The Reivers

By: William Faulkner

Narrated by: John H. Mayer

One of Faulkner's comic masterpieces, The Reivers is a picaresque story that tells of three unlikely car thieves from rural Mississippi. Eleven-year-old Lucas Priest is persuaded by Boon Hogganbeck, one of his family's retainers, to steal his grandfather's car and make a trip to Memphis. The priests' black coachman, Ned McCaslin, stows away, and the three of them are off on a heroic odyssey, for which they are ill-equipped, that ends at Miss Reba's bordello in Memphis. From there, a series of wild misadventures ensues - involving horse smuggling, trainmen, sheriff's deputies, and jail.©1962 William Faulkner (P)2005 Random House, Inc.

Great story telling

I am not born in the south, but have lived here most of my life. I have friends who tell stories in just the same manner as Faulkner. You must be a patient listener. It all comes together in time. It is worth the tangents and seemingly irrelevant details. The story is all the richer for it.

Slow to start

I think this was Faulkner’s first and it felt like it. It was really slow to start- I almost didn’t keep with it but it got going and didn’t stop until the end. Definitely a piece of time in the south. Very much reflects the blatant racism of the time.

What a gem!

I’ve read almost all of Faulkners work and The Reivers was one I had not.

It’s charming and easy to understand. There’s no puzzle to solve, no stream of consciousness. Just a sweet story of innocence, youth and the sometimes bittersweet journey into experience.

old south thinking but cute story and well read.

What made the experience of listening to The Reivers the most enjoyable?

the reader

Who was your favorite character and why?

the major character, a 12 year old boy.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't think of one. Worst scene was child abuse at the end.

If you could rename The Reivers, what would you call it?

how to not treat a child or women or anyone

a charmingly told story of human folly

The Reivers is the most humorous of Faulkner's books that I have read. The moments of loss and injury are less tragic and marked more by folly. But it is also still identifiable as one of his books, beautifully illustrating life in the deep south, exploring familial relationships and the effects of class. I loved this book almost as much as I did As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury.

This is the story of an ill-advised road trip in a car that was borrowed/stolen. It is charmingly told by only one narrator: Grandfather, who is relating a story from his childhood adventure to his grandchildren.

When he was only ten, in 1905, he went on a trip from his home in Jefferson, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee. A man in his grandfather's employ (Boon) is determined to convince a prostitute he visits semi-regularly to leave the whore house and marry him. To do that they take the boy's grandfather's brand new Winton Flyer. Along the way, the boy spends the night in the whore house, is part of a knife fight, loses the car after it is gambled away by one of his traveling companions, is forced to participate in a horse race in an attempt to win the money to buy back the car. Even the horse is stolen. This journey goes from bad to worse, all of the events are completely unbelievable and yet as the reader you believe it all.

There are moments that made me think Huck Finn, which was apparently one of Faulkner's aspirations. But I could also see the more tragic Tobacco Road on its pages. This one was a much easier read than the others I have read. It didn't seem like I was working to find the meaning as it did with others. But, I still found it to be a deserved winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This one is also more accessible. If I were to recommend Faulkner to someone who wasn't a reader of the classics, I would probably suggest starting here.

if you enjoy, I mean really enjoy, parenthetical

parenthetical phrases, you should love this book. There's a wonderful buddy/road adventure/coming of age story here, but truly, by the time Faulkner gets around to saying what he's saying, you've half-forgotten what he was talking about in the first place. The narrator was great and helped set the mood. There's also a few references to unforgivable practices (re: women and prostitutes) and the N word surfaces more than you might like, but overall a quite enjoyable read.

I have enjoyed it very, very much

Where does The Reivers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I had read the book long time ago and I have liked it. So, it was up to the reader this time not to disappoint me. And he did not.

What does John H. Mayer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent reader. He made in my head all the wonders a good book makes to the reader plus the voices.

Any additional comments?

I hope I will return to this book some day. I have about dozen books in this category.

An easy read…

This is an easy starting off point for those who feel daunted by Faulkner. Nothing too heavy or serious.

4 days in the life of an eleven year old

Like Hemingway with one day in the life of an old man at sea, your intrest in the four days spent in this novel is held from begining to end. Life lessons learned.Enjoyable.

How delightful

This was a real hoot. Took a sec for me to get into, but worth it once it got rolling. Enjoyed the humor.