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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
My 2 star rating isn't trying to say that this isn't a great classic and isn't worth reading, but OH. MY. GOSH. It was so confusing, and so difficult to follow that I didn't enjoy the read by the end of the book. I respect Faulkner for writing in a new, really unusual style for the time, (or for this time) but I mean, wow. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, and there are a lot of very simple clues he could've thrown in to explain things so I didn't have to google all the things I didn't understand. They wouldn't have taken away from his style... unless he was purposefully trying to give the reader a headache, which honestly wouldn't surprise me. Also, Benjy made me really really sad. So that's it. Maybe I'll give his writing another go in a few (or very many) years, but I think for now I'll go back to my beloved British classics.
(PS, I almost gave it a 3rd star just because he's from Mississippi)
(PS, I almost gave it a 3rd star just because he's from Mississippi)
Faulkner beautifully writes the strange nonlinearity of Benjy's mind, the insanity of Quentins stream if consciousness, and the pure evil from Jason in this beautiful novel. A must read for anybody
challenging
dark
medium-paced
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm going to hold off on rating this until I read it again sometime in the future. It took quite a long time for me to understand what was going on, so a reread will be necessary to fully understand this important work of fiction.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
My initial impression is that I like this significantly less than As I Lay Dying, mostly because I found the story much less engaging. That being said, Faulkner's writing style is inscrutable enough that usually his stories don't fully unlock for me until I've had time to reflect on them, and I feel like there's a chance that will also happen here. In the meantime: meh.