LIGHT IN AUGUST

by William Faulkner



Light in August cannot be summarized in a sentence or two. Taking place in Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, there are three inter-connected stories that delve into topics such as morals, alienation and Christianity as well as the racial tensions that I've come to expect in Southern literature of this time period.

I wanted to read this book in particular, because I heard somewhere that it was the most accessible of all of his novels. I don't remember where. But if you're looking for a Faulkner novel that you don't have to be afraid of, this would fit the bill. It's not an easy read, but it's not nearly as confusing as, for example, The Sound and the Fury.

As I was reading, I did feel there was a lot of religious imagery surrounding one main character in particular, Joe Christmas. In one scene, there were very strong crucifixion overtones. I was happy to discover via my personal literature tutor, Wikipedia, that I was not imagining things. The expansion on this thought, with Lena seen as a Mary-figure and Byron as a Joseph-figure, was an eye-opener. I would have never thought of that on my own. This was a beautiful, disturbing book that has added much fuel to my new fixation with Faulkner.

This finishes my 2008 TBR Challenge!

William Faulkner

I am developing a fascination with Faulkner. I'm listing all his novels and short stories here to keep track of what I have read.

Online Resource: William Faulkner on the Web

Novels

• Soldiers' Pay (1926)
• Mosquitoes (1927)
• Sartoris/Flags in the Dust (1929/1973)
• The Sound and the Fury (1929)
• As I Lay Dying (1930)
• Sanctuary (1931)
• Light in August (1932)
• Pylon (1935)
• Absalom, Absalom! (1936)
• The Unvanquished (1938)
• If I Forget Thee Jerusalem (The Wild Palms/Old Man) (1939)
• The Hamlet (1940)
• Go Down, Moses (1942). Episodic novel made up of rewritten previous published short stories.
• Intruder in the Dust (1948)
• Requiem for a Nun (1951)
• A Fable (1954)
• The Town (1957)
• The Mansion (1959)
• The Reivers (1962)


Short Stories

1919

“Landing in Luck”

1922

“The Hill”

1925

“New Orleans”
“Mirrors of Chartres Street”
“Damon and Pythias Unlimited”
“Jealousy”
“Cheest”
“Out of Nazareth”
“The Kingdom of God”
“The Rosary”
“The Cobbler”
“Chance”
“Sunset”
“The Kid Learns”
“The Liar”
“Home”
“Episode”
“Country Mice”
“Yo Ho and Two Bottles of Rum”

1928

“Music--Sweeter than the Angels Sing”

1930

“A Rose for Emily”
“Honor”
“Thrift”
“Red Leaves”

1931

“Ad Astra”
“Dry September”
“That Evening Sun”
“Hair”
“Spotted Horses”
“The Hound”
“Fox Hunt”
“Carcassonne”
“Divorce in Naples”
“Victory”
“All the Dead Pilots”
“Crevasse”
“Mistral”
“A Justice”
“Dr. Martino”
“Idyll in the Desert”

1932

“Miss Zilphia Gant”
“Death Drag”
“Centaur in Brass”
“Once Aboard the Lugger (I)”
“Lizards in Jamshyd’s Courtyard”
“Turnabout”
“Smoke”
“Mountain Victory”

1933

“There Was a Queen”
“Artist at Home”
“Beyond”

1934

“Elly”
“Pennsylvania Station”
“Wash”
“A Bear Hunt”
“The Leg”
“Black Music”
“Mule in the Yard”
“Ambuscade”
“Retreat”
“Lo!”
“Raid”

1935

“Skirmish at Sartoris”
“Golden Land”
“That Will Be Fine”
“Uncle Willy”
“Lion”

1936

“The Brooch”
“Two Dollar Wife”
“Fool About a Horse”
“The Unvanquished”
“Vendée”

1937

“Monk”

1939

“Barn Burning”
“Hand Upon the Waters”

1940

“A Point of Law”
“The Old People”
“Pantaloon in Black”
“Gold Is Not Always”
“Tomorrow”

1941

“Go Down, Moses”
“The Tall Men”

1942

“Two Soldiers”
“Delta Autumn”
“The Bear”

1943

“Afternoon of a Cow”
“Shingles for the Lord”
“My Grandmother Millard and General Bedford Forrest and the Battle of Harrykin Creek”
“Shall Not Perish”

1946

“Appendix, Compson, 1699-1945”
“An Error in Chemistry”

1948

“A Courtship”

1949

“Knight’s Gambit”

1950

“A Name for the City”

1951

“Notes on a Horsethief”

1954

“Mississippi”
“Sepulture South: Gaslight”

1955

“Race at Morning”
“By the People”

1962

“Hell Creek Crossing”

1965

“Mr. Acarius”

1967

The Wishing Tree

1971

“Al Jackson”

1973

“And Now What's To Do”
“Nympholepsy”

1976

“The Priest”

1977

“Mayday”

1978

“Frankie and Johnny”

1979

“Don Giovanni”
“Peter”
“A Portrait of Elmer”
“Adolescence”
“Snow”
“Moonlight”
“With Caution and Dispatch”
“Hog Pawn”
“A Dangerous Man”
“A Return”
“The Big Shot”
“Once Aboard the Lugger (II)”
“Dull Tale”
“Evangeline”

1988

“Love”

1995

“Christmas Tree”
“Rose of Lebanon”

1999

“Lucas Beauchamp”

THE SOUND AND THE FURY

by William Faulkner



Faulkner's masterpiece telling of Caddy Compson and the Compson family, seen mostly through the eyes of her three brothers: mentally handicapped Benjy, Harvard-educated Quinn, and cold, resentful Jason.

I was terribly afraid of this book, so decided to read just enough background to get a handle on how to approach it but not enough to give anything away. Here is what I learned: If you keep in mind that the first part, told from the point of view of Benjy, will make no sense until later, it's a lot easier to get through. And this, too: The second, third and fourth parts don't make much sense on their own either.

Despite that, I found much of the writing in The Sound and the Fury strangely beautiful. Even at its most confusing it was able to evoke emotion -- mostly making me uncomfortable, like when you see couples verbally arguing in public and you know you should just walk away and mind your own business, but you really want to know what they meant by some of the weird, enigmatic things they said to each other.

I was able to pick out bits and pieces of the full picture as the book progressed, but I have to thank Sparknotes and Wikipedia for any real comprehension of what on earth was going on. Once I looked at those, I wanted to go back and read the book again. I have a feeling that will be a repetitive theme with me when it comes to classics. And that's not a bad thing!

Short Story: BARN BURNING

by William Faulkner

It is stories like these that truly showcase my non-Literature major credentials. I read Barn Burning. I didn't get it. I fell asleep while reading it. Quality analysis not forthcoming. Sorry.

I read this during the Read-A-Thon, and I had a few commenters tell me not to feel bad. It was Faulkner after all. :-) I'm glad it wasn't just me, but I'm not going to blame Faulkner in general. After all, I did read A Rose For Emily last year, and I thought that was a fantastic, creepy little story. I will not be giving up on Faulkner, but this story did nothing for me at all. Perhaps I'll give it another shot later using a study guide.