This is a truly wonderful and delightful book.

From the moment I picked it up, I was captivated by its charm and engaging storyline.

The author has a unique way of weaving words together to create a vivid and immersive world that draws the reader in and keeps them hooked until the very end.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own distinct personalities and motives.

The plot is full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, never knowing what's going to happen next.

I can't wait to write a more detailed review to share my thoughts and feelings about this amazing book with others.

It's definitely one that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a great read.

A Dated but Charming Glimpse into the Ponder Family Drama in Small-Town Mississippi

This novella offers a dated yet generally charming look at the Ponder Family's drama set in a small town in Mississippi. The characters are a unique blend of quirkiness, delight, and at times, insufferability. The social hierarchies and stereotyping presented within the story are likely to shock a modern audience. However, amidst all this, there are some enduring truths about family pride and devotion that still resonate. Welty's use of idioms adds an interesting layer to the narrative and is definitely worth the read. Nevertheless, the "resolution" to the story was somewhat underwhelming. Perhaps this was Welty's intended point, but for me, it left a bit of a disappointing taste. Overall, it's a story that has its strengths and weaknesses, but it does offer an interesting perspective on life in a small southern town.

Edna Earl Ponder is sharing the story of her family, with a particular focus on Uncle Daniel.

Edna Earl's father was the eldest son of grandpa, while Uncle Daniel was the youngest. As a result, Edna Earl and Uncle Daniel were approximately the same age.

Uncle Daniel had a genuine love for making people happy and was extremely generous. In fact, he was so generous that he once almost gave away everything he had.

Then, one day, he met Bonnie Dee Peacock. She was a petite woman. (It should be noted that she and Johnnie Ree were not twins; they were just born close together in time.)

Eventually, Bonnie Dee Peacock became Bonnie Dee Peacock Ponder. And Narciss, the cook, would chauffeur Bonnie Dee and Uncle Daniel around in what had previously been grandpa's Studebaker.

I don't want to reveal everything, but let's just say that Bonnie Dee had a great fear of lightning, and that's all for now.......

I grew up in Oklahoma, which is technically Midwest but often identifies as South. This upbringing allows me to truly appreciate Welty's remarkable recreation of a Mississippi drawl. However, aside from that distinct voice, I found it quite challenging to fully enjoy this particular work. It felt as if I was engaged in the literary equivalent of eavesdropping on a one-sided telephone conversation.

Most of the time, I had no idea who the narrator was referring to, but I could sense that they were rather complex individuals.

Afterward, I decided to look up a plot summary online and was truly shocked. It sounded like an incredibly good story! But unfortunately, none of that excitement translated onto the page for me. I believe the narrative structure, with information being filtered through a third-party character, made it extremely difficult to keep track of who's who and what's what.

The plot that I did manage to understand was of the uncomfortable variety. Given that the novel was published in the 1950s and set in the South, I was somewhat expecting both casual and overt racism. However, it was disappointing to see that the Black characters were largely reduced to the role of idiots. Of course, we are limited by the narrator's point of view, so there is a certain realism in the depiction of race given the character. Still, even as a product of the 1950s and set in the South, it should have been possible to humanize the Black characters.

While I don't believe this novel has significant enduring value, it was extremely popular during its time. Before being published as a novel, it was serialized in the New Yorker to great acclaim. Subsequently, it was adapted into a Broadway play that won a Tony. In 1982, it was adapted again as an opera, and in 2001, it became a television movie.

As for Eudora Welty herself, she would later go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for her 1972 novel The Optimist's Daughter.

If a person doesn't find other pleasures in life except talking - then by all means let them talk.

Especially when we have nothing to do and are not intelligent enough to prefer silence.

Talking can be a way to express oneself, share ideas, and connect with others.

It can bring a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

However, it's important to also know when to listen and give others a chance to speak.

Sometimes, silence can be more powerful than words.

It allows for reflection, understanding, and respect.

So, while it's okay to talk when the need arises, we should also be mindful of the impact our words have on others and strive for a balance between speaking and listening.

This way, we can have meaningful conversations and build stronger relationships.

