Light in August

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Literature
Review: Light in August was the first book I read by Faulkner and, as I found out when I started reading Absalom, Absalom!, it was a good thing that I blindly chose Light in August first. Light in August is a very excellently crafted work, and I liked it because of my bias against those overly-religious, self-righteous individuals who experience the character flaws of all of us, all the while attempting to cover them up. Gail Hightower should be given much attention when you are reading this book. Faulkner's ability to create setting and mood is exceptional, and this is important in the development of theme and the development of Christmas, the story's main character. If you get through this book with no trouble, I suggest you try reading Absalom, Absalom! Most reviewers comment that it is "unreadable," but I have not found that so, for Faulkner writes with such a unique and moving prose style that I am compelled by his stream-of-consciousness and peculiar mechanics. Come on people, I'm a senior in high school, surely you can digest it. Read Light in August!

Rating:
Summary: tres historias,, un buen libro
Review: magnificoparacomenzaraleerafaulkner. este libro contiene tres historias que solo se tocan de manera muy superficial, la historia del clerigo hightower, delk fugitivo joe xmas y de lena grove en busca del padre de su hijo. es algo hermoso ver como las oraciones se deslizan por la pagina mientras se leen al compas de una lluvia fuerte acompanado de un cafe memory believes before knowing remembers capitulo 6 es mi favorito y es uno de los libros que hay que mantener siempre cerca para revivir los momentos gratos de ser un lector apasionado. adorable libro

LUIS MENDEZ [e-mail] ps escritodecorridoysinpuntosdemaneraintencionalluis

Rating:
Summary: Faulkner's genius comes full-circle...
Review: Nowhere else in Faulkner's oeuvre are his meditations on history, gender, and race expressed so forcefully and organically. Don't let anyone tell you different: THIS is the place to start with Faulkner's novels..."Absalom" is unreadable; "Sound & Fury" a cumbersome experiment. Philosophical-minded readers will find keen insights into the eternal theme of idealism versus materialism.

Rating:
Summary: Book is story of Hightower and ideal intro to Faulkner
Review: The best reason to read this book is for the story of Gail Hightower. Light in August really mixes three stories into one: the story of Lena, the story of Joe and the story of Hightower. Although almost all criticism focuses on Joe, there is nevertheless a brilliantly crafted character within Hightower, a fallen minister who ends up trying to defend Joe. I also recommend this book to anyone reading Faulkner for the first time, as it is one of his easiest books but also contains a good intro to the themes, issues and characters that dominate Faulkner's writing.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the greatest American novel by a Modern writer
Review: This book is no more about racism than was Twain's 'Pudd'nhead Wilson', though both certainly do address bigotry. It address the anxiety of living in the Modern world. It addresses extremes of nature and nurture and much of what lies in between. It is my favorite Faulkner novel and probably the greatest American novel written by a Modern writer.

Rating:
Summary: comparatively straight-forward:
Review: This is a fine book; a character study of numerous characters and a representation of how the demons of the past can come to consume those living today. I do not wish to rhapsodize on the story of race--that is evident within the text and, honestly, is not the main point or the actual sin of the story. Race is less concept then consciousness in this book and the idea of 'racism', here, is more inbred than an actual physical hatred: a part of tradition and learning than something violent people go crazy about. Joe Christmas is someone torn, who is constantly choosing sides until he can no longer be anything. This, as a result, makes him an actual individual, a person outside such superficial considerations and therefore not really qualified to exist in this world. All of the primary characters are outsiders of one sort--all of them are equal and all are fundementally the same in their yearning.

A very powerful book with a unique vision of the way the world works . . .

Rating:
Summary: A Great Story About Questions
Review: This is a great story. It is the easiest book in terms of structure (as much as Faulkner can be easy!) by Faulkner that I have read. _Light in August_ has such a complicated plot, that I cannot even begin to summarize it and do a good job, but I will make an ill-fated attempt at doing so. Lena Grove is looking for the father of her child, and she finds her way to Jefferson, Mississippi. While in Jefferson she meets myriad characters, among them are Byron Bunch, who is in love with her; Joe Brown, the father of her baby; Joe Christmas, a confused man in search of his ancestry; and Gail Hightower, a former preacher who is haunted by his Grandfathers demise. And that is only a few of the characters. I don't think that this book is better than _The Sound and the Fury_, but I do think that it is far better than _As I Lay Dying_. It certainly is a masterpiece and deserves all of the critical acclaim that it has received. Every time I read William Faulkner I am blown away. He writes with such feeling and compassion. _Light in August_ cemented my inkling that Faulkner was the greatest writer America has ever produced.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Novels Ever Written
Review: This novel is incredible; Faulkner is a genius of the first order. Don't let naysayers and lazy readers like the one just below this review tell you otherwise. William Faulkner is one of the greatest novelists of all time, and LiA is one of his best.

Rating:
Summary: A difficult entrance into the world of Faulkner
Review: This was the first William Faulkner novel I have read and I can happily say it will not be the last. I enjoyed "Light In August" despite some difficulty getting into the story and the constant changing of tenses. Having read some of Faulkner's short stories, the writing style and themes were easy enough to understand. What I particularly enjoyed was the confusing tenses, in the end I realized their importance. This is a wonderful novel about the continuity of our lives. If you have patience and love for great story telling this novel will be something you enjoy and something you can use in your own life.

Rating:
Summary: "The Pits" from a Major American Author
Review: When I began reading this book it was in the hope and belief that it would extend my expectations of Faulkner based on his earlier works. Days later, I finished it and threw my copy into the trash, having concluded (in pity, despair, and utter revulsion) that Faulkner was after all of sound mind and still possessed of his literary genius as he wrote.
Unquestionably, the text is illuminated with his gift for words and the rhythm of his sentences. Short sections of it sing, as does the work of no other living author. The theme too (racial identity and its problems both for individuals and for the world) ix a familiar one today, and so appeals to modern readers. Faulkner brings the sufferings of Joe Christmas, his protagonist, to vivid life.
But all of this, for me, was washed away by the increasing incidence of sadism as the story continued, sadism so vividly and seemingly enthusiastically repeated as to repel even this hardened reader. As it all went on, I entertained the thought that Faukner working on it must have been teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown! The theory was dispelled in "The Oxford Companion," which devotes much space to a plot synopsis of the book. (Even this laborious task, however, flags in its basic effort to summarize the novel's plot--some of which came to me as a surprise!) I will read with interest other (and differing) reviews.