Absalom, Absalom!

By: William Faulkner

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Absalom, Absalom! tells the story of Thomas Sutpen, the enigmatic stranger who came to Jefferson township in the early 1830s. With a French architect and a band of wild Haitians, he wrung a fabulous plantation out of the muddy bottoms of the north Mississippi wilderness.

Sutpen was a man, Faulker said, "who wanted sons and the sons destroyed him". His tragedy left its impress not only on his contemporaries but also on men who came after, men like Quentin Compson, haunted even into the 20th century by Sutpen's legacy of ruthlessness and singleminded disregard for the human community.

©1986 Jill Faulkner Summers; 1993 Books on Tape, Inc.

WHO'S TRUTH

Truth is fungible and ephemeral. It rests in the minds of the beholder and disappears in the light of history.

So many interpretations; so little time; “Absalom, Absalom!” is a masterpiece of literature for its phrasing, for its human exploration, and for its maddening reinvention of itself. If one of the criteria of literary success is a book’s nagging temptation to be re-read, “Absalom, Absalom!” deserves a Nobel Prize for literature (which Faulkner wins in 1949).

In the beginning, a reader is cast into confusion by a woman’s rant about Thomas Sutpen, a man she cohabitates with, nearly marries, and despises. Faulkner’s prose is all that keeps one trudging through this diatribe of discontent. Confusion reigns for several pages until a dim light of understanding reveals Thomas Sutpen as a driven, ill-educated, and poor Virginian that migrates to Mississippi with a plan, i.e. a plan to become wealthy, respected, and immortal; like a King of Jerusalem.

This is no easy read but it consumes one’s attention and helps one understand amoral behavior, slavery, discrimination and how they lead to inhumanity and destruction.

It's confusing, yes! But worth it!

_Absolam, Absolam!_ by William Faulkner receives five stars from me. The book is full of themes, interesting characters, and an interesting plot.

Since this is a recorded version, I’ll comment on the reader first.
Grover Gardner reads this version and I wish I could find one negative thing to say so that readers of my review would find it balanced. But, I can’t. He reads this complicated text as it is written, with the right inflections, the correct rhythms, etc. All the times Faulkner interrupted the text with a clarification of who he, Faulkner, is talking about, Gardner reads them beautifully. For me, Gardner’s strengths are his southern voice, and his understanding of rhythms. I will buy another bood read by Gardner again. Of course, another Faulkner is on the list, but I think he, Gardner, is so talented I will buy is reading of other authors.

Now the text.
The first time I read this book, I was reading in a café when a guy asked me what I thought of it. I was less than a hundred pages in, and I said: “I’m confused, obviously.” He smiled and looked away and said, “It’s better on the second reading.” Unfortunately, it has been so long since I read it the first time, listening to it now was like the first time. I have that feeling of being lost but once home realizing the journey was worth it, yet without any comprehension of what just happened. That’s Faulkner, isn’t it.

This time I read a little about the book as I went along, and one thing that I really liked and could see early on and how it develops was the theme of memory. Faulkner is interested in how memories change and grow through the retelling. So, he tells the story several times and each time we get more information. However, I still don’t think I know the truth. I think I know some true things, but others, I’m not so sure about.

Recommended: Let’s be honest here. If you love Faulkner, you’ve already read it. If you are unsure about Faulkner and are willing to give it a try, I say this: know that going into that book you will not understand much in the first five chapters or more. Keep going, because the final chapters clarify it all (well somewhat, I’m still thinking some is legend and not an accurate retelling). If you just heard that Faulkner is a great writer and think why not this one, I say you’ve already tried to read it and didn’t read anything about it or ask anyone about it, and you are lost and think this is crap, which without guidance is accurate. If that is you, I recommend giving it a try again once you’ve calmed down, and then read some things about it. Ask your college professors etc. You are not alone.

Faulkner is overly wordy

Strange plot twists and novel premice. But the wordiness and transitions between the time of the storyteller and the subject of the story being told make it hard to follow and confusing.

The Pinnacle

It has been more than a quarter century since I read this book - and any other Faulkner for that matter. Taking a two-semester course in grad school devoted to Faulkner, I pretty much read everything. Absalom, Absalom! was my favorite. It was a great pleasure returning to these pages through Grover Gardner's remarkable performance..

Absalom, Absalom! Review

Very difficult read, but clearly one of the best novels I have ever read. Worth the effort. Audible reader is excellent at helping to make the characters come to life.

Narration, Narration!

The audio is good enough. The book is a collection of beautiful, yet unrealistic complex sentences.

Not Faulkner's best work

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Faulkner was notorious for going on a binge when he finished a novel. This book reads like he started drinking heavily from page one. I have read most of his works and this book (next to the Fable) is one of my least favorites. I decide to listen to it, in hopes that it would fall anew to me on listening ears. Unfortunately that was not the case. Faulkner is the master of the stream of consciousness writing that seems to be popular now, but this story was too disjunctive and difficult to follow. The flashback parts of the story make it difficult to tell where you are in space with the timeline. I would certainly not recommend it for bedtime reading. It takes way too much concentration to read casually.

Would you be willing to try another book from William Faulkner? Why or why not?

I have read most of his work, and will continue to revisit his better works. His best book in my opinion is Intruder in the Dust.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

Rosa

Do you think Absalom, Absalom! needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not likely since Faulkner is dead. Anyway, most of his books intertwined the stories of many families in Yoknapatawpha county. To me that is his brilliance. Every time I read one of his works, I can see another story intersecting with it at some point.

Any additional comments?

I love Audible. I love to read and there are too many books in the world and too little time. Audible has given me the chance to listen to books while I workout or dive my car.
Thanks Audible.

An adventure in language

Listening to this story is like taking a bubble bath in a dictionary. The richness of Ffaulkner’s vocabulary is engrossing. The story is complex but slowly moving through the many conversations going on and finally the ends tie together. I don’t believe I could have gotten through the book but enjoyed the audio very much.

Challenging and rewarding

Faulkner's exploration of human nature, of the civil war south and all of the prejudices, the taboos, the struggles for acceptance give the reader today, 150 years after the war ended, an understanding of it all that no other writer has or could ever provide.

Ambitious, brilliant, allegory

Not only is this book incredibly well written in scope and scale, but the narration is, without a doubt the best I have ever heard! James Joyce fans will find this easy to get through. Not a Joyce fan, no worries, it's stream of consciousness "light". perfect for the ambitious story structure, but not too tangential.