Which Faulkner should i start off with?

[Kellie]

Hi Southern Fiction fans!

I've wanted to read Faulkner for a long time now but i have no idea where to begin. So i thought i'd join your group to find out if anyone has any suggestions for a good 1st novel to wet those Faulkner taste buds.

Thanks,
Kellie

[Nelson]

Having read the novels most consider his important works and many short stories I would start with a short story collection. Collected Short Stories of William Faulkner published by Modern Library is really good. If you want a novel, I'd suggest The Unvanquished. Those books are for starters though, I wouldn't rate either as his best work.

Nelson

[Kellie]

Thanks Nelson much appreciated :-)
I'll make sure to check out the short story collection!

[Lyn]

I kept trying to like him, also. I finally did with 'The Reivers'. that Book opened him right up to me

[Laura]

Either As I Lay Dying or Light in August. While certainly challenging reads, they are not nearly as mentally demanding as, say, Absalom, Absalom!--a novel that makes me just slap myself in the forehead out of frustration.

[Melissa Delbridge]

I agree with Daren and Lara. _As I Lay Dying_ is both exquisite and accessible.

[Kellie]

Thanks guys! :-)

[Chris]

As I Lay Dying.

[Gary]

AS I LAY DYING....it's touching, sad, hilarious,and so over the top. it's a definate good start!

[Charles]

I think SANCTUARY isn't a bad one to start with either.

[Amanda]

Light in August is my favorite.

[Charles]

Kellie wrote: "Hi Southern Fiction fans!

I've wanted to read Faulkner for a long time now but i have no idea where to begin. So i thought i'd join your group to find out if anyone has any suggestions for a goo..."

I always recommend 'Light in August' as a good place to start. It is from his great period, yet it is accessible for someone who hasn't read Faulkner.

[Lyn]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...

[Chris]

Kellie wrote: "Hi Southern Fiction fans!

I've wanted to read Faulkner for a long time now but i have no idea where to begin. So i thought i'd join your group to find out if anyone has any suggestions for a goo..."

Sorry it took me so long- dont read any Faulkner, he is a melodramatic, preachy hack. He is the Spielberg of Southern Lit (along with Thomas Wolfe) Read Crews, Caldwell, O'connor, Larry Brown. Good Luck

[Lyn]

My take on O'conner (flannery, I assume): Bunkum.


The first time i ever read an author that i thought deeply dislikes the characters the author is writing about.

[Nick]

The first Faulkner I read was the short story "Barn Burning" which was assigned in High School. Probably because I held antipathy to anything that was assigned, I didn't particularly care for it.

Later, in college, I was assigned Absalom, Absalom!, and it resonated with me so much, I went on my own to The Sound and the Fury knowing that they had one narrator in common. Blown away by that, I continued with Go Down, Moses because I was excited about the multiple-narrator format. Only then did I pick up As I Lay Dying -- which makes me wonder if I would have liked it as well if it had been the one I had started with.

Eventually I got around to The Hamlet which brought me back to the characters of "Barn Burning" and made me glad I had read it in high school. I almost feel as if it's a needed prequel to the Snopes trilogy, and it is such a powerful story in its own right, as I now realize.

[Steve]

I know this is way after the fact, but if you're new to Faulkner, I STRONGLY recommend The Portable Faulkner. I had trouble getting into Faulkner, but Jonathan Yardley, a super book reviewer for the Washington Post, wrote this great article on it (and this goes back to the late 70s), that really got my attention. The nice thing about the Portable Faulkner is that Cowley (the editor) walks you through Faulkner's imaginary world, its history, etc., with excerpts from novels and assorted short stories. After reading the PF, I was ready, and spent the rest of the summer reading WF. However, if you do want plunge into a novel, I agree with some of the others regarding Light in August being a good starting place.

[Dave]

As I Lay Dying is next up for me. Currently on We Need To Talk About Kevin and The Orchard Keeper.

[Helen]

As I Lay Dying was the best book I read last year... Actually, one of the best books I've ever read. Definitely recommend that to start with for Faulkner.