Faulkner - where to start?

[mono]

I mentioned the fact in another thread, and regret to allude to it even more blatantly by starting a thread in its dedication, that I have never read any novels by William Faulkner; nope, not one, only a few short stories and bits and pieces of poetry. I feel somewhat shameful having neglected Faulkner for so long, as many fellow readers whom I respect look up to the Nobel Laureate as I do to some other writers, and I have encountered few individuals who dislike his works. Taking Faulkner's fan-base into consideration, and finding him comparable, via hearsay, to many writers I admire (Twain, Kesey, O'Connor, etc.), I turn to you, Litnetters, as to where to begin in my pursuit to dive into his novels.
Upon a bit of informal research and paying attention to what seem his most popular novels, I have selected a fraction of them for voting. If you feel like I neglected to list one or two you feel deserve mentions amid these others, please do not feel shy to recommend it/them. Among these, however, where shall I start?

[mayneverhave]

I started with The Sound and the Fury - though As I Lay Dying is not a bad starting point either.

The difficulties you are going to run into involve are few: alteration of narrators (a quality more pronounced in As I Lay Dying, but there are only 4 different narrators in The Sound and the Fury), shifts in time (most pronounced in the first section), and the use of the stream of consciousness technique (most used in the second section).

The book truly isn't as difficult as its made out to be. A simple overview of the plot is really all that is required - while there is a web site (here (http://www.usask.ca/english/faulkner/); that provides the chronological sequence of the shifts in time.

As for the stream of consciouness - shouldn't be too hard to distinguish between what is interior and what is exterior - when it is unclear, there is a purpose even to that.

[Dark Muse]

I know it is not fair to judge an author by one work, and I try not to, but I read the Light in August and I have to say I really wasn't impressed. The style of the writing just didn't do it for me. I was not truly engaged within the story and though I would not say it is bad or that I flat out did not like it, but to say the least it did not leave me eager to pick up another one of his books.

Though it hasn't driven me completely away either, and I will still pursue some of his other works.

[mono]

I started with The Sound and the Fury - though As I Lay Dying is not a bad starting point either.

The difficulties you are going to run into involve are few: alteration of narrators (a quality more pronounced in As I Lay Dying, but there are only 4 different narrators in The Sound and the Fury), shifts in time (most pronounced in the first section), and the use of the stream of consciousness technique (most used in the second section).

The book truly isn't as difficult as its made out to be. A simple overview of the plot is really all that is required - while there is a web site (here (http://www.usask.ca/english/faulkner/); that provides the chronological sequence of the shifts in time.

As for the stream of consciouness - shouldn't be too hard to distinguish between what is interior and what is exterior - when it is unclear, there is a purpose even to that.
Thanks for your input, mayneverhave, and your quick reply - much appreciated! I like the sound of different narrators in a novel, and have not encountered that too many times, if I recall correctly, but I understand how that could get somewhat confusing, as well as the changes in time. As to the stream-of-consciousness techniques in Faulkner, one would hope that my literary bootcamp of Joyce and Woolf prepared me well for it, but each case (Pynchon, for one example) certainly seems a unique experience. :lol:
Thanks again!

I know it is not fair to judge an author by one work, and I try not to, but I read the Light in August and I have to say I really wasn't impressed. The style of the writing just didn't do it for me. I was not truly engaged within the story and though I would not say it is bad or that I flat out did not like it, but to say the least it did not leave me eager to pick up another one of his books.

Though it hasn't driven me completely away either, and I will still pursue some of his other works.
Seeing that we have had some similar tastes in literature, Dark Muse, I will certainly take this into consideration. Certainly, it does seem unfair to judge an author wholly by one work, for better or worse, and I have found myself in the precise scenario. Thanks for the message, nonetheless, as I have made a note of it. ;)

[DanielBenoit]

I've only read The Sound and Fury, and I merely chose it because its title is from the great Macbeth monolouge. Either way, I enjoyed it immensely.

I suppose the way to approach the works of most of the modernists should be to attack from their early works, they usually appear to be the least complex (i.e. James Joyce).

