absalom, absalom!

Wednesday night I finished reading Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. It is a compelling novel set in the South before and during the time of the American Civil War. The novel "tells the story of Thomas Sutpen and his ruthless, single-minded pursuit of his grand design--to forge a dynasty in [rural Mississippi]--which is ultimately destroyed along with himself by his own sons." Absalom, Absalom! is such a compelling story because it is so skillfully written. This is the fifth novel by Faulkner I've read and without a doubt the best of the five.

While the story treads upon ground similar to that of Faulkner's other novels, there is uniqueness to the quality of Absalom, Absalom!. The story is told entirely in flashbacks narrated by various characters with events told in non-chronological order and often retold by different people with conflicting details.

Like all of Faulkner's novels there is a considerable amount of psychology involved throughout the telling of the story. The characters are very much brought to life through this because it provides a window into their thinking and emotions. We are told not only what happened, but the characters question why it happened, and what the persons involved felt, or may have felt about what was happening. This style of writing, to my knowledge unique only to Faulkner, adds an incredible sense of depth and you might say, authenticity, to the narrative and fleshes out the story.

Absalom, Absalom! is not only the best novel by Faulkner I've read but perhaps the best novel I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I would very much encourage everyone to read it.