As far as my reading challenge for this year is concerned, I truly wish I could consider each one of these as a single book. Oh well, such is not the case.

Anyway, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't a huge enthusiast of Faulkner from the start. And to be frank, none of these stories really had a profound impact on me. "Spotted Horses" does have some amusing moments, but in the final analysis, as I perceive it, it is merely a tragic account of society's mistreatment of women. "The Bear" had the potential to be excellent, but Faulkner takes an experimental approach with us. Yes, I understand that just as the young man is in the process of discovering who he is, it makes a certain amount of sense. However, I simply don't care for it. While it is interesting to read as an experiment and a coming-of-age tale, it still leaves a great deal to be desired.

"The Old Man" is my favorite among this group because it doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it truly is. It is a poignant story of a good man who simply doesn't know any better and unfortunately finds himself trapped in the penitentiary system during a flood. Politics and sheer stupidity ultimately ruin his life. It is a sad, yet honest, and at times, even humorous story. And it is truly great.

This work is not Faulkner's finest, yet it is deeply engaging.

His depictions of the characters are achieved through their own dialogues, actions, and the surrounding environment. It vividly portrays the rough and tumble life and customs of a bygone era.

I had to reread several passages, especially in "The Bear," to distinguish between the various characters, but I found this process quite enjoyable.

Certainly, it is a must-read for those interested in early American culture. However, it unfortunately presents an unfiltered account of how Native Americans and African Americans were perceived during that time.

Despite its flaws, the book offers valuable insights into the social and cultural fabric of the past, making it a worthy addition to any literature lover's collection.

This rating is for the first story: Spotted Horses.

I truly liked the story. In fact, I found it to be really quite funny. The part where the horse trampled through the house was especially hilarious. It was as if the chaos and destruction caused by the horse added a touch of comical absurdity to the narrative.

The figure of the mystery man from Texas or the bandit was also very intriguing. His presence added an element of mystery and danger to the story, making me worry every single time the Boy was imperiled.

Just like in any of his stories, it took me a little while to fully catch up to Faulkner's prose. His writing style is unique and requires some effort to understand and appreciate. However, I have a feeling that if I were to read this story again, I would enjoy it even more. I might be able to pick up on more of the subtleties and nuances in his language and storytelling.

Overall, I thought "Spotted Horses" was an entertaining and engaging story that left me with a sense of enjoyment and a desire to explore more of Faulkner's works.

I know I was in the minority on this one,

but William Faulkner’s work was the definition of pompous.

His writing style is filled with excessive and elaborate language, which often seems self-indulgent.

He uses convoluted sentence structures and an abundance of complex words, making his works difficult to penetrate and understand.

After reading a few pages, one can easily become bored and lose interest.

The self-importance that oozes from his writing can be off-putting, as if he is more concerned with showing off his literary prowess than telling a compelling story.

While some may praise Faulkner for his innovation and depth, I find his work to be more of a chore than a pleasure to read.

It lacks the simplicity and clarity that I look for in great literature.

In my opinion, his reputation is perhaps a bit overinflated, and there are many other writers whose works are more engaging and accessible.

My favorite Faulkner story is truly a remarkable piece of literature.

It has the power to transport the reader into a world filled with mystery, tragedy, and complex characters.

"A Rose for Emily" is another unforgettable work by Faulkner.

The story follows the life of Emily Grierson, a southern aristocrat who lives a secluded life in a small town.

Faulkner's masterful use of language and his ability to create a sense of atmosphere and tension make this story a captivating read.

As the story unfolds, we learn about Emily's past and the secrets that she has been hiding.

The ending of the story is both shocking and tragic, leaving the reader with a sense of awe and wonder.

"A Rose for Emily" is a classic example of Faulkner's genius and a must-read for anyone interested in literature.

I picked this one as part of my "goal" to read some Faulkner since he is so widely regarded.

But at the same time, his writing style is somewhat challenging, so I was looking for a book that was fairly straightforward to "ease into him".

This was a good choice. There are three novels contained here, and they have all appeared in other works. For instance, "Old Man" was published in the book "Wild Palms", and "The Bear" is from "Go Down Moses". So if you've read those books, you've read these already.