[The Comedian]

Of those you've listed, I've read The Sound and the Fury, Light in August, As I Lay Dying, and Sanctuary. Of those, I think Sanctuary is the best place to start. It's the most straight-forward narrative, though it still has all the hallmarks of Faulkner's style -- and it's a great story.

Of these here, I think only As I Lay Dying is a better novel, but maybe not the best starting point.

[Babbalanja]

I've read lots of Faulkner, and in my opinion As I Lay Dying is a great introduction to Faulkner's world as well as being one of his most engaging and innovative works. The Sound and the Fury comes a close second.

Any of these books is a worthwhile read and a good introduction to his oeuvre, with one exception. Absalom, Absalom is only for Faulkner freaks like me. That's the one you work up to.

Regards,

Istvan

[Virgil]

I picked Light In August because it's my favorite, but you can start with any of them but Absalom, Absalom! Don't start with that one.

[shortstoryfan]

I'm glad Virgil answered this, cause I almost put for you to ask his opinion, cause I remembered he liked Faulkner, especially Light in August, which I almost picked up the other day...but could not bring myself to do.

[papayahed]

I've only read As I lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury, a few short stories, and I've twice started Absalom, Absalom!.

I'd start with As I Lay Dying.

[Onikeflava]

I started with As I Lay Dying, but I don't think you could go wrong.

[Night_Lamp]

I choose Light In August because it's the one I like best and reread the most often. Beautiful contrast of light and dark, and a frightening surprise ending.

I think the three books of the Snopes Trilogy are amazing; but you need to read the whole thing to truly appreciate it, and I don't think it's fair to recommend a series as a first taste.

[sixsmith]

I posed a similar question on here a few months ago and was recommended 'As I lay Dying'. That proved to be pretty good advice. I can't say i enjoyed it, but having previously made several aborted attempts at Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury, Light in August) it seems a relatively straightforward point of entry.

[billl]

Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong, but, as I remember from reading maybe 3 Faulkner novels and some stories some time ago: his writing isn't the normal sort of thing, and in some of the books mentioned, it might even appear as if he were simply doing a bad job, or things might (beneath the stylism) be difficult to follow, or slow-moving.

In As I Lay Dying, however, Faulkner is from the very beginning asking something entirely radical from the reader, and there is no mystery about whether it is simply bad writing or whatever. Even one familiar with Joyce is probably going to raise an eyebrow. It is unusual, pretty ambitious, and rewardingly engages the reader (but might get exhausting at times?). In As I Lay Dying, the reader must invest themself in an adjustment to the stylism, but the payoffs come immediately, and continue pretty well throughout the whole book. But mostly I remember how I got launched into the beginning of that one... I never thought reading something several decades old would send me so far ahead of what the modernists I was reading were doing at that time.

Do I remember correctly?

[Virgil]

Bill, you remember correctly. He's not an easy read, but he's well worth it. In my opinion, he's the greatest novelist.

[mal4mac]

I've only read one novel by Faulkner, and that only a month ago. It was 'As I Lay Dying'. The version I read had no notes and I'd only read a few page of criticism about it, no more than has appeared in this thread. But I found it a great read. The different voices, and streams of consciousness posed, some difficulties, but one can think ones way around them, and the smooth patches far out-weigh the difficult ones. I would read more Faulkner after this experience, and 'As I Lay Dying' is now on my re-read list. As I've only read the one novel I can't really do a comparative review and recommend *the* best one to start with, I can only say that I started with this one and it was a good experience. Hope this 'beginner's' input is useful.

[Mariamosis]

I am reading 'The Sound and the Fury' at the moment. I was having some trouble keeping up with the characters and the large jumps in the timeline throughout, however, I looked up the sparknotes to help me through. Sparknotes are typically something I try to refrain from, however, I read enough to clear things up without giving away the story.

I also read 'A Light in August' a few months ago. I loved the book and found it easier to read than 'The Sound and the Fury' for someone who is unfamiliar with Faulkner.

