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Book Review
Jan. 12th, 2010 10:25 pmLight In August
by William Faulkner
This novel was a very rich reading experience. Faulkner's prose is vivid and often just plain beautiful. His characters are also fascinating people with complex personalities and stories. I particularly liked how Faulkner skillfully and seamlessly embeds the back-stories for each of the main characters into the narrative of Light in August.
The book starts off with the story of Lena Grove, a young, pregnant woman who is traveling in search of the wayward father of her child. Her arrival in Jefferson coincides with a murder and fire, and these events set off a string of events that have profound effects on the town. Here, the book shifts focus to three of the townspeople: Joe Christmas, an unscrupulous drifter; Byron Bunch, an honest yet detached man; and Gail Hightower, a disgraced preacher. Through these three men, Faulkner explores the power of the past, the effects of isolation and alienation, and the persistence of life and hope.
by William Faulkner
This novel was a very rich reading experience. Faulkner's prose is vivid and often just plain beautiful. His characters are also fascinating people with complex personalities and stories. I particularly liked how Faulkner skillfully and seamlessly embeds the back-stories for each of the main characters into the narrative of Light in August.
The book starts off with the story of Lena Grove, a young, pregnant woman who is traveling in search of the wayward father of her child. Her arrival in Jefferson coincides with a murder and fire, and these events set off a string of events that have profound effects on the town. Here, the book shifts focus to three of the townspeople: Joe Christmas, an unscrupulous drifter; Byron Bunch, an honest yet detached man; and Gail Hightower, a disgraced preacher. Through these three men, Faulkner explores the power of the past, the effects of isolation and alienation, and the persistence of life and hope.
