Light in August is a substantial work, consisting of 374 pages. In contrast, this commentary comes in at 311 pages. While it's not an exact page-for-page match, it's remarkably close. The commentary is truly comprehensive, encompassing definitions of obscure Southern slang, incisive comments about the unique culture and landscape, in-depth literary theory, detailed plot points, and all the other valuable insights that one could hope to gain from a close reading. What's even better is that it aligns line by line with the Library of America and Vintage editions of the book, facilitating easy cross-referencing as you progress through the text.
I initially began by painstakingly cross-referencing the two books page by page as I read. However, after just two chapters, I abandoned this approach. I ultimately concluded that the most effective way to utilize this book is to first read a chapter of Light in August and then, in the same sitting, read the corresponding chapter in Reading Faulkner. This method proved successful for me and significantly enhanced my understanding and appreciation of this dark and harrowing novel.
This book is part of a series, yet unfortunately, the series is far from being complete. Currently, it only covers four novels and the collected short stories. I earnestly hope that the series will continue to expand. However, considering that the copyright on this first book dates back to 1994, the production rate seems rather slow. Nevertheless, I am determined to read them all, which I believe is the highest praise I can bestow upon this series.