[mayneverhave]

Oddly enough, I'm agreeing with Virgil on this thread. You could start pretty much anywhere with Faulkner out of those listed except Absalom, Absalom!, which, even for the Faulkner veteran, is pretty difficult to get used to.

I might place Proust or Joyce higher than Faulkner in my 20th century novelist list, but Faulkner is most certainly my favorite. At times he seems to be writing my very thoughts.

[Virgil]

Oddly enough, I'm agreeing with Virgil on this thread. You could start pretty much anywhere with Faulkner out of those listed except Absalom, Absalom!, which, even for the Faulkner veteran, is pretty difficult to get used to.


"Oddly enough?" Why is tha odd? Am i such a simpleton that it's shocking for people to agree with me? :lol:

[Jeremydav]

The Sound and the Fury will be one of the best books you ever read.

[Mathor]

In this order.

1. Light in August
2. As I Lay Dying
3. The Sound And The Fury

I think The Soundy And The Fury is the most difficult and also the best, but not one I would start with. If you enjoy Light in August, then continue from there!

[mayneverhave]

"Oddly enough?" Why is tha odd? Am i such a simpleton that it's shocking for people to agree with me? :lol:

Hah, no, of course not. Just thought it was new since we tended to disagree in the past.

[mal4mac]

I might place Proust or Joyce higher than Faulkner in my 20th century novelist list, but Faulkner is most certainly my favorite. At times he seems to be writing my very thoughts.

I read "Dubliners" and "Portrait of the Artist" recently and thought bother were superior to "As I Lay Dying". But that doesn't mean Faulkner is bad! I found the short stories in Dubliners up there with Chekhov, and Portrait is the best twentieth century novel I have read. (Definitely writing my thoughts more than Faulkner - guess I'm a city slicker and not a corn cob :) Ulysses and Proust for me next, then I might tackle some more Faulkner...

[mono]

Wow, thank you all so much for voting and commenting, friends; I really appreciate all of the rich feedback!
On this point of the poll, at 21 votes (about 20 more than I expected), As I Lay Dying seems to lead both as the most preferred novel listed, and as the one to start with for a beginner in Faulkner (10 votes); Light in August and The Sound and the Fury have almost tied (4 and 6), and Sanctuary earned 1 vote. Besides the poll, reading everyone's commentary has certainly aided in my decisions as to which novel to begin with, and, if I decide to read more Faulkner, where to proceed.

I picked Light In August because it's my favorite, but you can start with any of them but Absalom, Absalom! Don't start with that one.

I've only read As I lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury, a few short stories, and I've twice started Absalom, Absalom!.

I'd start with As I Lay Dying.
It seems I have heard very similar comments both on this forum and in away-from-the-Internet life of Absalom, Absalom! - its lesser-preferred nature, its difficulty, and, though I hate to put it this way, its boredom. Thanks for the comments, as to selecting a least favorite, too - that helps a lot; I listed Absalom, Absalom! among the others more out of its popularity than anything else, though this novel seems to have had a more-or-less negative popularity, as opposed to novels seemingly enjoyed by most, such as As I Lay Dying or Light in August, of which I have heard very few negative comments. Thanks again!

Of those you've listed, I've read The Sound and the Fury, Light in August, As I Lay Dying, and Sanctuary. Of those, I think Sanctuary is the best place to start. It's the most straight-forward narrative, though it still has all the hallmarks of Faulkner's style -- and it's a great story.

Of these here, I think only As I Lay Dying is a better novel, but maybe not the best starting point.
Thank you for voting and commenting, Comedian. It seems that Sanctuary seems the least popular amid those voted upon, but I will certainly place some consideration into your recommendation, and I feel relieved that someone voted for one of the minorities, also explaining a rationale. I have always tried to place a special emphasis upon the minorities of any poll, certainly considering much truth in that Kierkegaard quote of the truth, honesty, and devotion of a minority, as opposed to the conformableness of a majority (though I intend no offense to anyone who voted otherwise on this poll). I will definitely look into Sanctuary, and thank you for the vote and comment.

