Interesting Stories but not the best

There are many interesting stories in the world, but not all of them can be considered the best. Some stories may be entertaining, but lack depth or meaningfulness. Others may have a great plot, but the writing style is not engaging enough.

However, that doesn't mean these stories are not worth reading. They can still provide us with a good laugh, or give us a new perspective on things. Sometimes, even a simple and unassuming story can touch our hearts and make us think.

So, the next time you come across an interesting story that is not necessarily the best, don't be too quick to dismiss it. Take the time to read it and see what it has to offer. You might be surprised at how much you can learn and enjoy from it.

The Bear would have received 4 stars.

It is a good story that is filled with a plethora of stimulating ideas.

The narrative likely takes the reader on an engaging journey, presenting unique concepts and perspectives that capture the imagination.

Perhaps the story features a bear as the central character, and through its experiences and adventures, it explores themes such as nature, survival, and the human-animal relationship.

The stimulating ideas within the story might encourage readers to think deeper about these topics and consider different viewpoints.

Overall, with its interesting plot and thought-provoking content, The Bear seems to be a story that would appeal to a wide range of readers and leave a lasting impression.

It is a testament to the power of good storytelling and the ability of a well-crafted narrative to inspire and engage.

Whether you are a fan of fiction or simply looking for a captivating read, The Bear might just be the story for you.

So, give it a chance and discover the wonderful world of ideas that it has to offer.

To break up the three stories, Spotted would rate only 2*. It seems to lack the depth and complexity that one might expect. The plot might be a bit too straightforward, not engaging enough to keep the reader fully invested.

Old Man, on the other hand, earns a 4*. It has elements that draw the reader in, perhaps an interesting character or a unique setting. The story likely unfolds in a way that keeps the reader's attention and makes them want to know more.

The Bear also gets a 4*. However, it might warrant a 5 star if I could read Cliff Notes to explain and then read through the confusing section again where "he" as an adult is talking with his cousin McCaslin about their ancestors. This section seems to hold the key to a deeper understanding of the story, but its complexity makes it a bit of a challenge. With a better understanding of this part, the overall impact of the story could be enhanced.

The Bear immediately immerses readers in multiple time periods. Faulkner writes, "There was a man and a dog too this time," alerting readers to at least two time periods in the narrative. The story follows 16-year-old Ike McCaslin on his sixth annual hunting trip and his experiences in the camp over two weeks. The narrative weaves through years of Dee's life, from age ten to the present. As Ike ages, constants include the men he hunts with and Old Ben. After the initial scene setting, the narration returns to Dee's first trip where Sam Fathers teaches him the wilderness code. Ike gradually learns more. One day, without a gun, watch, or compass, he glimpses Old Ben.

The second section begins three years later. Ike, now 13, has killed his first buck and bear. He is a better woodsman than most grown men. During this trip, the hunters lose a colt. General Compson thinks it's a panther, but Sam Fathers is unsure. They trap a "fyce" dog which Sam names Lion to help corner Old Ben. The next November, Lion tracks the bear. General Compson shoots but Ben escapes.

The third section is in December 1883. The weather is too harsh to hunt, so the men drink and gamble in the cabin. When the whisky runs low, Boon and Ike go to Memphis. In Memphis, they stand out in their dirty clothes. Boon gets drunk twice. The next morning, Ike rides the mule. Lion tracks and corners the bear. It fights back and Boon stabs it to death. Lion and Sam are in bad shape and soon die. Edmonds confronts Boon about Sam's death.

The fourth section details Ike's discovery of his family history. He and Edmonds discuss their ancestor Carothers McCaslin. Ike finds out about Carothers' relationships and descendants. He tries to track down Terrell's children and give them their inheritance. He fails to find one but does find Fonsiba. Ike sets up a pension for her and returns to Mississippi. Disgusted by his grandfather's actions, Ike declines to inherit the land at age 21. He chooses the life of a hunter. He also discovers he has no silver cup full of gold pieces. His wife hopes he will reclaim his inheritance, but he refuses and she turns her back on him.

