McCullers’ novella may be her best writing (although her novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a close second-place), and a full appreciation of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe comes out of a biographical reading (i.e., the more a reader knows about McCullers’ life, the more powerfully affecting the novella becomes for the reader). IMHO, McCullers was one of the most talented but most tortured writers on the 20th century, and I do not believe she reached her full potential (which she squandered in some ways) though her novella is an excellent insight into the rich textures of her potential.
McCullers’ novella may be her best writing (although her novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a close second-place), and a full appreciation of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe comes out of a biographical reading (i.e., the more a reader knows about McCullers’ life, the more powerfully affecting the novella becomes for the reader). IMHO, McCullers was one of the most talented but most tortured writers on the 20th century, and I do not believe she reached her full potential (which she squandered in some ways) though her novella is an excellent insight into the rich textures of her potential.
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