On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Here is the topic to begin discussion. No spoilers, please.

Mike S.
"Lawyer Stevens"

Am really enjoying this corrected text version of The Sound and the Fury. There are quite a few letters to and from Faulkner and the man had a wicked sense of humor. I'm finding with the back story available in this version and the website Matt recommended, Schmoop, it makes the story more enjoyable than when I had to drudge through it in school with a teacher who seemed to dread it more than the class and understood it even less.

I read it quite awhile back. I do remember it was my first full length Faulkner novel, so I was a bit overwhelmed and confused. The prose and narrative flow took me a long time to get used to, and I was lost with what was taking place. I had to do my research for the novel quite often as I was reading (read reviews, etc). Very innovative approach to narrative, I must say though.

Supplemental Material regarding The Sound and the Fury

You might enjoy the following lecture given by William Faulkner at The University of Virginia given as writer in residence in 1957.

http://faulkner.lib.virginia.edu/disp...

This site includes not only an audio recording of Faulkner's lecture regarding TSATF but also a transcript of that lecture.

An interesting side note--Faulkner's voice was described as high and whiny. This interview belies that description.

Mike S.
"Lawyer Stevens

Additional material:

Yale Courses offers Professor Wai Chee Dimock's multiple lectures regarding The Sound and the Fury on Youtube. Part One begins at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjEf3A... .

Remaining lectures are easily located at the page featuring the first lecture set out above. Professor Dimock offers extensive information regarding plot, characterization, and themes of Faulkner's novel. I highly recommend these.

Mike S.
"Lawyer Stevens"

A complete audio book of The Sound and the Fury, corrected edition, including appendix by William Faulkner is available at Youtube.

Part one of the audio book may be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7JX4n... . Remaining sections of the audiobook are easily found from the initial site including the above section.

Mike S.
"Lawyer Stevens"

For an intimate look at William Faulkner, see an interview with Shelby Foote who considered Faulkner a mentor. The interview is available through Youtube at the following site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhjkOE... .

Very informative and entertaining.

Mike S.
"Lawyer Stevens"

That was an extremely interesting interview, made all the more pleasurable by Mr. Foote's melodious southern accent. Thanks for the post.

I am now into the second section, narrated by Quentin. If not for the appendix, which I have to keep referring to just to keep the characters straight, especially in Benjy's section, I would be totally lost. Also the Schmoop link that Matt posted in reference materials is very helpful. This is a book where it is very important to know what happens ahead of time in order to understand what is being said or thought. But I am loving it.

I've always said that you can't read Faulkner for the first time, you have to re-read it, but it is always worth it.

I am in awe of Faulkner's genius as a writer. Just finished Quentin's version, now on to Jason's.

Diane, hope you're enjoying this novel as much as me. I've been reading some interviews with Faulkner and two of his responses have really stuck with me. When asked about why he wrote the novel in this order, his response was, "I wrote the Benjy part first. That wasn't good enough so I wrote the Quentin part. That still wasn't good enough. I let Jason try it. That still wasn't good enough. I let Faulkner try it and that still wasn't enough, and so about 20 years afterward I wrote an appendix still trying to make that book what - match the dream." I truly think Caddy's character was very real to him. "To me she was the beautiful one, she was my heart's darling. That's what I wrote the book about and I used the tools which seemed to me the proper tools to try to tell - try to draw the picture of Caddy."

I fell in love with Caddy in the first part when she insisted that the other children had to "mind" her. I love the technique of letting us see her through other's eyes.

Finally finished this morning. I would say that despite it's brilliant writing, it would have been a very depressing book to read but for one thing: The women win in the end.

Diane wrote: "Finally finished this morning. I would say that despite it's brilliant writing, it would have been a very depressing book to read but for one thing: The women win in the end."

Diane, congratulations on your read. I do enjoy your final line.

Mike

I have finished reading the text of the novel from the Norton Critical Edition of The Sound and the Fury. I enjoyed the read after I finally understood the style Faulkner was using especially in Benjy's and Quentin's chapters. I am now reading the "Backgrounds", "Cultural and Historical Contexts", and "Criticism" that are at the end of this edition. These consist of more pages than the actual novel, but I am finding them quite helpful and interesting.

Finally started the book last night and, though I know I read this back in college, I have no recollection of the beginning at all. I must have blocked it all once I finished it :)

I have the edition with the appendix so I will be sure to refer to that and the many references above. I'm so glad to have the chance to re-read this "for the first time".

As I'm reading the book, I really wonder if, in fact, I did read this while in college. Could I have blocked all memory of this book? I suppose so if the stream of consciousness threw me for a loop back then!

Everitt, I'm still reading it and I can understand why it's your favorite. I'm about a third in and finding the language and story wonderful. I'm so glad to be in this group as it has encouraged me to return to Faulkner after all these years. I'm definitely ready for him now.

I like Shelby Foote also, without entirely knowing why. I believe but am not sure that he was the writer behind Ken Burn's THE CIVIL WAR.

I like Shelby Foote also, without entirely knowing why. I believe but am not sure that he was the writer behind Ken Burn's THE CIVIL WAR.

Actually, wasn't finished with previous statement--sent post by mistake [even twice--am embarrassed]. I wonder if Shelby and Horton Foote are brothers. Horton wrote THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, which I admire.

Patricia, Shelby Foote was a major resource for Ken Burns Civil War, and contributed many on-screen interviews that made him a minor celebrity for a while, but was not the writer for the series. He did spend 30+ years researching and writing a 3 volume history of the war, which is considered one of the best ever written. I don't know if Horton Foote was related to him, that's an intetesting question.