Review: Absalom, Absalom!

There's a Faulkner market -- no question of that. But for those on its outskirts, watching eagerly for growth, development, maturity in his work, there is disappointment, here as in Pylon. There is more in the sinister, sultry atmosphere to recall Sanctuary. But the story is indirect to the point of artificiality; the style marred by hyphenated words, manufactured words, until you lose the sense in the glut of verbiage. A depraved story of degenerates in a Southern family gone to seed -- of Colonel Sutpen building his tribe by incest, perversion, miscegenation and lust. There is tragedy here, but the drawing is so out of scale that the effect is weakened. -- In spite of all this, the book -- on Faulkner's name -- will sell, and rent.

"Greatest American novelist who has influenced generations of writers all over the world. This is perhaps the most difficult of his novels. To the inexperienced reader, some of the difficulties are insurmountable. But if one perseveres, one will discover why many critics consider this to be Faulkner's greatest novel.
Of the many difficulties is his style. The recursive style is compounded by long sentences; clause piled upon clause, adjectives upon adjectives. Whoever said that adjectives are bad should see it manipulated by the master. Many grammatical gems are left to be uncovered.
The narration is the most unique in modern fiction. By the end of the first chapter the most important events of the entire story is already mentioned. Subsequent chapters then narrate individual episodes of the general story."  

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

I have spent the last four months completely immersed in Yoknapatawphaw County and let me tell you, it is an incredibly weird place to be. This was the last novel we read in my Faulkner class and it ...

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

I've never gotten why people think As I Lay Dying was great or how Sound and the Fury is much more than a failed genius experiment, but when people ask me what the greatest American novel is, I never ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

Absalom is Faulkner's most brilliant work! I was first blown away by the talents of Faulkner while reading Sound and the Fury, yet Absalom, contrary to what I thought was possible, gave S&F a run for ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

This is, quite possibly, the most important American novel of the first third of the last century. Certainly Faulkner's prose is some of his best work, and his modernist experimentation with narration ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

This book took me many, many sittings to get through, and made my head hurt, but it was worth it. While Ulysses paved the way for stream-of-consciousness and all that jazz, Faulkner is a far superior ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

To say that this book is a struggle is an understatement, as is most Faulkner. This book is not one that is easily recommended because of the sheer difficulty that is on par with productions put forth ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

Oh man, my first Faulkner; what a roller coaster it was. I knew there was something behind Faulkner being such a prominent American character, but I had no idea. This book demands full commitment from ... Read full review

Review: Absalom, Absalom!

This book is built of memories...mostly other people's memories not the protagonist's and he is telling his Canadian friend this story about "The South" It is long-winded and disjointed telling. You ... Read full review