A review by zachf
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“And now,” Shreve said, “we’re going to talk about love.” (253)

I found it hard to stay interested at first, but the book really hits its stride in the second half. I love the framing of two college roommates—(or one, as they both are taken back and sit atop that horse (an Arab (the horse, not the rider)) and see through his (“The Demon’s”, Shreve interjects) eyes that dew-crowned morning at Gettysburg)—in their dorm on a frosty Massachusetts night litigating and speculating and unweaving the tale of a portentous and proscribed Southern patriarch. The dialogue felt David Foster Wallace-esque at times (a positive). I wonder how much this book is supposed to be connected to The Sound And The Fury; this story certainly has deeper significance in light of that one (and even a pretty big plot spoiler for that book, not that youd necessarily read it for the plot). Fun fact: apparently this book at one point held the Guinness world record for the longest sentence—1,288 words.