Absalom, Absalom!

Rating:
Summary: Faulkner at his best
Review: This is Faulkner at his best (and, some would say, least comprehensible). The book integrates Quentin and Shreve (The Sound and the Fury) with Sutpen, the main character, beautifully. If you loved the gloriously neurotic Quentin Compson, this is a must-read book, as well as a beautiful portrait of what Faulkner sees about the American South.

However, what sold me on this book, and what made the entire journey through Faulkner's labyrinth of parentheses more than worthwhile, was one line--the final line. The ending of Absalom, Absalom! absolutely blew me away and left me speechless. It was the perfect closing if I have ever read a perfect closing to any book.

This is one Faulkner novel a fan should not go without reading, but it's not the one to start with; As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury should be read first (in that order). In addition, it will enhance the reader's enjoyment if s/he first familiarizes him/herself with the Biblical story of Absalom (it's short and it'll help, trust me).

This is a book I will keep for the rest of my life.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome, Awesome!
Review: I'll admit straight off the bat that I'm not a huge fan of stream-of-consciousness narratives. In fact, I dislike such styles more often than I enjoy them. ABSALOM, ABSALOM! was also the first work by William Faulkner that I have ever read, which (judging by the reviews on this site) is apparently not the best place I could have started. Yet despite these potential problems, I quite enjoyed the overall book. There were several places where I found the narrative voice to be quite tedious, but the story was so captivating that these difficulties were well worth struggling through.

As I said, I don't usually like the stream-of-consciousness style of writing. When done incorrectly, it can lead to books full of hopelessly incoherent rambling that is neither insightful nor interesting. However, in the case of ABSALOM, ABSALOM!, I'll grudgingly admit that the style does help the story quite a bit. Some of the asides and passages were extremely effective at conveying the atmosphere of the South during the Civil War. The various misconceptions that several characters have (the reader can only gradually piece together the truth) are perfectly true to their personalities and reveal more about the people in this story than the actual events would have. That said, some of the more esoteric portions of the text had me nearly throwing the book across the room in angry confusion. Fortunately for the sake of my library, my walls and my sanity, those more obscure sections are not terribly numerous, and many of them can become penetrable, albeit after the second or third reading.

One of the aspects of the novel I most appreciated was Faulkner's ability to set my expectations in one direction, and then completely pull the rug out from under me. There were several major twists and turns that I genuinely did not anticipate. Characters' understandings are fallible, and yet whenever something that someone had said turned out to be false, I never felt cheated. While a lot of the narrative shocks stem from people misunderstanding events from long ago, the mistakes they make are perfectly valid, and I never once felt that Faulkner had deliberately caused people to misconstrue happenings merely to drive the plot.

Racism plays a major part in this story, so be prepared to see some language and activities that aren't politically correct. Faulkner is showing racism for exactly what it was at the time, an everyday fact of life, and a concept that was applied randomly and irrationally. He doesn't compromise, but neither does he dwell on this subject. He records it exactly as he saw it, from a perspective that none of his characters have the benefit of sharing.

Despite my own apprehension upon reading the first few pages, I ended up quite enjoying ABSALOM, ABSALOM!. It took me a couple of chapters before I got into the rhythm of the prose, but once it clicked in my head I was able to read it with very little problem. If the text looks intimidating at first, I advise you to attempt it anyway to see if you can't wrap your head around it. I managed to make myself understand it, and I am very glad that I didn't simply give up before the end. The symbolism, the tragedy, and the bare emotions - they all contribute to making this a fantastic story. The way that Faulkner manages to portray hopes, dreams, heartbreak, blind ambition, and hubris in a manner than somehow all manages to be perfectly believable is a huge achievement, and something well worth the time it takes to read.