Eudora Welty is truly a remarkable writer. She has an outstanding sense of humor that can make readers burst into laughter. Her deep understanding of character allows her to bring the characters in her stories to life vividly. And her delightful ability to channel Southern storytelling adds a unique charm to her works.

In "The Ponder Heart", which is told by Edna Earle Ponder, it feels as if we are sitting in the Sunday parlor, listening to the day's events being rattled off by a maiden aunt. Edna Earle misses nothing and has her own interpretations of everything. What I found most enjoyable were her very Southern expressions that flowed so easily from her lips, reminding me of the soothing sounds of my childhood.

The story is about Uncle Daniel, and it is filled with observations about who he is and who the Ponders are in general. Uncle Daniel is a man who cannot control his generosity, perhaps because he has never worked a day in his life and has no sense of the value of his money.

Uncle Daniel's happiness becomes intertwined with pleasing Bonnie Dee Peacock, a young girl he marries. The tale has a tragic aspect, but it is told in such a humorous tone that we never think to feel bad for the characters, only to laugh at them. However, at the end, the pathos hits us hard.

Money and its corrosive impact on society are part of the thematic structure. But it is not Uncle Daniel who worships money; it is others who change their view of him because of his wealth. It is the society of others that forms the center of his life, not his wealth or his infatuation with Bonnie Dee. This is what makes the ending suddenly filled with all the sadness that was hidden beneath the laughter of the tale.

I am currently reading the correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell. When the conversation turned to her publication of "The Ponder Heart", I realized I had not read this work. I have now stopped to correct this omission and am looking forward to delving deeper into the story and gaining a better understanding of the commentary.

The older I grow, the more deeply I come to appreciate Welty's sly humor.

The Ponder Heart is set in a small town in Mississippi in 1922. It was a time before the advent of television and the constant stream of "breaking news" on a national and international scale. In those out-of-the-way places, most people had to rely on travelers and visitors from larger areas to keep them informed about what was happening in the world. As a result, local events were of the utmost interest to everyone.

Uncle Daniel Ponder definitely provided the townspeople with plenty of fodder for conversation. He suffered from what might be called arrested development today. He was as sweet as could be, but not quite smart enough to fully understand complex situations that could potentially harm him. He loved to talk, loved to give things away, and was completely ruled by his impulses. He was a little eccentric and needed to be looked after. This is where Edna Earle, his niece, comes in. Now, Edna Earle also loved to talk, and the entire story is narrated by her.

The language and the Southern idioms alone are sufficient reasons to read this book. Of course, just like everyone else, Edna Earle looks down on certain people, while conveniently forgetting that the Ponders may be just like them. The hypocrisy in most of her statements is highly amusing. However, she knows how to tell a story, and her account of the trial is like watching a movie unfold. My edition also had some wonderful pen and ink line drawings that vividly illustrate the story. I understand that this book was adapted into a Broadway play in the 1950s and later into a movie, but the story was already perfect on its own, without the need for either of these adaptations.

Everyone from the south had a relative like Uncle Daniel.

We used to keep our crazy people within the family, and everyone adapted. It was a common practice, and somehow, life went on.

Welty's story of how Uncle Daniel was found not guilty of murdering his wife is as good as one of Twain's tall tales. It's a fascinating account that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Edna Earle sure is a storyteller, just what the distraction doctor ordered! Her tales have the power to transport you to another world, away from the daily grind and into a realm of imagination and wonder.

Whether it's the antics of Uncle Daniel or the other colorful characters in her stories, Edna Earle knows how to captivate an audience and leave them wanting more.

Her stories are like a breath of fresh air, a welcome escape from the ordinary.

And we can all use a little bit of that in our lives.

The first-person narrator reports in an entertaining, chattering way about life in the small town of Clay and about her Uncle Daniel Ponder, who courts a much too young (and too thin) (and too poor) bride.

However, the narrator Edna Earle mainly indulges in talking about the main character, Uncle Daniel – very rich, very generous, always neatly dressed and a bit mentally confused. So he is an unrealistic protagonist who can randomly fling the plot in all directions, including slapstick; something like that interests me less than pure everyday life.

Welty writes throughout in a light-hearted to sunny tone, sometimes with themes that are difficult to follow.

