William Faulkner: A History of Violence

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

Brian I have to add to the chorus of voices appreciating this series. The selfish reason is that I want to make sure you keep doing this sort of thing.

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you so much. That means a great deal to me.

[@AlexBlackReads]

Your author series are so fantastic and informative. I feel like I'm back in school, but in the best way possible. Even growing up in the south, I don't have context for a lot of the history like this.

[@Hausofthenightwitch]

The quote about Faulkner winning the Nobel prize puts me in the mind of another quote by Flannery O'connor: "The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." That has always stuck with me.

[@BookishTexan]

That's a good quote. Sounds just like her.

[@AmyGetsLit]

I'm really enjoying this series so much. Faulkner and I have never really connected and I am going to give him another try after this series.

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you Amy. I always think _As I Lay Dying_ is a good place to start with Faulkner's "modernist" works, but if you aren't as interested in the multiple perspective, stream of consciousness stuff _The Hamlet_ , _The Unvanquished_ and _Go Down Moses_ are pretty good.

[@Nyledam89]

I really need to read something by Faulkner! I might just have to start with Absalom, Absalom! after hearing you talk about this now. This was a wonderful discussion and I really appreciated how you pointed out that rape was one of the important issues surrounding slavery that does not get enough attention!

[@Fortheloveofclassics]

I just got a book by Faulkner and had no clue about the writer. Very informative, thank you. Ready to dive into Absalom, Absalom!

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you. Oooh _Absalom, Absalom_ ! If you don't follow a channel called The CodeX Cantina you might check out their series of videos covering that book in depth.

[@Cardenio2012]

I love your author series-I always learn so much! Thank you and I look forward to many more!

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you very much. That means a great deal to me.

[@jungastein3952]

Wasn't Charles Bon's mother an octoroon from somewhere in the West Indies?

[@BookishTexan]

She was a mixed race woman that I believe Sutpen hooked up with in New Orleans. I can’t remember whether or not she was from the West Indies.

[@seriela]

I'm saving this series for when I go down a Faulkner rabbit hole - because of Bookish! Thanks, Brian for what I always appreciate, the historical context.

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you Alba. I have one more about Faulkner and racism that I am going to try to get out this month.

[@alldbooks9165]

You know, I never thought about the south being an extra violent place once upon a time. Interesting.

[@BookishTexan]

Yes, that's one of those things that is largely absent from histories of the South, but people from the North in the years before the Civil War talked about how common violence in the South was -- dueling, feuding, eye gouging, etc.

[@sadhvacman7238]

People from the north talking about the violence of the south. The south being a violent place is a nonsensical assertion. The inner city violence present throughout the north isn’t really a part of any known classic works of literature so it’s obviously exempt from your conversation. It is ten fold worse than even the fictional violence Faulker and others have written about. