Any Faulkner fans here? I'm tempted to attempt Faulkner and would like

[hedgehog]

to know if there is a suggested reading plan.

[rucky]

1. As I Lay Dying

is where I'd start - especially if you like stream of consciousness. If you're more into plot-driven, I'd go with The Unvanquished, Light In August, or a short story collection.

[KatyMan]

6. I absolutely

LOVED Light in August, great great book.

[MuseRider]

2. It has been years

since I read Faulkner. I remember that I loved it for his use of language and the stream of consciousness as mentioned in the post above. As I Lay Dying is a good rec. I never thought I would get through A Light In August. Great book but emotionally took a toll on me, I felt like a weight was lifted when I finished it. Not a good way to rec a book but I would say that it is worth a serious read. Man, I have forgotten more than I can remember except that I did like reading Faulkner.

[raccoon]

3. THE SOUND AND THE FURY is worth a read, I think. But some notes

to explain what the hell is going on are helpful. :-)

[rucky]

4. There's a version with a family tree in the back.

It may be the only way to read it.

[Mz Pip]

11. That was my take on it.

I was confused when I read it and can't even remember what it was about at this point. :crazy:

[saltpoint]

5. I think a very good first read in Faulkner is his novel, THE REIVERS.

Smart, funny, and a very good glimpse into the countryside of his imagination.

[pinto]

10. Yeah, good starting point for a take on Faulkner.

[BOSSHOG]

7. Come to New Orleans and visit his bookstore

which is located in a house he used to live and write. That will put you in the mood.

[LWolf]

8. Me.

No plan; dive in.

I've always thought that there are two kinds of readers: those who lean to Hemingway, and the rest who lean to Faulkner.

I'm in the latter group.

[Goblinmonger]

12. Amen

Just dive into Sound and Fury. You will be confused as shit for 80 pages but that's what Faulkner wanted or he wouldn't have written it that way. You'll get it eventually.

Sure, go back and read it again with some note companion if you want, but just experience it first.

Hemingway--what a tool.

[pinto]

9. The Sound and the Fury is my favorite.

It's written from multiple points of view, so you have to kind of go with it for a while. Once it clicks, though, the story is a great gumbo.

[Zomby Woof]

13. Start with "As I Lay Dying"

Then "Light In August", if you are interested in further exploration.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Faulkner is my all time favorite. I just loved Light in August.

He is just such a beautiful writer.

[The Call Up]

15. Regarding Faulkner

I've never read him, but I'm currently reading Cormac McCarthy "The Road" which I am tearing through - it is so amazing.

Anyway, The Boston Globe compares McCarthy's "The Road" to Faulkner, which now has got me curious about Faulkner.

Any recommendations for specific books by Faulkner that might appeal to someone currently enjoying "The Road"?

[nomorenomore08]

16. I have to agree with most here - start with 'As I Lay Dying.'

It's not the easiest read, but compared to 'The Sound and the Fury' or 'Absalom, Absalom!' (which I actually never finished - it's on my long-term "to do" list) it's a cakewalk. Great story, too. The chapter narrated by the now-dead mother (Addie) is particularly powerful.

[litlady]

17. Sorry I'm a bit late on this...

Read most of his works in grad school though I am not a big fan. I believe Light in August is the most accessible and its a very powerful story that discusses racism. Probably my favorite of his (likely followed by If I Forget Thee Jerusalem and then maybe Go Down, Moses). Sanctuary is an easy read, one of his earlier works about rape and the underground world. Sound and the Fury is most commonly assigned in classes, followed by As I Lay Dying (both of which are quite stream-of-consciousness with varying narrators), neither of which I like that much! Some of his short stories are interesting, such as "Dry September" and the commonly assigned "A Rose for Emily." The Snopes Trilogy (comprised of The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion) can be seen as funny country novels. Speaking personally, Light in August is excellent and I might start with that.

[Journeyman]

18. In light of recent events, I believe you'll find much to recommend "Old Man". . .

it's one of Faulkner's finest short stories, compared favorably to "Huck Finn" (one of the few tales that can be so compared), and takes the reader on a harrowing voyage on the Mississippi in flood in 1927. From its scathing indictment of the inequities of the Southern penal system, to its damning portrayal of society's abuse of those deemed marginal, the tale ebbs and flows with the full power of the river -- the "Old Man" -- coursing through it. An unforgettable tale set in an incomparable time, it's a story that will stay with you the rest of your days.

The other stories listed in this thread are magnificent as well, though I suspect you'll find Faulkner's novels challenging in ways you've never considered before. It's why I recommend his short stories for a start, so you might learn something of his voice and the lay of the land about him, before you enter the complicated world of Yoknapatawpha County.

[PittPoliSci]

19. i'm working on Absalom, Absalom! right now. Love it.

It is supposed to be a good one to start with. I wouldn't know because it's the first of his that i've read.

[Potomac Will]

20. On reading Faulkner

This is a very old post, so I will offer only a few modest suggestions rather than a reading plan.

Start with the short stories "A Rose for Emily" and "Red October." They will give you a clear sense of the power of Faulkner's writing that readers must work harder to experience with his longer works.

Continue with the short stories until you feel comfortable enough with Faulkner to undertake some such longer composition as Light in August. Since Faulkner's writing is rooted in the King James Bible, the parade ground, and the pulpit, in the southern art of declamation or "speechifying," it presents challenges at the level of syntax and rhetoric that few American writers do.

Then finally you'll be ready for The Sound and The Fury, in which Faulkner out does James Joyce in imitating the felt experience of the stream of life.