Rating: 
Summary: immortal words
Review: I first read this novella in college. Those immortal words about love haunt me still..."Now comes the time to speak about love, for Miss Amelia loved Cousin Lyman, that much was clear to everyone.", but "'Tis better to be the lover than the beloved." Those passages set out the whole premise for the book about love that proves love can be found where you least expect it. Carson McCullers told my favorite tale about the quirky Miss Amelia and Cousin Lyman. Great read.
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Summary: Love transcends and transforms the individual
Review: I love "Ballad of the Sad Cafe". It helped me learn about love, and, in fact, it helped me learn how to love. Carson McCullers' description of the quality of love perfectly expresses why or why not we find the experience of love satisfactory. In fact, the grubby wierdness of the story underlines the premise that true, noble love transcends and transforms the individual. If you've never read it, or if you were a youngster when you did, pick up this book, just for "Ballad of the Sad Cafe". You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh! Not a fun story
Review: I only read the title story of this collection for school, and trust me, it was more than enough. I am sorry, but this story is boring and stupid. It is an easy read, and beautifully told, but the storyline is dumb. I didn't like any of the characters, and everything about the book is sad. I am a sophisticated person, and am willing to look beyond the surface of most books, but this one put me to sleep so fast that I am unlikely to sample any more of McCuller's works unless forced.
Rating:
Summary: best short stories I've ever read
Review: I read A tree, a rock, a cloud twenty times and I
am still thinking about it. Roberto Ambrosio
Sao Paulo - Brazil
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: I read this book after reading - "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". I loved them both. After finishing the "Sad cafe" I told my husband the story. His response was: "Where do you get these weird stories?" (After that, I just had to tell him about the "Lonely hunter") What the stories in the "Sad cafe" have in common is weird characters with lonely, touching lives.The beauty of it is that with time you truly identify and care about these very strange people, who seemingly have nothing in common with you. The sad endings really broke my heart. Please give this book a try, I truly loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Truly odd
Review: I realize that saying "Truly odd" about a McCullers book is like saying, "There's a tall building in New York," but this is by far her most unusual work. It felt more like an experimentation piece to me than a finished work, but even with that I thought it was brilliant. Her best work is THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, and nothing she ever did after that could compare, but BALLAD should be read, along with REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE, McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, and Faulkner's AS I LAY DYING.
Rating:
Summary: exellent easy read that has a suprising twist at the end
Review: I really enjoyed this book.
I definitly recommend this book for someone who
doesn't read often but is for a good book to broaden
their scope of thinking.
Rating:
Summary: A book about stories with no end
Review: I was surprised when I read Ballad of the Sad Cafe to found out that it was a short story and not theater play, which was my first contact with this work. However, upon finishing it became evident why the adaptation was not something difficult. Each character is extremely rich in human complexity and the author dedicates most of its effort to unveil their soul.The same happens with all the stories. However in each one of them its end is somehow bewildering because they lack a conclusion. Is like going to the movies and having the film ending with a "to be continued". I guess McCullens want to convey the idea that at the end of the day nothing finishes because life keeps on going on.
Rating:
Summary: untitled piece
Review: I've just read 'The Ballad of the Sad Cafe' and numerous others of McCuller's short stories. I welcome any comments from other readers on any of McCuller's stories as i love literary discussion but i would especcially like to hear other's thoughts on 'The Sojourner', 'Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland', and 'The Ballad...' McCuller's writing is beautiful to say the least. I can not fathom having the ability to write such works as she does. She expresses herself superbly and interestingly. I am yearning for discussion as I read her however because her story endings seem so abrupt yet meaningful and i want to discover their meanings more deeply.
Rating: 
Summary: what is love
Review: It is impossible to understand this book unless you undersatnd the short story unless you understant the intanglibe consecpt of love. And a definition of love may be diffrent for everybody, but that is the only way one can interpret the story.
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