Friday, April 13, 2012

"The Member of the Wedding" by Carson McCullers

  • Audiobook.....narrated by Susan Sarandon
  • Originally published 1946
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  • Characters:  Frankie (age 12).....Jarvis (brother getting married to Janice, corporal in Army, went to Alaska),  Berniece (cook w/blue glass eye), John Henry (Frankie's 1st cousin, age 6)
  • Quotes I Liked:
    • "And the season of dog days is like this.  It is the time at the end of the summer when as a rule, nothing can happen.  But if a change does come about, that change remains until dog days are over."
    • "She was an "I" person.  She had to walk around and do things by herself.  Other people had a "we" to claim, all others except her."

  • Ideas I Liked: 
    • afraid of the questions and the answers of life 
    • "unjoined" person

  • Review:  An absolutely lovely performance by narrator, Susan Sarandon!  What a heartrending, beautifully written story of adolescent angst!  Meet Frances Jasmine Adams, aka Frankie, aka F. Jasmine (pronounced Jasmeen) Adams, depending on her mood at the moment.  Accompany this 12 year old girl on the excruciating emotional journey from childhood to the cusp of adulthood, and lose your heart to her and her cousin, John Henry, and the family cook, Berniece.  Her brother's wedding is the occasion, her desire to be a member of anything rather than continue "unjoined" is her state of being, and her yearning motivates her dreams, wishes and near tragic bad choices.  I felt like I was walking beside her through the entire story.  Great literature!

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