In the final section, Ike returns to Major de Spain's land. The Major has leased part of it to a lumber company, and the wilderness will soon be gone. Ike meets Boon under a gum tree. Boon is "hammering furiously at something in his lap" which is the disassembled components of his gun.

The Bear is an absolute must-reread!!

It features wonderful storytelling that truly captivates the reader from start to finish.

The author has a remarkable ability to bring the characters and the setting to life, making it feel as if you are right there in the story.

The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Bear is not just a book, but an experience that you will want to have again and again.

Whether you are a fan of adventure, mystery, or just great literature, The Bear is a book that you should not miss.

So, pick up a copy today and prepare to be transported to a world of excitement and wonder.

4.5

"Spotted Horses" and "Old Man" were completely new to me, yet both turned out to be outstanding short novels. These stories masterfully develop their characters, weaving captivating tales that also offer profound reflections on the meaning of life.

"The Bear" was a re-reading for me. It remains both haunting and challenging. The first half, which focuses on the Boy and the Bear in the wilderness, is truly terrific. It paints a vivid picture of the wild and the relationship between the boy and the bear. The second half, when the Boy has become an old man and reflects on his life, is a bit more meandering. However, it still provides a very good perspective on the meaning of family, friends, and life values.

I have read a significant amount of Faulkner's works, but there is still so much more for me to explore. His writing is rich and complex, always offering new insights and interpretations. I look forward to delving deeper into his literary world and uncovering more of his masterpieces.

Faulkner is truly marvelous.

When reading his works, it is advisable to have your dictionary by your side.

I have a particular affinity for "Spotted Horses" and "The Old Man."

These stories are filled with vivid characters and engaging plots that draw the reader in.

"The Bear" is also a great piece, but it seems that two-thirds of everything has changed within it.

Perhaps this is a reflection of the complex and ever-evolving nature of the human experience that Faulkner so masterfully portrays.

His writing style is both beautiful and challenging, requiring the reader to pay close attention and think deeply about the themes and ideas presented.

Overall, Faulkner's works are a treasure trove of literary excellence that are well worth exploring.

I absolutely adored this compilation of three short novels. It serves as a powerful wellspring of creative intellect within the realm of these stories, and you can sense its energy pulsating through the sentences. As you unfold each story, it comes packaged in a way that makes you constantly pause and reexamine the text. "Wait, was that all one sentence?" One particular phrase that lingers in my mind is from "Spotted Horses": "a gawdy vomit of long faces" within one of the most captivating run-on sentences I've ever encountered. I've detailed my critiques of Faulkner in other reviews, but this collection entirely avoids the muddled stream-of-consciousness style while still leaving the traces that clearly led to it. The sheer creativity and passion for vivid expression are immensely enjoyable. Finally, the stories possess the essence of timeless epics concerning man's existence. They truly feel larger than life, and the author writes as if plumbing the depths of time's basement wires. I highly recommend this collection.

Faulkner can be an arduous author to penetrate. The language he employs, with its unique cadence and often idiosyncratic punctuation (or lack thereof), constructs a path that is like knee-deep mud. It offers little traction, making it a challenge to move forward. Only sporadically does it present enough dry land to allow for some semblance of forward mobility. This was just enough at times to compel me to read through to the end of each of these three novellas.

I wish I could truthfully state that I relished the journey. I wish I could assert with certainty that I knew precisely the path we traversed to reach the conclusion. I had perused Faulkner's major works several years ago, so I wasn't entirely unprepared. However, I still found myself struggling to keep reading. At times, I would simply sit back and let the river of words carry me forward, hoping to latch onto a point or two along the way that would assist in satisfying the ending.

