the snopes trilogy...

[country doctor]

the doc just wrapped up 'the mansion' yesterday, the third and final installment of the snopes trilogy...very good stories on the rubes of jefferson, frenchman's bend and other parts of northern 'missippi'...

although the doc hasn't read all of faulkner's works, he feels confident that this would be a good starting point for those that haven't delved into mr. faulkner yet...

edited by the doc...


any other fans of these works out there?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Wow, man, thanks for the spoiler alert. :sosp:

[arrytus]

Wow, man, thanks for the spoiler alert. :sosp:

No kidding. I finished The Hamlet about a week ago. Missing the Town but have the Mansion so waiting on getting the second part.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Maybe if "the doc" doesn't kindly edit his OP, a mod/admin could...

[country doctor]

sorry folks, the doc actually thought if he should put that in there and figured that it wouldn't be that crucial to those that haven't read the stories, versus the comments that might be generated by it's inclusion...he might have mis-judged on that...

mink is the 'meanest' snopes, but he does believe in blood loyalty and clan honor...he's either gonna be successful or not, so it didn't seem like 'spoiling' the story...

but if you want to edit your quote, the doc can edit his op...

[country doctor]

edit completed...

[arrytus]

edit completed...

don't take it too hard. even mundane rebukes on the internets can make people feel terrible and quickly escalate. in this situation no harm no foul.

[country doctor]

no other comments? mink snopes is a classic faulkner 'missippi' character...

[country doctor]

w/ the faulkner talk and some complaints about the writing, the trilogy is a place to give him another shot if you've been frustrated by some of his other works...

the doc still reflects on that flem snopes character, a couple of months after completing the trilogy...

what a wonderful character creation by mr. faulkner...and, really all of the characters in this work show a master's touch...

he paints such a strong picture of old flem snopes and really w/ not very many words out of flem's mouth...

but his actions speak louder than words...

[arrytus]

I have yet to find a copy of The Town but I do have a strange thing to relate: I've two copies of Wild Palms/Old Man. It's up there near the top of my reading list but I'm stuck because of this: One copy has Old Man at the end as a separate novella, while the other has its chapters intercalated with Wild Palms. Have you read this book- one of his first- and, if so, in what way was the story presented?

[country doctor]

sorry, the doc can't help you on that...as far as 'the town' goes, he was reading the trilogy all in one edition...hope you can find a copy of it soon...

[Bustrofedon]

I do have a strange thing to relate: I've two copies of Wild Palms/Old Man. It's up there near the top of my reading list but I'm stuck because of this: One copy has Old Man at the end as a separate novella, while the other has its chapters intercalated with Wild Palms. Have you read this book- one of his first- and, if so, in what way was the story presented?

The original title was If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem but was released as Wild Palms then subsequently released under the original title. I read Wild Palms and I recall that the stories were seperate but it has been many years. If I Forget has them interwoven.

Doc,
I loved The Hamlet and liked The Town but did not make it to the third book. If I read the third I might have to start over with the series.

[country doctor]

nah, the doc doesn't think that you'd need to do any re-reading...he goes back in the story and reminds the readers what has happened already in the third book...and he takes the writer's prerogative to change a few of the particulars anyways...an example is when he fills in more details of mink's murdering houston some of the 'facts' from the first story are different in the third...

you should definitely finish the trilogy...the third story might be the best...

[Bustrofedon]

you should definitely finish the trilogy...the third story might be the best...

You're right. It's been too long a break from WF. And you can leap into Yoknawpathawpa County anywhere, really. It's all one big book to me.

One of my favorite parts/characters of The Hamlet is Eula Varner.

It was not not that she insisted upon being carried when she went anywhere. It was rather as though, even in infancy, she already knew there was nowhere she wanted to go...

[country doctor]

eula's a force of nature and if her flesh and blood isn't in all the books, her spirit is...much to think about w/ eula, that's for sure...

lots of great characters here...her daughter has the focus in book three...

but flem, mink, loyalty to tribe, and everything that went into creating the snopes brood is what really sticks w/ the doc...memorable characters...