Absalom, Absalom! (Modern Library College Editions)

Many years ago, I read William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury and loved it. That was the only Faulkner work I had read until Absalom, Absalom! was recommended to me. Reading that the latter book used characters from the former and that these two books were largely the reason the author won the Nobel Prize for Literature, I felt I had to read Absalom, Absalom! I have taught literature, and I have read and understood (I think) many complicated novels. But I was baffled by this one. When all was said and done, I did follow the storyline, and I think the characters and their dealings were a metaphor for the South in the Civil War. But oh, how I got bogged down. There were times I found myself wondering not only who was narrating but who was being talked about. Faulkner’s style in this book is to string together multitudes of words into sentences that last forever and paragraphs that can be as much as two pages long with endless repetition. I do not have the arrogance to criticize this, as Faulkner has been acclaimed as one of the best authors of the twentieth century. I do have, however, the courage to suggest that this book was far beyond me, and in order for me to gain any appreciation of it, I will have to do further research—and perhaps ask a Faulkner scholar or aficionado to explain it all to me.

I wish to make it clear that I completely respect readers who can truly enjoy this particular book. I have been reading Mr. Faulkner's work in chronological order. There are times I really enjoy his work. However I seem to have struck an impasse with this work. There are sentences that run on, seemingly forever. Paragraphs are pages in length. Much of it seems to be a rambling narrative about imagined or possible occurrences. There seem to be incredibly long sentences that contain the words "maybe" and "perhaps". I also have trouble identifying with the characters, something that does not occur when I read other authors' works.I have located several different lists of so called "greatest novels". I have been trying to read a great many of these novels. Mr. Faulkner in general, and Absalom, Absalom in particular appear on numerous lists. I can tell this is great writing. However, I have not enjoyed this book. It is a difficult reading experience. I tend to have simple taste in all aspects of my life and perhaps this is simply too elaborate for me.Mr. Faulkner wrote some early novels that seem to be largely forgotten. The first I know of is "Soldier's Pay". I read that and liked it very much. But it was definitely not "high literature" compared to his later work. I have not read his second novel, "Mosquitoes". I now intend to read that novel and see how it compares with Soldier's Pay and his later works. Thank You...

This is a dense, complex book. While some may dismiss Faulkner's prose as too abstruse, to me it is sheer poetry, even if I do not always (or immediately) follow the logic and need to go over a sentence (or even a paragraph) a couple of times. This book has got depth and lyricism. Read it for the poetry. If you get more out of it, all the better. My recommendation would be to read this book at least twice, the first time just to get accustomed to Faulkner's use of language, and then another time to concentrate and focus more on the story itself. It can be difficult to get past his use of language and digest his meaning all in one sitting, but many of the scenes, themes and characters will remain in your mind for a long time. Definitely not for everyone, but if you have time, patience, and don't mind being challenged, give this book a shot, you may love it.

This book was considered great lit in the thirties, but it is a tired old artifact of the incoherence of the stream of consciousness. I read it when I was 25. Was impressed. I read it again at 68. Was not impressed. Just incredibly turgid writing, by today’s standards. There’s plenty to learn about the Lost Cause in this book, but the stilted racist premise of the plot gets really old after the first 100 pages. I would say 9 out of ten who try to read this book never finish it. Read Marilynne Robinson instead. Much better.

Faulkner's masterful work Absalom, Absalom! is an amazing work of literature because while it is fiction and nearly mythological in scope, and while the dialogue does not in any way reflect how people actually talk, it is also absolutely true. At the center of the story is Thomas Sutpen who appears in Faulkner's fictional town of Jefferson seemingly out of nowhere to forge a future for himself through hard work and a ruthless practicality that include slavery and marriage. In a grand sense he is representative of the South itself filled with ambition, nobility, and evil. He is trying to make a way for himself in the world that is handed to him. The novel unfolds around an accusation of fratricide, incest and miscegenation. But all this is pretty well known and easily accessible information. What I love about the novel are Faulkner's picture of the south. His turns of phrase, his command of language, is stunning. He is at his best when he is describing the air on a September evening, the wood on an unpainted house or the cotton dress on a poor woman. The best thing about this novel is the way he unfolds the story step by step, non-chronologically, and with great reluctance. This story is true because it is about the way we recreate the past based on the fragments of truth we have. It is about the way we assume, guess and remake the events of the past. In this sense Faulkner's stream of consciousness language is true -- the back and forth is the way people think, especially about significant past events when they do not know the whole story. In other words, every time we think about the past. But no one talks like the people in Absalom, Absalom! talk. And everyone in the novel talks this way. People think this way but they do not converse this way. It is a small weakness, and a charming weakness in a masterful work of literature.

That is in many ways just what it is. Composed of recall, hearsay and speculation it spans maybe one hundred years and several narrator s all of whom are represented by the same drawn out crowded style that straddles stream of consciousness and a (faux?) naïve urge to include every detail or consider every possibility. And speculation generates as meaty a narrative as recall. All you can imagine, save for Canadian Shreve, in a langorous southern drawl. Sometimes the style is its own reward, in the shape of a particularly poignant or original image, or a gem of homespun wisdom. Sometimes it seems to frustrate, getting in the way of a good story - a gripping story - of which the bones are all too slowly fleshed out, but that's the South!

