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justinlavish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
franklyfrank's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pwlee518's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
murakamiangel's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
tlee1995's review against another edition
4.0
4+ stars.
The last 50 pages almost pushed this into the 5’s.
The last 50 pages almost pushed this into the 5’s.
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, what a masterpiece ... and yet I feel like I can't fully appreciate such complex nuanced writing outside of a classroom. Still Faulkner's tale of the misery inflicted on the family of ruthless and and ambitious Thomas Sutpen was a story I couldn't put down and I was eager untwist the winding plot. It takes place in rural northern Mississippi throughout the 1800s and early 1900s but focused primarily on the years around the Civil War when the legacy Sutpen strived to create began to fall apart.
I am now kicking myself for not taking the Faulkner class offered by my college. Not only did I miss out on another class with an awesome professor, I missed out on an author I clearly would have enjoyed reading. Picking apart the intricate storytelling device used here would be a dream to write a paper about.
I would pair this with Gone With the Wind as books that can help a Northerner understand a Southerner's perspective on the Civil War. This one doesn't go into as much depth about the privations suffered during and after the war, but Quentin trying to explain the story to his Canadian roommate goes a long way to cross the cultural divide. Clearly I've not read enough Southern literature if those are the only titles I can think of that explain the Civil War from the South's perspective, but I'm working on it.
Long and winding, but absolutely worth it if you're up for the challenge.
I am now kicking myself for not taking the Faulkner class offered by my college. Not only did I miss out on another class with an awesome professor, I missed out on an author I clearly would have enjoyed reading. Picking apart the intricate storytelling device used here would be a dream to write a paper about.
I would pair this with Gone With the Wind as books that can help a Northerner understand a Southerner's perspective on the Civil War. This one doesn't go into as much depth about the privations suffered during and after the war, but Quentin trying to explain the story to his Canadian roommate goes a long way to cross the cultural divide. Clearly I've not read enough Southern literature if those are the only titles I can think of that explain the Civil War from the South's perspective, but I'm working on it.
Long and winding, but absolutely worth it if you're up for the challenge.
michaelpeng's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maryconnors6's review against another edition
2.0
The entire time I was reading Absalom, Absalom! I kept thinking about how it reminded me of As I lay Dying, which makes sense because Faulkner wrote that as well! How I missed that, I do not know-- but if you didn't enjoy AILD, you def won't enjoy Absalom, Absalom. Which I didn't.
It's definitely not the kind of book you read for the plot. You read it for the analysis. I found it really helpful to actually spark notes each chapter before I read it and look up the symbolism, especially since I was reading it individually so I had no one to discuss it with. Even still-- I kept waiting for it to hit me like East of Eden did but it just dragged on and didn't arrive anywhere. I feel like Faulkner retold the same story a million times, albeit from different perspectives which drove home the overall message, but it became redundant quickly.
That being said, the book had a lot of great subtext and symbolism and brought up powerful points of irony, especially at the end. I just can't get into books that use incest as a literary device for some reason.
It's definitely not the kind of book you read for the plot. You read it for the analysis. I found it really helpful to actually spark notes each chapter before I read it and look up the symbolism, especially since I was reading it individually so I had no one to discuss it with. Even still-- I kept waiting for it to hit me like East of Eden did but it just dragged on and didn't arrive anywhere. I feel like Faulkner retold the same story a million times, albeit from different perspectives which drove home the overall message, but it became redundant quickly.
That being said, the book had a lot of great subtext and symbolism and brought up powerful points of irony, especially at the end. I just can't get into books that use incest as a literary device for some reason.
treylusk's review against another edition
The worlds most verbose man loses the civil war