Sanctuary is an awesome read! It's rather unlike some of his other things- but it still is tragic and brutal and all of the things Faulkner does like no other.
Sanctuary is an awesome read! It's rather unlike some of his other things- but it still is tragic and brutal and all of the things Faulkner does like no other.
I have only read "Light In August", it's a difficult read but one of the best novels ever written. Faulkner makes you think about every single sentence which creates a very realitic and believable story.
"And the worms, they will climb
The rugged ladder of your spine"
Sanctuary is the best thriller I have ever read. There was a tension in my chest during every chapter.
I'm reading Light in August now. It's a strong story and the non-linear approach makes it stronger.
At this rate it will be good-bye Nick Adams, hello Joe Christmas!
"Do you mind if I reel in this fish?" - Dale Harris
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." - Ernest Hemingway
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I remember now 'As I Lay Dying' was the one I couldn't get into. I'll try the others. Cheers.
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Scher's right - ALD is a great book and one of the easier to follow. Faulkner's stream-of-consciousness passages and fractured chronology wreak havoc with any reader expecting a linear story. With Faulkner, the story is rarely told in a straightforward form (and even when it is, his syntax taxes a reader's patience severely). Light is good, but its length makes plot recall pretty tricky; the Sound and the Fury is a bad idea to start with - practiced readers pull their hair out reading that one; Absolom Absolom is just as difficult. If you're patient, ALD will start to make sense. Just remember that each chapter is a different narrator.
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis
I am going to read this one twice. Slight mentions in the beginning, like the backless chairs and frictionsmooth tables in a diner, are later revealed as important locations. But when you do remember, it makes one hell of an impact.
"Do you mind if I reel in this fish?" - Dale Harris
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." - Ernest Hemingway
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Very true - one of the astonishing qualities of reading Faulkner - but one hard-won, to be sure.
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis
In true Faulkner fashion you should read The Sound and the Fury first, but keep in mind you won't have a clue what you just read. Just know that you will at least realize you have read something extremely powerful and it will pull you back to it time and time again. After you read it a few times the novel is not complicated at all. I've always said the best novel to read first for students who seek out Faulkner is As I Lay Dying because it's simple yet profound. Sartoris is another one, and eventually Absalom is a must. It's a novel that is hard to be drawn to compared to his other works, but that is because it is a bible for the literary. All you have to do is just read a few pages now and then and everything is ok.
I really enjoyed A Rose For Emily. I thought that was an excellent short story. I haven't been able to read his novels though. I tried to read As I Lay Dying, but the stream of conciousness parts really confused me and I just stopped. Then I tried to read The Sound and the Fury, but I had to quit that also because I could never tell which character was doing the narrating, and what event happened when, because it all seemed to jump around all over the place.
A room without books is like a body without a soul.
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
I see most have recommended As I Lay Dying, but I started that and put it down in.....frustration and aggravation. Just didn't like the characters I suppose and at that point swore off of Faulkner. Wrong! Now a year later I am reading Absalom, Absalom and just enjoying myself no end.
I think the key is to take him very slowly and try to absorb and reread right away. I reread the first several pages 4 or 5 times until they sunk in, and kept that sort of pace for the first two chapters.....then all of a sudden the thing seemed to click and I could go forward much faster.
What helped me as well in the beginning was to write the family connections inside the back cover...just to keep who was related and how.
I'm still only in the 4th chapter, but it is flowing well now.
Well, I have just finished my very first Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!, and I am still reeling. But in a good way!
I heard Absalom, Absalom! was the toughest. Good job.
I've read Sanctuary and Light in August and found Faulkner the only author to stir me emotionally.
I wanted to read either TSNTF or AILD next, but I'm really interested in Absalom, Absalom.
"Do you mind if I reel in this fish?" - Dale Harris
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." - Ernest Hemingway
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Wow, you started Faulkner with Absalom. That is a tough one, but well worth it, if you can get it.Well, I have just finished my very first Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!, and I am still reeling. But in a good way!
LET THERE BE LIGHT
"Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena
My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
Congrates
I've had The Sound and the Fury on my list for sometime now, I guess I'll add Light in August and As I Lay Dying too
I'm the patron saint of the denial,
With an angel face and a taste for suicidal.
Agreed. His layering technique is unique to say the least but once settled into is quite soothing.
Congrates
I've had The Sound and the Fury on my list for sometime now, I guess I'll add Light in August and As I Lay Dying tooThanks y'all.NickAdams /I heard Absalom, Absalom! was the toughest. Good job.
I've read Sanctuary and Light in August and found Faulkner the only author to stir me emotionally.
I wanted to read either TSNTF or AILD next, but I'm really interested in Absalom, Absalom.
A good friend of mine that happens to be a New Yorker said it must be subliminal picking up of the vibes on my part as I was born and raised near New Orleans.Whatever it is, and actually I agree, it works.
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