome
Jake Blount - Andrew Weems
Antonapoulos, et al. - John Sierros
Mr. Kelly, et al. - David de Vries
Willie, et al. - Jimonn Cole
Harry, et al. - Adam Green
[1] [2]
One of McCullers' biographers, Virginia Spencer Carr, was in attendance at the premiere and appeared in a pre-show answer and discussion session with Rebecca Gilman.
[edit] Trivia
Thievery Corporation's 2004 Album The Cosmic Game features a track by David Byrne bearing the book's title.
In the episode "An Elk for Heffer" of the hit Nickelodeon cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life", Heffer's heart can be seen reading a copy of "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter".
The first track off The Anniversary's album Designing a Nervous Breakdown is entitled, "Heart Is a Lonely Hunter".
[edit] References
- ^ Heart Tour Program: The Acting Company www.theactingcompany.org
- ^ Variety http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117926738.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
