All About Books discussion

And The Guardian's pick #55 is As I Lay Dying by one of my personal favorites, William Faulkner.

Here is the intro to McCrumb's article:

"This is the first, and probably the most popular, of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County stories, a short, dark and compelling novel set in what he called “my apocryphal county”, a fictional rendering of Lafayette County in his native Mississippi. It was his ambition, he said, after the comparative failure of The Sound and the Fury, “deliberately to write a tour de force”. Apart from Mark Twain (No 23 in this series), no other American writer before Faulkner had ever immersed his readers so completely in the vernacular language and culture of a society that was, and perhaps still is, so deeply foreign to mainstream American experience.

The death and burial of a southern matriarch, Addie Bundren, is told from some 15 viewpoints, including that of the dying woman herself. The Bundren family’s demanding stream-of-consciousness narrative (Faulkner was a modernist pioneer) is intercut with the voices of the local doctor and preacher, together with neighbours and friends. From the first line, the reader is pitched into the deep south: “Jewel and I come up from the field, following the path in single file… anyone watching us from the cotton-house can see Jewel’s frayed and broken straw hat a full head above my own.” Welcome to a brutal, backwoods community of impoverished cotton farmers in 1920s Mississippi."

My favorite Faulkner is probably The Sound and the Fury, although I also love Absalom, Absalom. I think that one thing I like so much about his writing is the descriptions of the same event from multiple points of view, which is what many folks hate about him.

My intention is to read some Faulkner in 2015.

Gill wrote: "My intention is to read some Faulkner in 2015."

This might be a good one to start with, Gill. However, his short stories might also be a good starting place... I would recommend either Selected Short Stories or The Faulkner Reader.

Me too, Gill. I've not read this but I'd like to

I would also like to read this author. I have Light in August on my bookshelf, which I really should get around to reading.

Embarrassed to say I haven't read many Faulkner novels. In general, my impression is that his writing is a lot of work but worth it. I will read this one someday when I am feeling particularly energetic. I like several of his short stories.

Leslie, if you like reading descriptions of the same event from multiple points of view, you might want to check out Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad as well.

I preferred The Sound and the Fury to this. It was a real "revelation" of my university studies. I remember giving it away as present to almost all my friends!!!!

I love As I Lay Dying - it was the first stream-of-consciousness novel I ever read, and it made me want to read all the rest of Faulkner's novels and other stream-of-consciousness authors too. I think The Sound and the Fury is richer and more complex, but I found As I Lay Dying a good one to start with, because it's simpler and shorter - we read it at school when I was 16, and I think we all enjoyed it. I'm not sure if that would have been the case with The Sound and the Fury. I read that one later, at uni, and I think that was a good time to read it.

Greg, I didn't know Conrad wrote multiple viewpoint novels - I've only read Heart of Darkness by him, and I hated it! But I'm tempted to try Lord Jim now, because I do like reading the same events from multiple viewpoints.

Well, I am convinced that I will read As I Lay Dying soon. The Sound and the Fury was one of the books NOT wrecked for me by school. I really liked it, but have been unsure which Faulkner to follow up with. Light in August did not blow me over.

I've only read The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner and completely loved it. I want to read all of his books over time. If they are all like this one, they are all terrific.

Gail wrote: "I love As I Lay Dying - it was the first stream-of-consciousness novel I ever read, and it made me want to read all the rest of Faulkner's novels and other stream-of-consciousness auth..."

Gail, I am making literary professors everywhere shudder by saying this but Lord Jim is a little like a longer and more psychologically complex Billy Budd, Sailor. Just a little bit. It describes a particular incident at sea from several different angles and perspectives. The "truth" is slowly revealed but in a surprisingly modern way, not an omniscient or conclusive telling but the stuff of life.

For me, the first half of the book is better than the second, and it isn't a page turner (particularly the second part), but I think it's a masterpiece! I personally really like Conrad, and I don’t think Heart of Darkness is particularly representative of his work; I think it gets taught so often because it's short - I suspect the same reason schools teach Silas Marner instead of Middlemarch or Ethan Frome instead of The Age of Innocence or The House of Mirth.

There's some racism in Conrad's other works but not so jarring and sustained as in Heart of Darkness. They're products of the time. Although I don't dislike Heart of Darkness, I can totally see why people would hate it.

