Other editions of book Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

A story set in a mid-sized mill town in Georgia, it weaves together the lives of five very different people - John Singer, a deaf-mute; Mick Kelly, a tomboyish girl who loves music; Jake Blount, an alcoholic labor agitator; Biff Brannon, the observant owner of a diner; and Dr. Benedict Copeland, an idealistic African American physician. Singer, generally considered to be the main character, is a memorable character, as he navigates the loss of his best friend, Antonapoulos, another deaf-mute, who is locked up in a mental asylum when his behavior becomes erratic after an illness. The other characters revolve around Singer, who touches each of their lives in a profound way, although because of the communication gap due to his inability to talk, the other characters often see the relationship very differently than Singer does, whose attention is often focused on Antonapoulos. It was ranked 17th by Modern Library on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century and Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.