Rating:
Summary: My First Foray into Faulkner - Wow
Review: I probably would never have touched any book by Faulkner - the sentiment that seems to be unconsciously passed down from generation to generation is that Faulkner is dense to the point of impenetrability (is that a word?) - if I hadn't had to read "Absalom, Absalom" for a class on American literature. I'm glad I took the class; this book was a wonderful surprise. It brought me back to the pure joys of reading, the delight I feel any time I tackle something truly meaty. Admittedly, "Absalom, Absalom" is confusing, even schizophrenic, in its multiple narrators and its page-long sentences. You can't read it half-heartedly; I had to turn off the stereo and retreat to the quiet of my room to give it my full attention. And I was blown away. There is so much here for a literature lover to delve into. I won't even bother offering a synopsis - it wouldn't make much sense, and you should just read it anyway. I've heard people say that one shouldn't read "Absalom, Absalom" for their first Faulkner experience, and I can see why: this book is hard work. Still, it has inspired me to explore the rest of Faulkner's bibliography. And to read other books I was hesitant to read before. And it reminded me why I love to read. Not bad for a book I was dreading.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing & Aggrivating, but Enjoyable Because of It
Review: I struggled through this aggravating yet breathtaking book, but I don't think very many people can say they've read it and not struggled through it for Faulkner is still experimenting with style, and in this novel, considered by many to be his masterpiece, he does this by writing confusing page-long sentences for which he became famous (or should I say infamous) - this overall effect, combined with Faulkner's overuse of SAT vocabulary, makes the book a hard but worthwhile read; some read it and love every word of it, some read the first fifty pages and say it's "unreadable" - I happened to really enjoy it, but then again, I am a big Faulkner fan, and these sentences I'm writing are written in the same style Faulkner uses in Absalom, Absalom! - so if you think this style is annoying, don't even pick up this book! The story itself is told from a twisted angle: Quentin Compson (yes, the same Quentin Compson from The Sound and the Fury) hears the story of Thomas Sutpen's life and of his desire to forge a dynasty in Jefferson, Missisippi, a desire which failed due to the actions of Sutpen's children and of Sutpen himself - this story is told to Quentin from various different members of the Jefferson community (each account is slightly twisted or bias, and the reader, along with Quentin, is left to patch the "true" story together from the myriad accounts) in an attempt by Faulkner to show how a community tells and twists a story as it passes through the town - Faulkner masterfully succeeds at this, but in doing so, he only gives the reader enough information to just keep the story going, and things happen later in the book that explain the mysteries in the beginning. I recommend this book if you DON'T read for quick, coherent plot development, but rather, if you like hearing stories told in unique ways, if you like figuring out what's happening on your own instead of having everything being told to you up front, if you can stand mile-long, ungrammatically correct sentences, and if you like Faulkner (warning, this is NOT a suitable introduction for a reader who is new to Faulkner), otherwise I recommend you stay away from this book, and if you really want to read Faulkner, start with something easier, like Light in August, or even As I LayDying, then perhaps move on to The Sound and the Fury and finally, when you think you can handle it, challenge yourself and move onto the confusing but rewarding world of Faulkner's most twisted work, Absalom, Absalom!

Rating:
Summary: Know what you're getting yourself into
Review: I can understand why this book has so many 5 star ratings. It's ideas on the decay of the South are pretty brilliant and perceptive, and the plot is devastating. However, the language, although poetic, is enigmatic and completely exhausting. What's more troubling is that every character in the book has the same way of talking, without ever stopping or completing a thought. Sentences literally go on for over a page. Apparently, that's how every single person talked in 1909.

"Not cowardice which will not face that sickness somewhere at the prime foundation of this factual scheme from which the prisoner soul, miasmal-distillant, wroils ever upward sunward..." This continues for quite some time. While an occassional sentence like this would add a sense of mystery and mysticism to the novel, when the whole thing reads like this, you get pretty tired. Another reviewer noted this sentence: "I became all polymath love's androgynous advocate." What?

I do like the narrative style though. You have a basic idea of the plot from the beginning, but pieces get filled in my different sources, leading to the overall picture of murder, decay, revenge. I didn't think the characterization was very good though, and that to me is the most important part of a book. Sure, you know who Sutpen is, but you don't really understand him. Ellen is called a moth, desperately clinging to the light but not understanding why. That's pretty a beautiful simile, but not incredibly useful, since we don't know why Ellen is a moth, just that she is.

Basically, if you're going to read this novel, know what you're getting yourself into, and read it slowly, or you'll have to go back a million times and re-read.

Rating:
Summary: WOW! where to begin?
Review: faulkner is an acquired taste. like brussel sprouts, you either like him or hate him, but he is definitely good food for the brain. his books are by no means easy reads, but they are a must for any true lover of literature.

absalom, absalom could have been a simplistic story of the sutpin family from thomas, the father, birth to the death of his youngest child henry. it could have been told in chronological order by an omniscient narrator that provided all of the usual insights and motives into every act. but it is not!

