Difficult things, dear readers.

It should be noted in practice that I was defeated, not that it is the first time, but let it be noted at the end of all things.

To read Faulkner, one needs absolute quiet. Neither cataracts, nor coffee, nor buses do. Sometimes not even the reader's own conscience does. That's how it goes with some classics: You have to empty yourself somewhere else so that the writer can fit in. Sometimes he writes: "And so six years passed", in only three lines and you're sorry you won't learn more about all those years. But then, you get a hundred pages for just one day. Isn't that how life is? Some days cost more than decades.

About the book: With many different voices of phantoms, the family romance of Thomas Sutpen unfolds as Faulkner imagined it in the American countryside in the 17th century. The rise and fall of Sutpen causes upheavals in his entire family. But here where we've come, let's be honest. It's clear that Faulkner is playing with us. He helps us and he denies us. We do the detective work trying to fill in the blanks of Rosa, until we come to the conclusion that subjectivity is so hard that the past could just as well not have existed, could have spared us the pain. It's so chaotic and huge and there is no one who can put together this giant mosaic "as it really happened".

About the name of feelings: Mysticism has many faces and levels, so as to fit also with the narratives. Absalom, Absalom! In the Jewish religion, the third and beloved son of David, beautiful and beloved, rebels against his father and is killed. Yet he has already been avenged for the rape of his sister by their half-brother. There is, of course, a compressed economy, in the form of a time capsule.

A work that I understand why it is a classic, that pounded and blew me away. I hope at some point to pick it up again to approach the characters as people and not as names. Because at the level of today, only on the last pages did I feel emotion and it rather concerned me than them.

Ler Faulkner é uma experiência curiosa.

His writing is marked by a confusing narrative in time, with breaks in the flow of consciousness constantly circling the novel.

Faulkner tells us about the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen, a prosperous and enigmatic man who appears in the interior of Mississippi with the purpose of founding a misogynistic and racist dynasty that supersedes any criminal actions to achieve his end.

Sutpen is a man without a past, who somehow manages to acquire the lands of an indigenous leader and live there with a band of wild slaves.

The writer uses this framework to describe the American South during the Civil War, with its contrasts to the other part of the country being the fundamental link to explain the evil experienced there and which came back to demand its price.

More than just narrating the specter of the South, Faulkner takes Sutpen and those around him to compose a network of attacks and presumptions of human types, whether in the conduct of the protagonist when the conflict of his sons arises, or in his horror of black blood that should not stain his family.

Even though his portrayal is the portrayal of evil, it is also the portrayal of the complicity and respect achieved by a man without a past, obscure, but still white.

Visiting characters from "The Sound and the Fury", our narrator is at the same time telling us the life story of the Stupen family and trying to understand it, so that the pieces only fit together at the end, revealing secrets, bringing light to the horrors of racism, prejudice, and sexism.

All of this, in a great bloody epic that, perhaps, I have only seen in "Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West" by Cormac McCarthy; making the reading surprising for me, as it always is when one encounters Faulkner and his ability to describe the horrors of racial segregation and affirm that history is sometimes made of memory and memory is not always reliable.

Finally, it is an excellent reading.

(Book 622 from 1001 books) - Absalom, Absalom!, William Faulkner (1897 - 1962)

"Absalom, Absalom!" is a remarkable novel penned by the American literary giant William Faulkner and first published in 1936. Set before, during, and after the Civil War, it delves deep into the lives of three families in the American South, with a particular emphasis on the complex and tragic life of Thomas Sutpen.

Epic in scope, the story follows Thomas Sutpen, an enigmatic stranger who arrives in Jefferson, Mississippi, in the early 1830s. He is determined to carve out his own mansion from the muddy wilderness of north Mississippi. Quentin Compson and his Harvard roommate Shreve become utterly obsessed with the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen.