Overall, the story offers a vivid picture of small-town life and an eccentric character, but its randomness and lack of a more grounded narrative may not appeal to everyone.

I purchased this book from a second-hand shop, solely based on the description/blurb on the back cover. It remained unopened on my shelves for several months until I picked it up to read the other day. To my utter surprise (and even shock), on the inner cover was written my mother’s name in the unique way she spells it (distinct from the way it is typically spelt). It wasn't her old book that had somehow found its way back to us (as she hasn't ever read it), but rather an odd coincidence. Now, onto the actual book.

This was my first novel by the author. The story is narrated in the voice of Edna Earle Ponder, who tells us about the Ponder family or what remains of it, essentially herself, her Grandpa, and Uncle Daniel. Edna Earle manages the Beulah Hotel, which originally belonged to her Grandma and was "given" to her by Uncle Daniel. Uncle Daniel, according to Grandpa Ponder, was "behind a door" when the almighty was distributing brains. He is a good-hearted, good-tempered eccentric, but "simple", and given to loving people (pretty much everyone he meets), giving away his property, and being loquacious. His first marriage didn't work out for either party, but when he suddenly marries a seventeen-year-old Bonnie Dee Peacock, a dainty creature who agrees to marry him on "trial", the Ponders’ lives are affected in an unexpected way.

I relished the writing and the humour in this short novel, which is for the most part a light-hearted tale (albeit with a few touches (but only touches) of melancholy) of life in a small town and of people whose lives revolve around that town (to the extent that even nearby towns seem too far away). Uncle Daniel is also a likeable character, with his eccentricities and child-like enjoyment of everything, whether it's the fair that comes to town (where he distributes banana ices to the girls performing a dance, right in the middle of the performance) or giving away his possessions. Edna is also likeable for understanding and being there for Uncle Daniel. However, what I enjoyed the most was what turned out to be a murder mystery (complete with a trial) in the story. I wasn't sure what to anticipate, and the solution, when revealed, was as eccentric as the characters themselves. It was an enjoyable read. (The word n_ _ _ _ appears throughout, but matter-of-factly rather than as a slur—still, it isn't PC).

As always, I never remembered to mark out the lines that I enjoyed, but a couple are: "Intrepid Elsie Fleming rode a motor-cycle around the Wall of Death—which let her do if she wants to ride a motor-cycle that bad." And "Of course, Polk did use to be on the road. But the road left and it didn't get up and follow, and neither did the Peacocks. Up until Bonnie Dee."

Edna Earle Ponder tells a charming tale about her Uncle Daniel Ponder. He is described as slow and "behind the door when the almighty gave out brains." The Ponders are a wealthy family in 1950s Mississippi, with a quirky fear of electricity. Daniel has a penchant for giving away everything in sight, so he is put on a weekly allowance, which he squanders in minutes. He is married off in the hope that he will come to his senses, but it doesn't stick until he meets his second wife, Bonnie Dee Peacock. A country girl from a long line of train-waving Peacocks, she isn't overly fond of Daniel but does enjoy his money. Tragically, she dies mysteriously, leading to Daniel being charged with murder. The trial is both funny and unexpected. Sport the dog is, without a doubt, the best "straight man" in all of literature.

Welty's dialogue is on point. Edna Earle is as witty as they come. Her descriptions bring the characters and the story to life, making it a truly engaging read. The combination of humor, mystery, and family drama makes this tale a unique and enjoyable piece of literature.

From 1953,

All of it is told from the voice of a single character, Edna Earle Ponder. It's all about her Uncle Daniel, who is of the same age as her, perhaps in his 40s or maybe 50s. At the beginning, it was just a lighthearted, very southern, fable. However, then something unexpected happened. Daniel's second wife, the young Bonnie Dee, died suddenly. And this led to an entertaining murder trial.

To be honest, there is a part in the story where there is a hovering, flying fireball. I was really uncertain if this was meant to be an element of magical realism or something else entirely. It added an air of mystery and confusion to the narrative. Was it a supernatural occurrence or just a strange event that was open to interpretation? I found myself constantly wondering about the true nature of this fireball and how it fit into the overall story.