Faulkner tells the story through the eyes of 4 people, all of a different generation or background. the story is told somewhat haphazardly with many gaps which are not filled in until later in the book. the facts are viewed through the eyes of the different story tellers with parts further filtered through stories told to them by others. all of this makes an engrossing tale all the more fascinating. at the end we have a picture of the family that is part history and part saga.

this unusual approach to story telling is classic faulkner. you need to admire the style to really appreciate the ingenuity of the author.

the story is better understood by reading the biblical reference of king david's son as well as faulkner's sound and the fury which involves two of the same characters--specifically quentin compson.

this is faulkner's best novel. it is not for the first time faulkner reader. you need to work your way up to this one by reading as i lay dying, light in august, and then sound and the fury. the trip through these books will challenge even the best reader, but the rewards are well worth it. you will truly never read someone like faulkner again.

Rating:
Summary: Don't give up on this masterpiece . . .
Review: Faulkner is not for everyone, and this book is exhibit number one. I read half of it a year ago before going back and starting over, determined to finish it. I am certainly glad I did, and I will say without doubt I will read it several more times in my life, for this book is at the same time one of the most difficult I've ever read, and one of the most rewarding.

First, the cons: vocabulary that continually drives you to a dictionary; long, run-on sentences, with digression piled on top of digression, parenthesis within parenthesis within parenthesis; multiple telling of the same story. The reading is not easy, in other words.

But the pros: Faulkner is a master of "showing, not telling." He writes poetry without line breaks. For example:

** "a creature cloistered now by deliberate choice and still in the throes of enforced apprenticeship to, rather than voluntary or even acquiescent participation in, breathing"

** "battles lost not alone because of superior numbers and failing ammunition and stores, but because of generals who should not have been generals, who were generals not through training in contemporary methods or aptitude for learning them, but by the divine right to say 'Go there' conferred upon them by an absolute caste system."

** "and maybe they never had time to talk about wounds and besides to talk about wounds in the Confederate army in 1865 would be like coal miners talking about soot."

From these three examples alone, one can see that it's unfair to say that Faulkner's book is one run-on sentence without any differentiation in style or voice. Instead, they show a mastery of language, which Faulkner admittedly gets a little carried away with from time to time, but generally uses much like we use our lungs - without seeming to think about it.

What is most striking about the book is the similarity it has to the human experience. Walter Allen said this is the book in which Faulkner "most profoundly and completely says what he has to say about . . . the human condition." And what is that? That humans are weak and prone to lying, and more dangerously, prone to believing lies that are more comfortable than the truth. When we finish the book, we're still not sure about the details of the story. We don't know who twisted what in his/her narrative, and because the story is told from several points of view, we get conflicting interpretations from the characters about the meaning and cause of certain events. But as in real life, there's no omnipotent interpreter to sort everything out. Almost . . .

"AA" is particularly engrossing in the final half. Just when you think you pretty much know Sutpen's story, Faulkner reveals yet another detail -- coincidence turns out to be anything but, ignornance is shown to be willful, and many other facets which can only be called "plot twists" fall into place in the final 100 pages, and though the prose is anything but easy, it's difficult to put the book down then.

If you're not into "academic" books, stay away. If you're interested just in "a good yarn," steer clear. If you want to see an impressive effort at capturing in writing the frustrating experience of being a fallible, limited human, give it a read.

Rating:
Summary: Haunting
Review: Whew! What a read! I loved it - especially the mesmerizing quality of Faulkner's prose. Hard to put down after you get thru the incredibly difficult 1st few chapters. Definitely has a very mythic feel to it. I loved the way he kept backtracking and repeating and filling in. Very much a "Rashomon" feel to it. Different narrators, different tales.

Rating:
Summary: Not for wimps
Review: I apologize for the two stars, but I found this novel virtually unreadable. It was very dense, with few rewards. I understand and appreciate Faulkner's historical importance, but this book, in terms of pure enjoyment, did nothing for me. I am a fan of Updike, Tobias Wolf, Andre Dubus, and even some Faulkner (like As I Lay Dying), but not of Absalom.

I often had difficulty figuring out who was speaking, what they were talking about, who was the father of who...if it weren't for the time line, I might not have been able to establish even the basic setting. The text is dotted with gorgeous moments, but they are too few and far between.

That being said, a lot of people seem to love this book. Maybe they were up for more than a challenge than I was. I would suggest reading the first chapter (or even the first page) before buying. For me, it straddled the red zone on the readership-annoyance scale.

Rating:
Summary: Faulkner's most difficult, but rewarding, book
Review: Although this is a tough book of Faulkner's--even more so than his usual tough reading--it is well worth it. The language, imagery, his style are all in top form in Absalom, Absalom! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Faulkner. If you haven't read any Faulkner before, it might be better to start with As I Lay Dying or The Sound and The Fury for a slightly less complex read that will introduce you to the characters.