Sutpen, once a poor white boy, was humiliated when he was turned away from a plantation owner's mansion by a Negro butler. From that moment on, he was resolute in his pursuit of forcing his way into the upper echelons of Southern society. His unwavering willpower enabled him to achieve many of his ambitions, including acquiring land, getting married, having children, and even raising his own troop to fight in the Civil War. However, upon his return from the conflict, he discovers that his estate lies in ruins and his family is falling apart.

Secrets from his past come back to haunt him, threatening to ruin the lives of his children and destroy everything he has worked so hard for. The novel explores themes of race, class, ambition, and the destructive power of secrets. It is a masterful work of literature that continues to captivate readers with its rich and complex narrative.

The book also has connections to another of Faulkner's novels, "The Sound and the Fury," as Quentin Compson plays a significant role in both. In "Absalom, Absalom!" Quentin is on a quest to uncover the truth about Sutpen's life, while in the previous novel, he takes his own life. The structure of "Absalom, Absalom!" is unique, with a fragmented and nonlinear narrative that gradually pieces together the story, much like a puzzle.

Overall, "Absalom, Absalom!" is a profound and thought-provoking novel that offers a fascinating glimpse into the history and culture of the American South. It is a must-read for anyone interested in literature, history, or the human condition.

Have you ever closely examined one of Picasso's abstract female paintings?

You're surely familiar with the kind I'm referring to. The woman in the painting has a head where the prominently jutting nose divides the face into two sections, with violently contrasting colors.

Other body parts, being hugely disproportionate, seem to bulge and dangle haphazardly everywhere.

You gaze at it for a while, then shake your perfectly symmetrical head.

Putting your elegantly tapered fingers pensively to your shapely chin, you think, "There's a human being in there somewhere. I can see all the body parts. But why does it look so incredibly bizarre?"

Well, that's more or less how I felt when reading this novel. If I had to summarize it in a single phrase, it would be: Convoluted, convoluted!

Mind you, I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from giving it a try. I've been informed by those in the know that it's much better upon a second reading.

If I were to return to the Picasso, perhaps all those skewed arms and legs, and, well, you know, other things would shift around and suddenly resemble a regular human being.

And if I go back to the Faulkner, maybe all those characters, fragments, flashbacks, rehashings, and long drawn out italicized monologues will rearrange themselves and suddenly make sense like a regular novel.

I don't know, however, whether I'll ever go back. But that's just me.

“That is the substance of remembering—sense, sight, smell: the muscles with which we see and hear and feel not mind, not thought: there is no such thing as memory: the brain recalls just what the muscles grope for: no more, no less; and its resultant sum is usually incorrect and false and worthy only of the name of dream.” This profound statement by William Faulkner in Absalom, Absalom! encapsulates the complex nature of memory.

As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury are likely more significant and perhaps more influential overall. However, when it comes to novels, I have a preference for Light in August and Absalom, Absalom! In many aspects, for me, this novel stands beside Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, and a few others as some of the greatest written art America has ever created. It masterfully captures, without overdoing it, various issues such as race, class, the American Dream, the South, family, memory, and more. All these are packed within a nearly perfect novel that gradually unfolds and reveals itself through multiple, unreliable narrators. I will definitely need to return to this review. I may also have to come back to this novel. It is truly that good.

“That is the substance of remembering—sense, sight, smell: the muscles with which we see and hear and feel not mind, not thought: there is no such thing as memory: the brain recalls just what the muscles grope for: no more, no less; and its resultant sum is usually incorrect and false and worthy only of the name of dream.”

― William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!







As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury are probably more important, and perhaps more influential overall. However, as novels, I prefer Light in August and Absalom, Absalom!. In many ways this novel, for me, belongs next to Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Great Gatsby, and a handful of other as some of the greatest written art America has ever produced. It captures, without over-doing it, issues of race, class, the American Dream, the South, family, memory, etc., all packed inside a nearly perfect novel that slowly unwinds and unwraps through multiple, unreliable narrators. I will need to come back to this review. I may also need to come back to this novel. It is that good.

A*P*I*S*T*O*U*R*G*H*M*A

This book by Faulkner tells the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen, a man who made it his life's goal to create a dynasty against all odds and all people.