I read "Dubliners" and "Portrait of the Artist" recently and thought bother were superior to "As I Lay Dying". But that doesn't mean Faulkner is bad! I found the short stories in Dubliners up there with Chekhov, and Portrait is the best twentieth century novel I have read. (Definitely writing my thoughts more than Faulkner - guess I'm a city slicker and not a corn cob :) Ulysses and Proust for me next, then I might tackle some more Faulkner...
As much anticipation as I have for finally reading some Faulkner, Joyce owns a very sacred literary spot in my heart in which no one compares (as well as another of the stream-of-consciousness writers, Woolf), but I have read many comparisons between the two, Faulkner and Joyce, only increasing my excitement. This certainly places many unfortunate expectations upon Faulkner, and I would apologize to him, if I could, but this shall of course happen to Proust, too, when I explore more of his works as well.
As to Joyce's Portrait - good to hear you enjoyed it, too, a genius, wonderful story; and, if you have not yet gotten around to Ulysses - get ready to read one amazing novel, but quite a workout for the brain, too! All the luck! :)

[Babbalanja]

It seems I have heard very similar comments both on this forum and in away-from-the-Internet life of Absalom, Absalom! - its lesser-preferred nature, its difficulty, and, though I hate to put it this way, its boredom. You heard wrong.

Absalom, Absalom is the one that people here unanimously agreed you shouldn't start with, but I'm probably not the only one who enjoyed this staggering work immensely. It's a work of Shakespearean poetry and gravity, the Beethoven's Ninth of Faulkner's novels. It's not for the neophyte, but it's a stunning achievement.

I wouldn't recommend it for someone who hasn't yet caught the Faulkner bug. However, no one can claim to be a Faulkner fan without having read it.

Regards,

Istvan

[mayneverhave]

I read "Dubliners" and "Portrait of the Artist" recently and thought bother were superior to "As I Lay Dying". But that doesn't mean Faulkner is bad! I found the short stories in Dubliners up there with Chekhov, and Portrait is the best twentieth century novel I have read. (Definitely writing my thoughts more than Faulkner - guess I'm a city slicker and not a corn cob :) Ulysses and Proust for me next, then I might tackle some more Faulkner...

Haha I've lived in Philly for my entire life, and I actually despised southern culture ("nothing but NASCAR and moonshine") before I read Faulkner.

As for Joyce, Portrait is just a drop in the bucket compared to his last two novels.

[Vladimir777]

People who love Faulkner and have a lot of experience with him: which do you think is the better overall novel? Sound and the Fury or Absalom, Absalom? I really need to start Faulkner over again sometime. I took a Faulkner course, but I will be honest with you, I didn't finish most of his books and the ones I did finish, I didn't really read deeply, if you understand my meaning. I was not a good reader for college, since I would get overwhelmed with reading several, difficult books at once, so I would not even make an effort. Also, the overwhelming obsession/fawning over of Faulkner in my class by my fellow English majors who tended to be pseudo-intellectual hipsters that I tended to find annoying kinda turned me off to the man. One day I will need to give him a chance again. As I Lay Dying will probably be my starting place, for this is one that I barely read at all in class.

I had a pretty tough time with his extended sentences and I guess the overall "boring" factor (lame excuse, I know!). But since I graduated I have learned so much more about literature than I ever did in college (where ironically I was an English major), and I've tackled the Iliad actually about a month ago, which I found rewarding, although again it's hard for me to get that into a book like that, although everyone else seems to find these things completely involving, at least on a board like this. I found it very interesting and impressive, but I guess I am too much of a literature neophyte to really fall in love with works such as that yet. I always had the suspicion in college that a lot of my fellow students were sometimes faking their interest in certain works to make themselves look smarter. Faulkner was the prime candidate for this, but I promise, I will make an effort someday to love the man. But I feel that to really find some kinship with authors as difficult as Faulkner or Proust or Joyce, you really need to put in a lot of effort and time. I suspect their novels get better with each passing reading. I actually can't wait to try him out again, but before that, I'm gonna work at going through Shakespeare's plays in chronological order (crazy goal, I know, but I like to go all the way into things when I get into them, and literature has become my new phase--and I will take breaks in the middle of these plays to try out Dickens, Faulkner, more McCarthy--I just finished All the Pretty Horses--and others).

