April 3, 2007
I’ve been a lazy reader this week. I’ve temporarily given up on Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf—which, considering the nature of the book, probably isn’t surprising—and, despite my best intentions, I’ve pushed Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote to the side. (I’m moving to Florida next week, which is distraction enough, so I’ll pick up the thread in May, at the very latest.) And though I started William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying a few nights ago, I haven’t made much headway; it’s a challenging book in the sense that I went into it knowing next to nothing about it and was surprised to find that it requires all my concentration. Faulkner uses very broad brush strokes to paint the story and characters. Reading it is like trying to discern the landscape of a half-finished painting: certain details stand out, but the overall portrait is hard to discern.
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1.
J.S. Peyton | April 3, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I started and stopped reading Don Quixote a while back. Actually, I’ve started and stopped Don Quixote a few times. I never seem to make it past the part where he and Sancho attend the burial of a man who died from a broken heart. I’m determined to finish it though, one of these days…
As for Faulkner, I’ve always found him to be the complete opposite of Hemingway. Where Hemingway uses stark, bare language, Faulkner’s language tends to be dense and heavy with metaphor. The fact that he lays his stories out like unfolding mysteries doesn’t usually help either. I read As I Lay Dying a few years back and I’m still not quite sure how I feel about it. I wish you luck. : )
2.
Nonanon | April 3, 2007 at 3:02 pm
There’s no shame in admitting that not every week in our lives is as conducive to reading as we might like it to be. I myself am putting off Don Quixote and I’ve tried Faulkner multiple times to no avail. And nonfiction may be my first love, but there’s days when I literally just don’t want to read any nonfiction at all, including the newspaper.
Good luck on the move and, although I know it’s a lot to ask, try to keep up with the blogging. Your blog is one I check quite frequently for reading insights, and I appreciate it.
3.
Brian Hadd | April 3, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Faulkner really does require as you put it all of your attention. I think of the littlest things in As I Lay Dying and they are very important to caring about the characters.
The Hood Company
4.
Adam S. | April 3, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Yes, let’s put off Don until May.
My past week has been hectic. When I barely finish 30 pages in four days, I know it’s been bad.
Good luck on moving! And don’t be ashamed if you only get 30 pages done.
5.
Brandon | April 3, 2007 at 3:39 pm
J.S. Peyton: I’ve also started and stopped “Don Quixote,” but my main reason is because of my move. A few weeks ago, I told myself, “Okay, your goal is read this by April 10.” Then I stopped kidding myself. Despite the fact that I have nothing to do, job-wise, until I’ve moved, there’s just no way I can read a 1000-plus page book in a matter of weeks.
And I have noticed that Faulkner is very different from Hemingway. In reading “As I Lay Dying,” I keep coming back to Hemingway, comparing his style with Faulkner’s. And I agree, he’s pretty dense; I’ve noticed that he packs quite a bit, metaphorically, into short sentences. I’m enjoying the book–I love his language and the scenes he paints–but I have to set it aside every ten pages or so and let it settle. I find that I have to read between the lines. And it’s a little difficult to place my trust in Faulkner, to just let him guide me through the story. I just keep thinking, “What the hell is going on?” It’s confusing, but I’m finding that the more I read, the more sense it makes.
Nonanon: I’ve often heard that Faulkner, like Joyce, should be read in the order he wrote his books, but I’m not sure I’d agree with that. Of course, I’ve never read Faulkner before, so I really can’t comment on that. And I can understand why Faulkner would put some people off; like I said above, I really have no idea what’s going on. And a large part of it, I’ve realized, is because Faulkner, so far, hasn’t given any of his characters motivations for their behavior. And like J.S. Peyton said, his language is heavy with metaphor; for example, he makes an obscure reference to Job, but it’s also mentioned in an almost offhand way, so it’s easy to miss some of the characterization. That’s really why I’m reading it slowly; it’s almost like a treasure hunt. Faulkner kind of goes off, writing about this or that, and wonder why he’s doing this, then he comes out of left field, often in the same paragraph, and everything veers off course for a moment.
And I intend to keep blogging, though I’ll be taking a few weeks off while I get settled in Florida. I’ll likely be buying my own domain name after I move. I’ve been blogging for nine months now–which is a long time for me to stick to any one thing–so I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be blogging for the long-term. So after I’m settled in Florida, I’ll likely emerge with yet another blog, but under my own domain.
6.
Brandon | April 3, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Brian: I agree, I’m also focusing on the tiny details in “As I Lay Dying.” From the first page, I realized, “Wow, I need to pay attention to this.” And I think Faulkner’s characterization is unlike any I’ve ever read before. But it’s also hard to pinpoint; it seems that all the characterization is second-hand, in that you learn about characters based on what other characters are saying about them. And it can be jarring, since the book is first-person, where you would normally expect the narrator to about talk him- or herself.
Adam: It HAS been a hectic spring so far, hasn’t it? I noticed that you mentioned, on your blog, that you were busy as well. But we’ll get around to “Don Quixote” soon! When everything settles down, we’ll knock that book out of the park.
7.
Danielle | April 3, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I have found Faulkner to be the sort of author where you have to really, really pay close attention to. Even then I feel sort of like I am missing something. I do want to read more of him though, but I haven’t gotten around to picking him up. I am hoping to read DQ straight through. Well–more or less. I’m afraid I will start it and then let it languish in my pile of books, and I don’t want that to happen. We’ll see. As there should be a group reading it, maybe it will help me stay on track.
8.
everythinginbetween | April 4, 2007 at 7:08 am
I haven’t read As I Lay Dying but I have read A Light in August and I think you beautifully capture what it’s like to read Faulkner. I remember struggling quite a bit with Light in August but it’s one of those books that has since stayed with me so clearly, so vividly – I haven’t forgotten any of it.
9.
Andi | April 5, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Faulkner is a pain. A worthy pain, but still an attention-sucking pain. I’ve read Absolom, Absolom, and I started As I Lay Dying but haven’t finished it yet.
10.
Brian Hadd | April 7, 2007 at 3:23 pm
“I thought you would have said something. I never thought you wouldn’t have.”
That is what Darl says to his brother when the police arrive to take Darl away. So mean!
The Hood Company