About William Faulkner

Two years ago, I approached William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying from the school library, and it was incredibly difficult and I could not simply understand the plot at all. I gave up in the first few chapters. That was a shame for me as someone who's a big fan of some of his fellow southern writers. This time i would like to try Faulkner again but I dread going back to As I Lay Dying - too scared to be reminded of the painful days two years ago trying to get thru the book. My question is which novel should I start on Faulkner - the Sound and the Fury, or Absolom Absolom, or something else?

Thanks!!

The thing about Faulkner is that you have to stick with him for a little while. His books tend to be very confusing in the beginning, and then get clearer as the story unravels. He'll usually tell the exact same event repeatedly from different perspectives, so you do eventually get a grip on the story.

If you're afraid of As I Lay Dying, go for The Sound and the Fury...But, once again, you really have to keep pushing forward because the first section is baffling and it gets easier from there.

I wouldn't start with The Sound and the Fury if you've already tried and failed with As I Lay Dying. It'd just turn you off of Faulkner entirely.

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Originally Posted by SilvanDitties

I wouldn't start with The Sound and the Fury if you've already tried and failed with As I Lay Dying. It'd just turn you off of Faulkner entirely.

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Which other ones would you recommend instead?

I would like to think that my reading abilities have improved since two years ago :P

Light in August is relatively easy to read and does not have the narrative complexity of AILD or TSATF.

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Originally Posted by kelby_lake

Light in August is relatively easy to read and does not have the narrative complexity of AILD or TSATF.

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Sorry kelby can I ask what you mean by
AILD and TSATF?

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Originally Posted by cacian

Sorry kelby can I ask what you mean by
AILD and TSATF?

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Kelby was refering to As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury.

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Originally Posted by Mason Pringle

My question is which novel should I start on Faulkner - the Sound and the Fury, or Absolom Absolom, or something else?

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Absalom, Absalom! is actually even more difficult. I agree Light in August may be a better option if you want to try to appreciate his writings again. Besides being easier than the aforementioned novels, its status as a classic is comparable to theirs.

namenlose I thank you very much.

I have to add that there is an underlaying theme in Faulkner and that is the setting in which his stories take place.
That I find slightely predictable which makes me think this:

Is a writer better off unegaging his or her background in return for something completely different?
An author background is clearly important but does it need to be carried in his or her writing since stories are supposed to be fictional?

I agree that Light in August is probably the best place to start; it's clear and still considered a masterpiece. I think his background is vital and couldn't/shouldn't be ignored. Look at his fellow writers at that time, Fitzgerald and Hemingway both draw heavily from their experience and their works are brilliant. While I think it is possible to write a great book about something completely outside one's life, it is much easier to apply what you know to a fictional setting. Faulkner wouldn't be Faulkner without his being brought up in the South. It's not like his novels are true stories, he just utilized the setting and culture of his home to tell stories he thought needed to be told.

I always find short stories to be a good place to start with great writers. Faulkner has a whole career worth of short stories that are worth checking out if you're looking for a taste.

Otherwise I'd recommend trying 'As I lay Dying' again. Once you get on a roll, it flows very nicely.

I agree with Pierre. Short stories are a good way to warm up to an author without having too much invested.
Also, when reading Faulkner for the first time, don't get caught up in trying to figure it all out right away. If you try to learn and remember all the characters, analyse all the time shifts, and understand their relevance right away, you may end up quite frustrated.
Just experience it. Let it wash over you without over thinking it, and about 3/4 the way through it will all click, like you understood it all along.

My 2 cents, anyway. Haha

I have only read As I Lay Dying, and found it a beautiful work of art. I can't offer much besides that, and a piece of advice. Next time you go into reading something that you find difficult, don't spend time worrying or stressing about what you don't understand. Just move through it and try to enjoy it. Try to establish something personal between yourself and the work, instead of trying to wrestle with/subdue it as if it were a problem to be solved.

Hope I help with Faulkner (who along with Melville helped to teach me this [what I call] wisdom).

EDIT: Just read BIG WIRE's post. Look's like we're in agreement.

Start with "Soldier's Pay"

you may want to start with the Hamlet, the 1st book in the snopes trilogy. the whole trilogy is excellent.

i would also suggest that you get a reference book to help you thru the process of appreciating all of faulkner.

what i really like about him is the way he uses point of view. it is essential in understanding all the different perspectives he points out as well as those he doesn't. it is ingenious.

if you can get comfortable with this, then you can move to sound and the fury and absalam which are the crown jewels!

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Originally Posted by ennison

Start with "Soldier's Pay"

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Soldier's Pay is probably the most accessible, and I really enjoyed it, but it doesn't give an accurate view of Faulkner's later work.

Reading tougher books for days and nights is not my cup of tea. We look for something new or great but at the end of the day all we will arrive at is simply void

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

Reading tougher books for days and nights is not my cup of tea. We look for something new or great but at the end of the day all we will arrive at is simply void

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*All YOU arrive at.