It is a multi-layered narrative where different narrators tell the story and the plot moves back and forth in time. Faulkner (as is clearly his habit, judging from "The Sound and the Fury" as well) gives us information drip by drip, but in the end everything is masterfully connected and the premise strongly resembles an ancient Greek tragedy.

I think that if one devotes oneself fully to the book, Faulkner's writing, although difficult (for me), is magical.

The reading was worth the effort, and that's saying a lot!

P.S. I must also say that the group reading of it at the club was especially enjoyable.

A masterpiece of literature.

It is a combination of magnificent history and unique narrative techniques that makes you sit spellbound.

It is the top book of Faulkner and one of the most important ones in the previous century.

This work takes the reader on a journey through a rich and complex world, filled with vivid characters and compelling storylines.

The language used is beautiful and evocative, painting a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Faulkner's skill in weaving together different plotlines and perspectives is truly remarkable, creating a work that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

Whether you are a fan of historical fiction or simply appreciate great literature, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Holy shit! This is truly incredible. Faulkner's prose in this work is on an entirely different plane from anything else I've come across by him.

The enormous sentences that constitute Absalom Absalom are among the densest, strangest, and most intoxicating things I've ever read. My eyes were actually watering at several junctures due to the bizarre, feverish intensity with which he portrays the sad old South.

And God, how tragic it is. The entire Sutpen family tree (which requires some effort to sort out, but not nearly as much as that of The Sound and the Fury, I believe) is like a colossal monument of guilt, revenge, incest, miscegenation, failure, and bitter destruction. Every character is so incredibly and intimately brought to life.

You can sense the rhythms of their minds, their hatreds, histories, and vulnerabilities. The delirious time shifts are masterfully layered, perhaps more so than in any other of Faulkner's works I've read.

For some reason, Faulkner seems to be given short shrift these days, which is a great pity. Because this book alone feels to me like a cornerstone of modern American literature.

The man published this, 'The Sound and the Fury', 'As I Lay Dying', and 'Light in August' all within a span of 7 years. Let's be honest, most authors are fortunate if they pen one truly powerful, stylistically and structurally innovative novel in their entire career. Faulkner produced four in under a decade. Four!

This book makes me feel truly privileged as a speaker of the English language, that I get to read firsthand something this rich and syntactically ambitious. Consider this line:

"Perhaps he felt, now that the grandchildren had been discharged what with Henry away at the state university at Oxford and Judith gone even further than that - into that transition stage between childhood and womanhood were she was even more inaccessible to the grandfather of whom she had seen but little during her life and probably cared less anyway - that state where, though still visible, young girls appear as though seen through glass and where even the voice cannot reach them; where they exist (this the hoyden who could - and did - outrun and outclimb, and ride and fight both with and beside her brother) in a pearly lambence without shadows and themselves partaking of it; in nebulous suspension held, strange and unpredictable, even their very shapes fluid and delicate and without substance; not in themselves floating and seeking but merely waiting, parasitic and potent and serene, drawing to themselves without effort the post-genitive upon and about which to shape, flow into back, breast; bosom, flank, thigh." (pg 67).

Now THAT is one amazing, mind-boggling sentence. I cannot recommend Absalom Absalom highly enough.

An enigmatic, nameless nightmare stealthily creeps out of the southern swamps and proclaims itself as gentry.

With a stark and terrifying inevitability, it fashions its legacy in the very likeness of the mud from which it emerged, black, masked, and impenetrable. Yet, it reaches out into a horror-stricken and helpless community, entangling a bride like a leviathan of the Mississippi marsh, pulling her back into its antebellum lair, and she is not entirely unwilling. Mystery and strength allure, no matter how shadowy and undignified, and perhaps even more so because of the shadow.

This story, these dark images, are conveyed in the beautiful southern dialect with a power and mastery that few can claim, and that Faulkner had in abundance. It is a small-scale tale of the old South pitted against the new, and those who find themselves caught in the middle. It is the struggle to hold onto a glorious yet decaying past, a struggle to infiltrate an unwilling society that is but a ghost of itself, and a struggle to survive the clash between the two.