Ah, that's really good to know, Greg - after reading Heart of Darkness, I simply didn't read any more Conrad, but maybe I will now.

I haven't read Billy Budd, Sailor. Sea adventures have never appealed to me. But I do like psychological complexity, so I will give Lord Jim a try.

We actually studied Heart of Darkness at uni, not at school, so it was a level where we should have been reading the more complex books. Our lecturers certainly had no qualms about setting very long novels - we studied Middlemarch, for instance. Maybe none of the lecturers knew much about Conrad, so that was the only one they'd studied in detail themselves!

Greg wrote: "Leslie, if you like reading descriptions of the same event from multiple points of view, you might want to check out Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad as well."

I've read that Greg -- I like Conrad (more than many others here!)

Good to hear I'm not the only one Leslie :)

OK, I am going to try As I Lay Dying. I just picked it up.

Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novels), Conrad shows reactions to trials of character like few others. A cross between Hardy and Ford Madox Ford, maybe? Half-modernist.

John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novels), Conrad shows reactions to trials of ch..."

John, my first taste of Conrad was Heart of Darkness, and I just loved the claustrophobic atmosphere he created. I think that his writing was of its time and I don't share his viewpoints, but I chose not to let that spoil the book for me. Sometimes I think you have to do that in order to appreciate a book. I want to read The Secret Agent next. What was it about Nostromo that you liked, to make it one of the best of all novels?

Shirley,

An absorbing story, but not a conventional telling of it. A stolen cache of silver in South America, the struggle for which involves dangerous courageous actions, and tests individuals, revealing their characters, morality, corruption, nationalist revolution, imperialist involvement.

Brilliant atmosphere, characterisation. The plot is complex because the narration starts in the middle of a revolution, and involves flash-backs/forwards.

It's a 'thriller', but not in a shallow way, which is what, maybe, makes people start Conrad and abandon him, as if there has been a false prospectus!

Good old Goodreads! Not having read Nostromo for at least twenty years, I now have taken my copy down and started reading it. So now I'm reading David Copperfield, a Louise Penny, an old whodunnit, and two non-fictions, as well as Conrad. And I've got to mow the lawn while the sun shines, go to the football later, cook dinner for my wife's return from visiting relative and generally get on with living.

Why did we sack the butler, cook, maids, chauffeur and gardeners?

Shirley wrote: "John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novels), Conrad shows reactions to..."
Just to say that, having read The Secret History of Costaguana, I intend to read Nostromo in the next few months.

John wrote: "Shirley,

An absorbing story, but not a conventional telling of it. A stolen cache of silver in South America, the struggle for which involves dangerous courageous actions, and tests individuals, r..."

Thanks John, I will read it, and let you know what I think! May be a while though, but I will get around to it!!

Good. And I shall put As I Lay Dying on my TBR list - I've never read Faulkner!

John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novels), Conrad shows reactions to trials of ch..."

I really like Conrad, too. I'm always amazed when people criticize me for it.

Kirsten - what do they say? I just don't, these days, know people who try to read him.

John wrote: "Kirsten - what do they say? I just don't, these days, know people who try to read him."

The main criticism I run across is that Conrad is racist (which I disagree with but have learned not to argue about).

Gill wrote: "My intention is to read some Faulkner in 2015."

I too intend to read some of his works sometime in the near future.
As I lay dying seems like a good place to start.

The thesis I wrote for my graduation was about Imperialism and the philosophical, economical and literary movements pro and against it. Heart of Darkness was one of the books I studied. It made a big impression on me. I liked it very much but I've found it hard to read more Conrad after.

Leslie wrote: "John wrote: "Kirsten - what do they say? I just don't, these days, know people who try to read him."

The main criticism I run across is that Conrad is racist (which I disagree with but have learne..."

Yes, I know what you mean, Leslie. I think that's how I managed to read his book (Heart of Darkness) without being offended by it.

So many authors would be off limits if we listened to those with that particular axe to grind. No Shakespeare, no Enid Blyton! And thousands in between.

Well, I read As I Lay Dying. In my view, this book is worse than bad, simply terrible!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just to offer my humble alternative pov. I KNOW I am nobody, but someone has to warn people.

Chrissie - I'm warned. Stream of consciousness not my thing! Ta.

