Which Faulkner novels should I get?

[SirJazzHands]

I loved The Sound and the Fury, so what I am planning on doing is probably purchasing one of the Library of America books.
Please help me in deciding which I should buy =D Thanks

1930-1935: As I Lay Dying • Sanctuary • Light in August • Pylon
1936-1940: Absalom, Absalom! • The Unvanquished • If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem (The Wild Palms) • The Hamlet
1942-1954: Go Down, Moses • Intruder in the Dust • Requiem for a Nun • A Fable
1957-1962: The Town • The Mansion • The Reivers: A Reminiscence

[JBI]

As I lay dying, Light in August, the Hamlet, Absalom, Absalom!, The Wild Palms, and Sanctuary, according to Harold bloom. I would start with As I lay Dying and Light in August.

[_Shannon_]

Sanctuary is my favorite. A Light in August is my next favorite--so I'd buy that first volume!

I wouldn't buy the last volume on it's own--becuase The Hamlet (the first of the Snopes trilogy) is in a different volume.

[JBI]

Faulkner's favorite actually was A Fable, though it is not highly rated by most critics, relative to his other work.

[tractatus]

I read only three of him, and "Light of August" was good piece.

[Charles Darnay]

Both Light in August and As I Lay Dying are fantastic....admittedly, those are the only two I've read so far

[Virgil]

Light In August is my favorite, but you can't go wrong with almost any of them.

[JBI]

Light in August is my favorite too. The reason, I find, is the cyclical nature of the book, the interior monologues combined with the long chapters, verses the long monologues used in The Sound and the Fury, and the shifting stream of consciousness used in As I lay dying, the shifting of time from flashback to present, the character Joe Christmas who is perhaps Faulkner's greatest creation, and the bitter irony of the end.

[SirJazzHands]

Okay so I decide to just buy the first volume, reason being chronological order actually seems to make the most sense considering Faulkner introduces characters and expands on them later.
Thanks for the help everyone =)

[Virgil]

Why is Light in August your favorite? I think it's wonderful, I'm just curious. And I'm not a cat, so I'm not worried about dying. LOL

Just saw this now Anti. Not sure why. I just think the story is powerful. Faulkner's other stories are less plot driven and mostly character driven. Light In August has both. A fabulous set of characters with an intense plot and of course an incredble narrative and writing style.

[a lost weekend]

Part 2 of SF is the up there amongst the greatest prose e'er written.

[NickAdams]

I loved The Sound and the Fury, so what I am planning on doing is probably purchasing one of the Library of America books.
Please help me in deciding which I should buy =D Thanks

1930-1935: As I Lay Dying • Sanctuary • Light in August • Pylon
1936-1940: Absalom, Absalom! • The Unvanquished • If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem (The Wild Palms) • The Hamlet
1942-1954: Go Down, Moses • Intruder in the Dust • Requiem for a Nun • A Fable
1957-1962: The Town • The Mansion • The Reivers: A Reminiscence

I have the 1930-1935 and the 1942-1954 volumes. I'd read a few of his short stories before purchasing the LOA editions. I started with Sanctuary and upon Virgil's insistence I read Light in August. I didn't find it a problem reading out of sequence (having skipped As I Lay Dying). You made a great choice.


Just saw this now Anti. Not sure why. I just think the story is powerful. Faulkner's other stories are less plot driven and mostly character driven. Light In August has both. A fabulous set of characters with an intense plot and of course an incredble narrative and writing style.

Light in August is a real punch to the gut.

[Nossa]

Light in August is a real punch to the gut.
I was planning on reading this novel, as my first Faulkner novel :lol: So that was really encouraging :lol:

[NickAdams]

I was planning on reading this novel, as my first Faulkner novel :lol: So that was really encouraging :lol:

:lol: Faulkner is the only author who can move me emotionally. Light in August pulled things out of me that I didn't know existed. Enjoy.:D

[Nossa]

:lol: Faulkner is the only author who can move me emotionally. Light in August pulled things out of me that I didn't know existed. Enjoy.:D

:lol: Oh...you mean that kind of punch :p I thought you meant it was difficult or not too good..lol...and I'll hopefully enjoy it, lets just hope it's not too difficult for my poor brain cells :D

[Nossa]

I think Light in August is probably Faulkner's easiest novel in terms of writing style, Nossa. I don't mean it's easy or it doesn't have great emotional depth. Like Nick said, it does have great depth, but in terms of style, it's far easier to grasp than The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom, Go Down Moses, and some others.

I sure hope so. And I really gotta thank you for the discussion of A Rose for Emily, it was quite reassuring to me. I mean I know it's a short story and it's easier and less complex than his novels, but still, I think the fact that I read and understood it (though sadly didn't contribute much in the discussion) it made me feel excited cuz I was a bit scared at first to try reading Faulkner. So yeah, thanks Anti :D

[NickAdams]

I don't think it's difficult at all, but I didn't find Beckett to be difficult either.

[SirJazzHands]

I'm actually kind of curious, NickAdams, on your opinion of the lesser known work within the volume I bought. Have you read Pylon too, and how was it if you have? Sanctuary from what little I know seems like it could be interesting.

[NickAdams]

I'm actually kind of curious, NickAdams, on your opinion of the lesser known work within the volume I bought. Have you read Pylon too, and how was it if you have? Sanctuary from what little I know seems like it could be interesting.

I haven't read Pylon ... yet, but I did enjoy Sanctuary. I don't know if it was the same for anybody else, but Sanctuary gave me a great amount tension. It's a book I will read again.

[Virgil]

I haven't read Pylon ... yet, but I did enjoy Sanctuary. I don't know if it was the same for anybody else, but Sanctuary gave me a great amount tension. It's a book I will read again.

Yes I felt that tension too in Sanctuary. It was a very intense novel.

[SirJazzHands]

I finally got my copy of 1930-1935, this book is actually a lot better than I thought it would be.. lightweight, but nice pages, and so many of them for such a small book. Wow.
Now to get to reading As I Lay Dying :)

[Kafka's Crow]

I finally got my copy of 1930-1935, this book is actually a lot better than I thought it would be.. lightweight, but nice pages, and so many of them for such a small book. Wow.
Now to get to reading As I Lay Dying :)

Trust me it is not going to be lightweight, it is a heavy read. Hope you manage to finish this one!

[Kafka's Crow]

LOL All of Faulkner is pretty heavyweight, right? But I found As I Lay Dying to be one of his easiest works. Possibly only Light in August is easier to follow. I didn't find it difficult at all, really, but it's the only Faulkner work I don't like so much. I'm pretty much in love with everything he wrote and might be with As I Lay Dying if I were to reread it.

I use the word "easy" relative to Faulkner, of course.

I never said Faulkner is difficult, he is 'heavy' as in burdensome! I must stop there!

[SirJazzHands]

Hmm. Five chapters of As I Lay Dying finished, I'm liking this so far, to be honest. The book is nice too, Library of America is amazing :P

[JBI]

As I lay Dying gets complex if you dig around with it. 95% of it is pretty accessible, but with almost all Faulkner novels, the other 5% is quite dense.