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msand3's review against another edition
4.0
Faulkner's first published novel (although not the first one he wrote) is also his best early effort before he unleashed The Sound and the Fury on the world. In Soldiers' Pay Faulkner is already experimenting with fragmented narrative, multiple perspectives, and a type of stream-of-consciousness technique that he would perfect in later works. We also get to see some early examples of classic Faulkner stylistic traits: his first use of the word "myriad," mules as symbols, a character named "Loosh" (although not the same Loosh as in The Unvanquished), oddball punctuation, etc. These moments are a real treat for Faulkner fans.
The plot itself is a bit soap opera-ish, with soldiers returning home from war only to fight each other over women. I get the impression that each of these male characters contains a bit of Faulkner himself: the lovable loser who goes home to mamma in the hope of winning the girl, the wise-cracking good fella who is locked into the "friend zone," the wounded vet who is caught in a love triangle but is too close to death to care, and even the skeezy drifter who didn't actually fight in the war and manages to tick off everyone he meets (probably the closest to the actual Faulkner!). The reader is subjected to some cheesy Southern Gothic melodrama throughout, but Faulkner's unique style keeps the pace moving quite rapidly. I don't think an unbiased reader would rate this as high as I did, but Faulkner fans will enjoy the read. Even if it doesn't quite have that classic Faulkner "feel" of Sartoris/Flags in the Dust, it's certainly better than the tepid and forgettable Mosquitoes.
The plot itself is a bit soap opera-ish, with soldiers returning home from war only to fight each other over women. I get the impression that each of these male characters contains a bit of Faulkner himself: the lovable loser who goes home to mamma in the hope of winning the girl, the wise-cracking good fella who is locked into the "friend zone," the wounded vet who is caught in a love triangle but is too close to death to care, and even the skeezy drifter who didn't actually fight in the war and manages to tick off everyone he meets (probably the closest to the actual Faulkner!). The reader is subjected to some cheesy Southern Gothic melodrama throughout, but Faulkner's unique style keeps the pace moving quite rapidly. I don't think an unbiased reader would rate this as high as I did, but Faulkner fans will enjoy the read. Even if it doesn't quite have that classic Faulkner "feel" of Sartoris/Flags in the Dust, it's certainly better than the tepid and forgettable Mosquitoes.
wholelottaotto's review against another edition
2.0
Early, amateurish Faulkner, but Faulkner nonetheless.
moosegurl's review
4.0
"Why can't a man be very happy or very unhappy? It's only a sort of pale mixture of the two. Like beer when you want a shot--or a drink of water. Neither one nor the other."
"And that is already the curse of our civilization--Things, Possessions, to which we are slaves, which require us to either labor honestly at least eight hours a day or do something illegal so as to keep them painted or dressed in the latest mode or filled with whisky or gasoline."
"but as we grow older what we are loses importance, giving place to what we do."
"Jones looked toward Gilligan's fading figure in disgust, like that of a swordsman who has been disarmed by a peasant with a pitchfork."
"And that is already the curse of our civilization--Things, Possessions, to which we are slaves, which require us to either labor honestly at least eight hours a day or do something illegal so as to keep them painted or dressed in the latest mode or filled with whisky or gasoline."
"but as we grow older what we are loses importance, giving place to what we do."
"Jones looked toward Gilligan's fading figure in disgust, like that of a swordsman who has been disarmed by a peasant with a pitchfork."
julian12's review
5.0
William Faulkner manages his predominantly sombre tone so that nothing is too forced in his fine debut novel Soldiers’ Pay. Pathos and absurdity make compelling bedfellows in this story of the tribulations faced by a small group of American soldiers newly returned from the 1914-18 War. Faulkner here uses a much more straightforward technique than in his later books. There is the beginning of a focus on inward states but this does not impede the linear naturalism and clarity of the storyline. The descriptive writing has a plaintive quality in the carefully judged emotional impact. The tightness of the sentences has the sureness and detail of an engraving. It forces concentration and rewards with deeply felt phrasing that leaves the mind hovering in contemplation over each thought. The drunken revelry of the soldiers on the train at the beginning gives way in the tale’s progress to a steadfast contemplation of war’s impacts on participants and those who wait in “unhope” on the home front. At the centre of the story is the broken Lieutenant Mahon – an airman gravely injured, cared for by a gently solicitous buddy and the forceful Mrs Powers who has lost a husband she never truly loved. Mahon is taken home by these two to be reunited with his girl and his father the doting rector who keeps a pathetic collection of keepsakes to remind him of a son presumed dead. What plays out is a sad elegiac drama of the need to believe and hope shared out between those with widely different moral apprehensions of who they are. Mahon’s girl Cecily was never the type to wait for a beloved – she fascinates other suitors like Januarius Jones – a libertine and an amoral presence, or the more conventional George ever yearning, ever exasperated by the inconstant Cecily. The action has elements of the farcical interwoven deftly with wells of emotion that force a catch of breath. I was reminded of Steinbeck by Faulkner’s compassionate concern for the ordinary Joe or Jane and their perennial struggle with character and fate. Faulkner’s writing has a mystery and obscurity that becomes ever more pronounced in his subsequent books but you never want to turn away from what this writer places before you.
sookieskipper's review
3.0
This is one of those books that oscillates between two and four stars with every chapter change. While Faulkner is redundant while describing nature, his description of Donald's health's decay is fascinating and quite chilling. World War 1 was confusing enough for many as the war changed perception of many people about the world and the political aspects of it. Faulkner lets these things simmer in the background while he draws attention to lives of people who are directly affected by it. Some of the experiences seems visceral and Donald, at times, is designed to voice Faulkner directly. This change in Donald's tone is evident to give a whiplash affecting the reading process.
Faulkner uses colloquial language as a tool to add flavor to this haunting story. His handling of emotion is twisty and churns stomach with gallons of feelings. As this is my first Faulkner I have nothing to compare his prose to. Its very much like Proust but more visceral.
I quite enjoyed the run-of-the-mill story but was left impressed with Faulkner's writing.
Faulkner uses colloquial language as a tool to add flavor to this haunting story. His handling of emotion is twisty and churns stomach with gallons of feelings. As this is my first Faulkner I have nothing to compare his prose to. Its very much like Proust but more visceral.
I quite enjoyed the run-of-the-mill story but was left impressed with Faulkner's writing.
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