The Member of the Wedding

I first read this book in my early teens and decided that Carson McCuller's was one of the best writers I'd ever read. Now I've just read it again at the age of 74 and am wondering why I was previously to impressed. McCullers has imagination -- no doubt about it. And she has amply descriptive powers. But I wouldn't have thought this story enough to compose an entire book about. Adolescence is -- yes, a state of confusion -- and McCullers does quite an ample job in portraying that sorry state of affairs in one girl's life. But was it really worth the effort? I have to doubt it. Russell

This is my very favorite book and, in my opinion, far superior to "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." I was not an adolescent when I read it--I was 23--but I was astonished by how often McCullers was able to perfectly describe what I had believed to be indescribable experiences. In some ways I think that my attachment to the book grew from my ability to relate to Frankie's anxiety. The pace of the book, which all takes place during one stereotypically oppressive southern summer, becomes more frantic as Frankie's anxiety mounts. Her efforts to belong, to be a member of something, push her to force attachments with others even while she knows they are superficial. I'm certain that, on this point alone, readers who remember the desperation to belong during their adolescence will relate to the novel. McCullers also conveys Frankie's longing for something to happen, to take her beyond the repetetive tedium of her young life and infuse it with adventure. When Frankie takes this task into her own hands, the results are harsh and startling. What truly makes McCullers and this slim novel so amazing is her prose, which is both so sparse and crisp and yet so eloquent and expressive. Every word seems so deliberate that I couldn't believe there could be a more perfect way to depict the scene. At the novel's start, I will always remember the sentence, "At last the summer was like a green sick dream, or like a silent crazy jungle under glass." I wish I could convey how much this book gripped me. It made me feel that my experiences were shared in a much deeper way than I ever could have imagined or hoped. "The Member of the Wedding" is funny, distressing, and deeply sad: as perfect a novel as I've ever read.

My mother first bought me this book when I was 13. Now I'm 18 and I still love it, and I'm still amazed by the beauty in its style everytime I read it. It's the story of Frankie, a twelve year old girl without a mother who does not belong in her town. She feels like an outsider everywhere she goes. It's a concept that I totally related to when I first read the book. Frankie's older brother is planning a wedding, and the novel takes place in the days leading up to the wedding. Frankie, who longs for a way out of her small town and an escape from her life, can hardly wait for the wedding, which will take place in a town called Winter Hill. Frankie imagines how beautiful Winter Hill will be, and she begins to imagine that when her brother and the bride leave for their honeymoon after the wedding, they will take her along. This idea builds up so much in her mind that she can barely stand the anticipation, and she gets into some trouble. Overall, this book conveys Frankie's emotions and confusion so realistically that it's almost painful. But it's a wonderful book. The writing is beautiful, and there is so much imagery. One can picture the sweltering heat, the humidity, and it really helps the reader to get a sense of Frankie's inner frustration. This book is definitely worth reading.

Carson McCullers has been my favorite author since I was thirteen and my father recommended I read a book by her. Now, four years later, I have read all of her short stories and all but one of her novels. By the reviews I have read, I believe maybe this book is not in the right category when it says "young adult" and should not be an option for a book report. Responding to this book with "whatever" and "no plot! " is not truthful and is a terrible injustice to it. This is a perfect "coming-of-age" novel, complete with the feeling of loss and the struggle to fit into pieces of a puzzle where you feel you do not belong. Typical McCullers - compassionate, painfully honest, and sensitive. While I'm obviously getting a little sappy, I do believe McCullers is the only author that I've ever read where I always feel like I am the protagonist - I felt like Frankie every word of this book, because McCullers creates the most realistic characters...let's be honest, kids - we were all "annoying", "selfish", "stupid", "unrealistic" and so on at the age of twelve.