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The Ballad of the Sad Café

By Carson McCullers
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers is a novella set in a small, Southern town, focusing on the complex relationships that unfold in and around a decrepit café. At the centre is the enigmatic and solitary Miss Amelia, whose life changes when two strangers, a hunchback named Cousin Lymon and her estranged husband Marvin Macy, enter her world. The narrative explores themes of love, isolation, and the peculiarities of human connection.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate atmospheric storytelling with rich character development and an exploration of complex human emotions. Set in a small Southern town, it delves into themes of love, loneliness, and the intricacies of personal relationships, offering a poignant look at the human condition.

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The Ballad of the Sad Café

A collection of Carson McCullers' stories, including her novella "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" and "Wunderkind".

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Brilliant ... a panorama of a remarkable talent ... McCullers's finest stories — The New York Times

A classic work that has charmed generations of readers, this collection assembles Carson McCullers's best stories, including her beloved novella The Ballad of the Sad Café. A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the novella introduces readers to Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose café serves as the town's gathering place.

Among other fine works, the collection also includes "Wunderkind," McCullers's first published story written when she was only seventeen, about a musical prodigy who suddenly realises she will not go on to become a great pianist.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers is highly praised for showcasing her remarkable talent, with stories that are both unexpectedly moving and grimly amusing. Critics highlight its intense atmosphere and praise McCullers as one of the greatest Southern prose writers, recognised for her profound understanding of the human heart.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141183695

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 March 2001

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 9.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 124g

Pages: 160

Collections

Carson McCullers Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Carson McCullers was born at Columbus, Georgia, in 1917. She published The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at the age of twenty-three. Her other works include Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941), The Member of the Wedding (1946), The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1951), The Square Root of Wonderful (1958), a play, Clock Without Hands (1961), Sweet as a Pickle, Clean as a Pig (1964) and The Mortgaged Heart (published posthumously in 1972). She died in 1967.

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