John, I have nothing against GOOD stream of consciousness writing. If you are in the head of an interesting person this can be enlightening and/or fun. Just to clarify.

This book is utterly terrible and not worth any time spent trying to figure out what is going on. JUST my opinion of course, but before you read this book look at different points of view.

Christie - good advice. Thank you.

You are welcome, John.

Gill wrote: "Shirley wrote: "John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novels), Conrad sh..."

I would quite happily join you Gill!

As for the book discussed, where there is a one star review there probably is a 5 star just around the corner in this group ;) I loved As I Lay Dying, though it is hard work at times. I wonder whether Woolf is good testing ground for this. Though her books are quite different, they are usually the ones most people first get acquainted with stream of consciousness writing. If you hate Woolf chances are you will dislike this as well I guess? I am thinking out loud more than actually making a statement here I am realizing.
In short: I find his command of language and the way he structured this brilliant. I can only have Faulkner in small portions, but I think it soon will be time for another one by him. Any recommendations apart from Light in August which I have read?

Jenny wrote: "Gill wrote: "Shirley wrote: "John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novel..."

Jenny, I haven't read any Faulkner in years, since most of what I read by him were for a literatue course in college - and that was many, many years ago. I can say that the one that remains with me , even after all these years is The Sound and the Fury and it's a difficult read - stream of consciousness for sure! Maybe when you are ready for more Faulkner down the road, you might try this one. He is not an easy one !

Thanks Angela, it is on my TBR already, so I think I will make this my next Faulkner!

Jenny wrote: "Gill wrote: "Shirley wrote: "John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the best of all novel..."

I have to say, I seem to have forgotten about this by the time I got to my 2015 challenge! Perhaps we should go for something in December?! I've got Light in August on Audible, to listen to sometime, but I see you've read this.

Btw I know you'll be working through the threads still. Is January ok with you for Austerlitz?

I just started reading 'As I Lay Dying' - bought it from Barnes & N. in San Fran.

Jenny, you are absolutely right in that the rating IS very high, so many people DO like it. For me what draws with Faulkner is the atmosphere he evokes. I simply do not dare read Sound and the Fury again though. I remember having liked it and would like my memory to stay that way...... I think everybody should TRY Faulkner.

Gill wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Gill wrote: "Shirley wrote: "John wrote: "Just seen this thread. How I wish more GR people liked Conrad. From the simple The Secret Agent to the superb Nostromo (surely one of the bes..."

OH you are reading Austerlitz? I've read it already but would be tempted to read it again. I will be gone from home for the first 3 month of 2015 though, so I will be fairly limited in my participation in readalongs. I will send you a message later to see about The Sound and the Fury!

@Noorilhuda: let us know how you get on with it!

@Chrissie: there are some books I am afraid to re-read for exactly the same reason!

Jenny wrote: "In short: I find his command of language and the way he structured this brilliant. I can only have Faulkner in small portions, but I think it soon will be time for another one by him. Any recommendations apart from Light in August which I have read? ..."

I would recommend Absalom, Absalom! or The Sound and the Fury. And I might even be tempted to reread with you if you do read either of those...

Leslie, I had a hard time with Absalom, Absalom!. I don't know if I was just feeling lazy or what, but some sentences felt so tortuous and long :) I'll try it again sometime though! I've enjoyed his shorter works; so it could've just been my mood at the moment.

Leslie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "In short: I find his command of language and the way he structured this brilliant. I can only have Faulkner in small portions, but I think it soon will be time for another one by him...."

I just bought The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying and Light in August and would love to read them along with other readers. If you decide to go ahead I will join you...!

Leslie and Johanna, I am packed with books right now. But maybe in 2015;)? (this sounds like a joke but really isn't)

Jenny wrote: "Leslie and Johanna, I am packed with books right now. But maybe in 2015;)? (this sounds like a joke but really isn't)"

That's cool Jenny. Let us know when you're up for it.

Jenny wrote: "Leslie and Johanna, I am packed with books right now. But maybe in 2015;)? (this sounds like a joke but really isn't)"

2015 sounds good to me -- I think I might put in a "reread" catagory for next year's challenges so these would work for that :P

Good thinking! ;)

2015 isn't really so far away - I'd also be interested in a reread readalong of these books.

Me too, I'd like to try Light in August, as that's on my shelf.

I'm in with Light in August, even if I have to look for it!!!