[Virgil]

It seems I have heard very similar comments both on this forum and in away-from-the-Internet life of Absalom, Absalom! - its lesser-preferred nature, its difficulty, and, though I hate to put it this way, its boredom. Thanks for the comments, as to selecting a least favorite, too - that helps a lot; I listed Absalom, Absalom! among the others more out of its popularity than anything else, though this novel seems to have had a more-or-less negative popularity, as opposed to novels seemingly enjoyed by most, such as As I Lay Dying or Light in August, of which I have heard very few negative comments. Thanks again!

No, no, no. I did not say it was my least favorite or that it was boring. I only said not to start with it. It's extremely difficult and I guess if one doesn't get it, then it is boring. For those that get it, it's one of the greatest novels ever written.


You heard wrong.

Absalom, Absalom is the one that people here unanimously agreed you shouldn't start with, but I'm probably not the only one who enjoyed this staggering work immensely. It's a work of Shakespearean poetry and gravity, the Beethoven's Ninth of Faulkner's novels. It's not for the neophyte, but it's a stunning achievement.

I wouldn't recommend it for someone who hasn't yet caught the Faulkner bug. However, no one can claim to be a Faulkner fan without having read it.

Regards,

Istvan
Absolutely agree with you. Thank you.

[Babak Movahed]

Start with "A Rose For Emily" it's a short story that has a lot of meaning in it

[Vladimir777]

People who love Faulkner and have a lot of experience with him: which do you think is the better overall novel? Sound and the Fury or Absalom, Absalom? I really need to start Faulkner over again sometime. I took a Faulkner course, but I will be honest with you, I didn't finish most of his books and the ones I did finish, I didn't really read deeply, if you understand my meaning. I was not a good reader for college, since I would get overwhelmed with reading several, difficult books at once, so I would not even make an effort. Also, the overwhelming obsession/fawning over of Faulkner in my class by my fellow English majors who tended to be pseudo-intellectual hipsters that I tended to find annoying kinda turned me off to the man. One day I will need to give him a chance again. As I Lay Dying will probably be my starting place, for this is one that I barely read at all in class.

I had a pretty tough time with his extended sentences and I guess the overall "boring" factor (lame excuse, I know!). But since I graduated I have learned so much more about literature than I ever did in college (where ironically I was an English major), and I've tackled the Iliad actually about a month ago, which I found rewarding, although again it's hard for me to get that into a book like that, although everyone else seems to find these things completely involving, at least on a board like this. I found it very interesting and impressive, but I guess I am too much of a literature neophyte to really fall in love with works such as that yet. I always had the suspicion in college that a lot of my fellow students were sometimes faking their interest in certain works to make themselves look smarter. Faulkner was the prime candidate for this, but I promise, I will make an effort someday to love the man. But I feel that to really find some kinship with authors as difficult as Faulkner or Proust or Joyce, you really need to put in a lot of effort and time. I suspect their novels get better with each passing reading. I actually can't wait to try him out again, but before that, I'm gonna work at going through Shakespeare's plays in chronological order (crazy goal, I know, but I like to go all the way into things when I get into them, and literature has become my new phase--and I will take breaks in the middle of these plays to try out Dickens, Faulkner, more McCarthy--I just finished All the Pretty Horses--and others).

Bump!

[wlz]

Light in August. Powerfully written. Brilliant descriptive passages of 'Christmas', a strong and well drawn character in the novel.

[Dinkleberry2010]

I would start with The Sound And The Fury, simply because it was the first novel Faulkner wrote wherein he really came into his own. (He had written three novels before The Sound And The Fury but to put it bluntly, they were not that good.)