I'm hardly qualified to review this book. I will say that it is a difficult read. The writing is just incredible in it's richness. A better reader than me could read this many times and not come close to total understanding of this book! However I suppose that's not the object. There have been instances while reading this that it just blew my mind. I will make a point of reading more Faulkner once I get my energy back after this one!🥴

I would give 5 stars for the story itself but the way Faulkner writes just gives me a headache. Sentences with more than 500 words, going back and front into time it's just not for me, I want to read a book for leisure and pleasure

Reading this great classic really was a most fascinating experience for me; I'd never read any of William Faulkner's books, it was following a very dear friend's recommendation that I bought it - and, in the course of reading it, I entered a 'universe' that in the beginning seemed strange and confusing, but then captivated me more and more. Like a map unfolding, we get to see more and more of an intricate plot which towards the end comes tumbling down on us just like an avalanche - I must admit that I'd NEVER read a novel like this before. Faulkner is ranked ABSOLUTELY rightfully among the very best of modern authors throughout the whole world! I'm already planning to order the next one of his works...

Faulkner is on very best form here. I have read this four times now, over a span of more than 30 years. You will rarely find a more committed, vibrant account of the tortures of ambition and racial prejudice in the Deep South of the nineteenth century. One day I will write a short guide to how this great book works, because it is not simple to follow and a few signposts would help many readers. But the prose is resonant on every page, with chain after chain of fabulously imagined emotions coursing through every scene. You haven't lived if you haven't read this thoroughly!

Along with "Light in August" and "The Sound and the Fury" this is a key novel of the last century. Faulkner's style remains unique and poetic even in the most merciless criticism and social analysis. And as I say this, please consider that nothing is spared to the reader: racism, ignorance, incest, careerism. I suspect Faulkner was never shot or burned alive only because the types he was writing about couldn't understand his writing (in case they read books). He still remains a complex and difficult author, but this is great part of his incomparable charm.

An absolute masterpiece. Almost like the Old Testament at times. Faulkner should be more widely read and studied in our institutions of higher education.

good

Do you have a few hours to talk about this book? For the benefit of my family, written a 6 page reaction to this book and Faulkner, so when you ask; what did I think, almost lost for words. I'll deal with the story first since it is a story of a small group of people, just like the rest of us, but dealing with the protagonist Sutpen as the hub of a wheel, about whom, the rest turns...a bad scenario already, so I made my remarks in my review for the family like this; Absalom, Absalom, Sutpen, Sutpen; what have you done to yourselves!My main interest was how he dealt with our duality in our mind and on that score there is a lot to see; projections, role selections, but mostly denial we all do so well. He constantly moves from abstract to concrete and vice versa showing that he understands our language of duality, which in itself is at the root of denial. From some of his remarks, he has some bad words for this world, which is unfair; we created it and if we do not like it, change our mind and not this world. Great stuff

Lettura veramente complessa, trama intricata e per niente scorrevole. Sopratutto se lo si legge in inglese. Che dire uno dei più grandi capolavori della letteratura americana. Consigliatissimo!

un libro che subito vuoi bruciare nel fuoco. ma dopo piano piano ci entri dentro - il modo di scrivere di Faulkner ti fa pensare e ripensare e dopo aver finito di leggere ti senti una parte di quel mondo li e ti senti un'altro.

There are many good things about Absalom, Absalom! Not least William Faulkner's wonderfully descriptive writing style that conjures up the tensions and atmosphere of the deep south of America in the mid-1800s. The flow of vivid descriptions almost demand to be read in a Mississippi drawl that transmits either the stifling humidity or bone-chilling cold of the area. Absalom, Absalom! is the story of the south from its days of slavery and rich plantation owners through its catastrophic war with the north and eventually its ruinous and honour-destroying defeat. This story is told through one family residing in the estate of one Thomas Sutpen. A mysterious and cruel man who rode out of the Haitian darkness with a mysterious fortune and slaves enough to establish the home of Sutpen's Hundred. The cast of characters is by no means extensive, with the author able to weave enough guilt anger and tragedy through a family and step-family of three generations. The big issues of the time are all weaved into the book: new frontiers, slavery, emancipation, war, poverty and hunger. There are, however, a few drawbacks. The structure of the writing is far too dense. Sentences run so long that subject is forgotten, paragraphs are near non-existent. The pages are presented as heavy slabs of text that are tough to wade through. There is also the problem of allocation when it comes to speech. Far too often dialogue and thoughts are difficult to attribute and unspoken thoughts near impossible. The timeframes can also be difficult to follow. The minimal grammar and attribution leave the reader wondering where, who and when someone is talking, with the answer often not revealed until deep into a passage. Despite the vivid portrayal of the stories and characters it was ultimately their poor presentation that left a lasting impression on me. There were times when I went to pick up a book during a spare moment and opted for a more welcoming, digestible read. Too often Absalom, Absalom! felt like hard work.

Gosh this is complex stuff. Up there with James Joyce. I actually read 80% of it before I gave up , realising that I didn't care about any of the characters and therefore the struggle to comprehend the saga was probably not worthwhile. I'm really glad I gave it a go and interestingly I bought Finnegan's Wake while I was reading it, which means, I guess, that i became even more interested in the complexity of language.

Estoy contentísima de haber comprado este libro.

J'aime bien cet Auteur! L'histoire et son déroulement sont bien exprimés. Je reprendrais d'autres titres de cet auteur très prochainement.