It's hard to find fault with Faulkner in this regard. After all, he is a far more celebrated writer than I am a reader. So, in the end, I accept my failure in fully comprehending what the author has written. I recognize that perhaps there is much more depth and nuance within his works that I have yet to uncover.

This collection, especially The Bear, introduced me to the enchanting world of William Faulkner when I was in high school. At that time, I wasn't certain what attracted me to this detailed account of a bear hunt in Yoknapatawpha county. However, as I've grown older and read and re-read Faulkner, I've come to realize that it's the raw beauty of his prose and his remarkable ability to deeply explore characterization and the mysteries of growing up.

Surprisingly, not much actually occurs in the story, but the characters are indelibly etched in my mind.

I recently spent the past couple of weeks re-reading these three tales and have more specific thoughts. I found Spotted Horses to be rather underwhelming. It's supposed to be a comic work, but I didn't find it humorous. Moreover, although I know Faulkner is renowned for his convoluted and sometimes hard-to-follow prose, I had trouble following the basic story. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what happened. The final 'chapter' seems like an afterthought, which might make sense if one is reading the story in the Hamlet, but in this version, it's completely incomprehensible (who was murdered? when? why?).

Although Old Man is, if anything, even less linear and more focused on description, I found it easier to follow. Here, Faulkner showcases his penchant for rich, convoluted description as he tells the story of a (nameless) convict who gets lost during a massive flood of the Mississippi.

The Bear, on which my earlier review and rating were mainly based, remains a true classic. The first section is the most linear, recounting the hunt for an ancient bear; it's filled with powerful symbolism and metaphor, yet still quite accessible. The second part deals with the maturation of the 'boy' (Isaac, or Ike, McCaslin) into manhood, and in particular, his growing awareness of the complex relationships that bind his family, both white and black, to the land and to the events that shaped the South before and after the Civil War. Here, Faulkner is more allusive, and some parts of the genealogy are challenging to follow, but the larger themes - about slavery, obligation, freedom - are clearly presented, making the 'novella' a masterpiece.

Some years ago, I gave the book 4 stars, but this was based solely on a hazy memory of The Bear. I'd still rate The Bear 4 or 4.5 stars, but the other two tales bring the collection down to 3 stars for me. 1-23-2015

All three stories had large sections that I found exquisitely written. They were deep and rich, each with a distinct and palpable setting.

I could vividly imagine myself in the corral with the horses, careening down the engorged tributaries of the Mississippi, and sitting frozen in the dawn air of a familiar forest as The Bear stalked into view.

Of the three, I was least invested in "Spotted Horses", most invested in "The Bear", and felt "Old Man" was most consistently enjoyable although less so than the best parts of "The Bear". The first half of "The Bear" was as riveting as it was gorgeous. However, after that, there was a very long section of near Biblical genealogy and accounting of debts and slave ownerships "handwritten" and read in broken sequences from a ledger. I have to admit that I skimmed a bit here.

Faulkner is an incredibly skilled writer. Sometimes I think he was so talented that he got tired of beautiful, mesmerizing writing and delved into stylistic and structural experimentation just for the sake of it. These diversions, while interesting for their ambition and novelty, are simply less enjoyable to me than his more plot-motivated and beautiful efforts.

Each story was better than the last, in my opinion.

Spotted Horses was good, but it was molasses-slow at times and had trouble keeping momentum. It seemed to meander a bit, lacking that sense of urgency that would have made it even more engaging.

Old Man was much better. It had more truth. Truths about the nature of men and the relationships between men and women. The characters felt more real, and their struggles and emotions were palpable. It delved deeper into the human psyche, making it a more thought-provoking read.

And The Bear was excellent. So many complex ideas were implied within the simple text. Sometimes I would be reading and suddenly I'd be struck by a passage on the previous page, and go back and read that a few more times until it fully sunk in. The story was rich with symbolism and hidden meanings, challenging me to think beyond the surface and uncover its true essence. It was a masterpiece that left a lasting impression on me.