Faulkner's vivid descriptions and masterful use of language bring this story to life, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the dark and mysterious world of the southern swamps and the complex characters who inhabit it.

A novel with great tragic stories.

It reminded me of Shakespeare, only in the American South.

What was lacking for me was to read such great tragedies that work well as an allegory, but at the same time are deeply developed and the stories of the heroes stand well on their own, because they touch even if you ignore the meaning of the allegory.

At least that's how it was for me.

Wonderful Faulkner.

Faulkner's works are known for their complex and multi-layered narratives.

His novels often explore themes such as race, class, and family in the American South.

The tragic stories he tells are not only about individual characters but also about the larger society and its problems.

Reading Faulkner's novels is like taking a journey into a world of darkness and light, where the characters struggle with their命运 and try to find meaning in their lives.

It is a journey that is both painful and rewarding, and one that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

My second attempt at reading Faulkner was a bit more accessible.

The stream of consciousness writing style still left me confused for much of the time.

However, I was able to catch glimpses of the story and I found what I understood to be enjoyable.

The story is set before, during, and after the Civil War, and this is reflected in the narrative.

William Faulkner's writing style is definitely challenging and requires patience and a distraction-free reading environment.

It takes time to get used to his complex sentences and the way he weaves the story together.

But once you do, it can be a rewarding experience.

I look forward to continuing to explore his works and seeing how my understanding grows.

Overall, while this second attempt was easier than the first, I still have a long way to go in fully understanding Faulkner's writing.

\\n  \\"We have a few old mouth-to-mouth tales; we exhume from old trunks and boxes and drawers letters without salutation or signature, in which men and women who once lived and breathed are now merely initials or nicknames out of some now incomprehensible affection... [W]e see dimly people, the people in whose living blood and seed we ourselves lay dormant and waiting, in this shadowy attenuation of time possessing now heroic proportions, performing their acts of simple passion and simple violence, impervious to time and inexplicable.\\"\\n

"Absalom, Absalom!" is a complex and challenging work that demands respect as a significant intellectual achievement. It delves into numerous themes such as the influence of history, the passage of time, the circular nature of generations, and the hypocrisies within American society, especially regarding race. The use of the Southern Gothic mode adds depth and mystery to the exploration of these ideas. However, it is not a book that is easily loved. The reading experience can be chilly, despite its roots in passionate Gothic melodrama and the sweltering Deep South. This is partly due to Faulkner's deliberate choice of setting key events in winter and having the second half narrated from a frigid dorm room. The stream-of-consciousness style, while a hallmark of modernist literature, can also make it difficult for readers to connect with the individual characters and their specific thoughts and experiences. The voices of the narrators blend together, creating a single droning voice that recounts and re-recounts the events with little variation.

Despite these challenges, there are moments of undeniable brilliance in Faulkner's prose. His best passages are filled with psychological subtlety and symbolic creativity, such as the description of Charles Bon acclimating Henry Sutpen to the racial and sexual realities of New Orleans. However, the convoluted style can also make it a struggle to extract the meaning from each sentence and paragraph. Some readers may find the views on the other side of this struggle worth the effort, while others may not. The reviews for "Absalom, Absalom!" are a mix of five-star appraisals and more critical assessments. This reflects the fact that the book is often read by dedicated Faulkner fans, who are more likely to appreciate its difficulties and its connection to his earlier work. For newcomers like myself, it can be a daunting read, but one that also offers valuable insights into the South and its history.

In the end, my verdict on "Absalom, Absalom!" is still somewhat unclear. The story of the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen and his family is a powerful and resonant one, and Faulkner's treatment of the themes of race and class is both bold and unflinching. However, his own biases and the limitations of his perspective also come through, complicating the picture. I'm glad to have read this book, but I'm also glad to be done with it. I have no idea how to rate it, and I suspect that I'll continue to grapple with Faulkner's work and his ideas for some time to come.