Maybe when people longed for a thing that bad the longing made them trust in anything that might give it to them.
For the deaf-mute John Singer, that thing is the preservation of his friendship with Spiros Antonapoulos, the mentally unbalanced roommate who shares his affliction and his life. For the disadvantaged teen Mick Kelly, it is music where the whole world was this symphony, and there was not enough of her to listen. For the volatile alcoholic Jake Blount, it is the Communist ideal. For Dr. Copeland, it is distinguished regard for himself and his family in a Southern town where people see only the color of their skin. For Biff Brannon, owner of the diner, it is love. Together, their lives crisscross amid a cast of unforgettable characters so nuanced that each feels like a personal acquaintance as they spin dreams from hopes and tragedies.
Written in 1940, this literary classic was ranked seventeenth in The Modern Library’s list of the 100 best-selling English language novels of the 20th Century. To some it is about social commentary. To others it is about homosexual allusions. To me, it is simply the most beautifully written book I have ever read. This classic was made into a film starring Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, and Cicely Tyson in 1954; watch the trailer here . Yet despite the passage of eighty years, the characters and their dilemmas feel just as urgent and fresh as when they were created on the brink of WWII.
12.5 hours on Audible, beautifully narrated by Cherry Jones, or 359 pages.