I was drawn to Faulkner because people compare Cormac McCarthy to him, and I love McCarthy. And you can certainly see some similarities, especially in "Old Man" and "The Bear", not so much in "Spotted Horses". "The Bear" also reminded me of Hemingway in part.

All are good stories, and I especially loved "The Bear". It has hunting, dogs, and a bear, so how could you go wrong with that?

"Old Man" is probably the best story of the three (from a purely structural point of view). Since I had already read it in "Wild Palms", I wasn't expecting to like it as much, but I really enjoyed it on the second read. Apparently, that is a characteristic of Faulkner's work - to get more out of it with repeated readings. However, "Old Man" isn't one of his "stream of conscious" writings, so that axiom probably doesn't apply directly here.

I found "Spotted Horses" to be the least enjoyable, possibly because it focuses on characters like the Snopes clan, whom I knew nothing about before reading this book. So I felt like I was missing some inside information that would have given me a broader understanding of some of the unspoken undercurrents that seemed to be at play in this story.

If you are thinking of dipping your toe into Faulkner, this book is a very good place to start before moving onto his more challenging works. I'm looking forward to continuing to dive into his oeuvre.

Spotted Horses felt a bit padded and dull, yet it had certain amusing elements.

The Old Man was far more interesting, albeit admittedly a little long-winded.

However, The Bear is an absolute masterpiece, rightfully lauded. It undoubtedly deserves a lofty position among Faulkner's other great works.

For the most part, Faulkner is operating in familiar terrain, conjuring up the death of his beloved South.

Nevertheless, I'm not certain if he ever addressed this issue in such a direct or emotionally captivating way.

Over approximately 140 pages, we are presented with a detailed history of an entire countryside, from an unspoiled paradise to a primitive borderland and then to a budding civilization, with an emphasis on the folly and impermanence of this so-called progress.

Remarkably, despite his subject matter, Faulkner doesn't paint with broad strokes. Instead, he uses local details and social history to flesh out the particulars of this specific downfall.

As is the case with the best of Faulkner, there are numerous parallels between the local and the universal.

Our protagonist may be Isaac McCaslin, the heir to a long line of patrician land- and slave-owners, but Faulkner almost exclusively refers to him simply as "he", a universal representative of mankind's inheritance, for better or for worse.

Ok, these are indeed great excerpts. However, it is clearly incorrect to label them as "Famous short novels". In fact, these are just segments extracted from famous novels. This aspect should be more prominently advertised on this collection.

That being said, they are all of excellent quality and can successfully stand alone. Each excerpt has its own unique charm and value. They offer a taste of the larger works from which they are derived, allowing readers to get a sense of the writing style and themes. Although they are not complete short novels in themselves, they can still provide an enjoyable and engaging reading experience.

It would be beneficial if the collection made it more clear that these are excerpts and not independent short novels. This would manage readers' expectations and ensure that they are not misled. Overall, while the quality of the excerpts is high, the mislabeling is a drawback that could be easily corrected.

I never got through the last 30 pages of the dialog.

It was a rather challenging task for me. Maybe it was because the content was too complex or I just didn't have enough patience at that moment.

But as I think about it now, I realize that those last 30 pages might have held some important information or interesting ideas.

I regret not persevering and giving up so easily.

Next time, I will try to push myself harder and not let such opportunities pass by.

I will make a conscious effort to focus and complete the task at hand, no matter how difficult it may seem.

After all, it is through such challenges that we grow and learn.

I did not read all three stories in this book.

I only read The Bear because, when I was searching for information on my paternal grandfather and uncle, both named Isaac McCaslin, I was astonished when Google presented a link to this story.

Regrettably, this story was by William Faulkner. However, that didn't prevent me from reading it. I thought it was extremely strange that this particular and not overly common name was a character in a story by anyone.

The story begins with Isaac as a boy who is permitted to go to a hunting camp with his elders. He learns to hunt, track, and shoot, just like both my grandfathers who also loved doing these things.

Everyone in the hunting party desires to find Old Ben, a massive bear that kills dogs, calves, pigs, and any other animal it can reach to eat. Old Ben is a legend in the area.

