What are you reading? What do you think?

I just finished "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. It was pretty good. Very interesting, well written, engaging and moving. The story follows the lives of several people that have a central acquaintance, Mr. Singer. John Singer is a mute/deaf man. He is kind and patient and most of all, quiet. The other important characters in the book all need someone, someone to understand, like and accept them. Mr. Singer is, in each of their minds, exactly the person that they need him to be. In truth Mr. Singer is rather confused by all the attention and can't quite fathom the ways and words of most of the people who come to him for companionship. But he allows their attention and love and is always accessible and kind to them.

Mr. Singer has a friend, a Greek man named Spiros Antonapoulos. Spiros is rather stupid and greedy and off color, in my opinion. But there again is the most valuable quality, he is utterly silent, a deaf/mute with somewhat less brains than Mr. Singer. As Singer is exactly what the others need, Spiros is exactly what he needs, a silent friend that can be whatever John Singer needs him to be.

The book is full of stark humanity. It is utterly truthful. A good read, all in all.