[tscherff]

i love william faulkner
as i lay dying or light in august are the best places to start.
his best book is absalom absalom. but read them all!
in my opinion the key to enjoying faulkner is appreciating his creative use of point of view. no one has used it better. it can create a puzzle where the story comes in in bits and pieces that are haphazardly put together as the novel progresses. it creates interpretation rather than reality which creates saga rather than history. it allows you to see around a character rather than inside, to perceive rather than to know or understand.
it is genius.

[dward1]

I don't know if you have already decided but I'll chime in just in case. I started with As I Lay Dying and that whetted my appetite for loads more Faulkner. The Sound and the Fury is probably my favorite book of all time (the most rewarding reading experience because you have to work at it and the more you read it the more the pieces fall into place) but I don't know if I would have ever made it through Benjy's section (the first chapter of the book) if I did not know how well Faulkner could write thanks to As I Lay Dying. It is a pretty smooth read plotwise and the differing narrators allow you to know the characters through many points of view and see event sin many different ways. It is an funny book as well and lends itself to re-reads.

Absalom, Absalom is ridiculously dense and while I don't think it is as good a book as As I Lay Dying it had brilliant moments in it as well, but it is even a worse spot to start at then Sound and the Fury.

Light in August is simply good in my mind and while it wouldn't be a bad place to start it probably wouldn't have inspired further interest like As I Lay Dying did.

The Unvanquished was a very straight-forward, easy read for Faulkner standards and while it wasn't a bad book, it leaves you pretty quickly.

[fb0252]

i'd say start out with another great book, any of them, quioxte, middlemarch, William Meister's Apprenticeship etc etc., then read a few lines of Faulkner and understand fairly quickly that you're going to need a search warrant to find anything truly intelligent.

[Brad Coelho]

I actually started w/ As I Lay Dying, which I found to be a tad disappointing (perhaps my expectations were too high), then slid into Sound & the Fury, which has become arguably my favorite book. I'm currently swimming through Absalom, and I'll probably round things out w/ August (which I'm already setting myself up for anti-climactic disappointment, so perhaps it will pleasantly surprise me).

[Dinkleberry2010]

One book by Faulkner I would recommend that you not read first is Requiem For A Nun. It is a sequel to Sanctuary which many consider Faulkner's greatest work.

[dysfunctional-h]

LOOOOL I started with Absalom, Absalom!, in spite of its supposed difficulty (my dad thought it was his easiest, tho). XD Got thru it, tho it took me three arduous months. It was so fantastic, tho! I then proceeded to speed thru the Sound and the Fury. Gotta decide: Light in August, or As I Lay Dying next? ^_^

[mona amon]

My first Faulkner was Absalom, and recently I read Sound and the Fury. Loved both very much.

[cafolini]

I love Faulkner. Excellent pioneer of magical realism together with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who was his pupil and was influenced by him in more ways than it might be obvious.
Any Faulkner is a treat to me even to this day. Hope you like it.

[kelby_lake]

Light in August is easier to grip than The Sound and The Fury or As I Lay Dying. You won't be confused by genders, family ties or obscure writing style. Takes a while to get going but has a fair amount of substance to it and is not willfully complex.

[Voivod30]

I will admit that I've never read a Faulkner novel all the way through. I've started The Sound And The Fury twice and both times I just couldn't make my way through. Some time soon I intend to try again after reading some criticism and perhaps a summary or two. Another novel that I've heard great things about from people I really respect is The Reivers (I may have spelled this wrong). My next door neighbor lent me a copy of that novel a few years ago and I still haven't gotten around to it yet. She was (at the time I'm not sure about the present) in the same boat as I am in regards to The Sound And The Fury, yet she assured me that The Reivers (which is about car thieves I believe) was much more linear and apparently one of her favorite novels. I've started it a few times and for what ever reason have gotten distracted with some thing else so I've never finished it. From the little I have read it does seem quite good, and very exciting. After reading this thread I'm a bit inspired to go back and try to read both of these novels yet again. Thanks a lot for the inspiration, it's always a welcome emotion.