Over the years, Isaac discovers the woods by wandering through it. Then, the story rapidly progresses to when Isaac learns about his inheritance from his grandfather and also that his grandfather had a daughter with a slave and then impregnated that daughter (yuck!).

Twenty or so years later, the story returns to Isaac being in the woods again. The land where the hunting camp was located has been sold, a railroad is running through it, and it is being developed.

The best thing I can say about this story is that it wasn't overly long. I can't recommend it, well, not unless you also know an Isaac McCaslin or two. It was truly a struggle to get through and very disjointed, changing without any explanation.

I'm just really not a Faulkner fan, and I surely hope he doesn't have any characters named Lewis Nile (my maternal grandfather).

My dad shared this story with me. It was about his time in the Navy, before he got married to my mother. He and a few of his shipmates were on leave in Europe. Naturally, they ended up in a bar, drinking, chatting up women, and having a good time. One of his buddies, in particular, had a great stroke of luck. He managed to attract the attention of a tall, beautiful, blond girl. They hit it off immediately, and as things progressed, they found themselves in a more secluded corner of the bar.

At this point, my dad said, they started making out passionately and continued for quite some time. Finally, the guy got up the courage to take it to the next level. He gently placed his hand on and then up her thigh. But almost as soon as his hand disappeared beneath her skirt, the guy jumped straight up, flipped the table over, and pushed the girl out of her chair onto the floor. My dad and two or three other sailors quickly rushed over to pull him off the poor girl. As it turned out, she was not a girl at all. And needless to say, after all that had just happened, this revelation was a huge disappointment for my dad's unlucky friend.

Sure, this story has nothing to do with "The Bear." But I couldn't help but recall it when I reached chapter 4 halfway through the book. Everything up to that point had been amazing. The story was interesting, the characters were unique, and there seemed to be a deeper meaning, on the verge of being revealed in what I thought would be the climactic event of the novel. So you can imagine my fury when I read the first paragraph of chapter 4 and discovered that I had grabbed a handful of something completely unexpected. To my horror, the rest of the book was written using the "stream of consciousness" technique - or whatever you want to call it - that supposedly made writers like Faulkner and Joyce famous. Personally, I don't give it any credit at all. Maybe it's because I'm not smart enough to understand it, or maybe it's because I have more pride in my own work and wouldn't leave it half-finished. But I think if you can't write something with meaning and emotion in a way that everyone can understand, you're not much of a writer.

Tough to rate as it's a collection of three stories.

"Spotted Horses" feels very embryonic. Faulkner spends a significant portion of the story establishing the characters and elaborating on the wild and untameable nature of the titular horses. It's as if he is laying the groundwork for a much larger story. However, after all this setup, he rushes through the brief second (and final) chapter with an uncharacteristically clumsy bit of preaching about the vulnerability of poor, ignorant, and uneducated folk in the rural South.

"Old Man" is more of a straightforward story. It's mostly a linear narrative, which is a bit of a departure. In some ways, it's less ambitious, but in other, perhaps more important ways, it's more successful and entertaining. Faulkner's description of the vastness and power of the flooded Mississippi is truly awe-inspiring. The simplicity of the tale makes it a great starting point for those new to Faulkner, as it introduces his wordy, elaborate, and complex writing style within the context of a narrative that's easy to follow.

"The Bear" is the real gem in the collection. This "short novel" is actually an excerpt from the longer "Go Down, Moses," but it stands on its own quite well. It begins simply enough: the story of a young boy growing into manhood as he sharpens his skills as a woodsman during twice-annual hunting expeditions with his family and friends in the Mississippi wilderness. The focus increasingly turns to the hunt for the legendary, seemingly unkillable Old Ben. The hunt serves as a framework, a lens through which we can better understand the larger issues Faulkner tackles in this monumental yet concise story. In the aftermath of his adolescent hunting experiences, the boy comes to terms with his place in a family tree that is fundamentally intertwined with the fate of the post-Civil War South and all the associated baggage. In turn, he becomes part of a broader group of white men (and just plain men) and their relationship with the land. This is a landmark story in American literature for good reason.