Review
Long novella by Carson Mccullers, the title work in a collection of short stories, published in 1951. Peopled with bizarre and grotesque characters, the novella has a folkloric quality and is considered one of the author's best works. Amelia Evans, a tall and lonely woman, falls passionately in love with her cousin Lymon, a malevolent dwarf. Amelia opens a cafe that serves as a much-needed social outlet for their tiny Southern town. Lymon falls in love with Amelia's estranged husband, Marvin Macy, who has just been released from prison. Lymon and Macy overpower Amelia physically and wreck her cafe, after which they disappear together, leaving Amelia and the townspeople without hope. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
From AudioFile
This collection's major work--the haunting title novella--is an outstanding example of Southern Gothic. We learn of solitary, sour, Miss Amelia; and her cousin, a hunchbacked dwarf; and Amelia's rascally former husband. Peter Whitman gracefully conveys the moodiness, pain and struggles of these anguished and self-defeated characters through his steady pacing, authentic accents and sympathetic gender depictions. Unfortunately, Whitman is unable to arouse the listener's interest in any of the accompanying six short stories, which are undeveloped and poorly read. E.E.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
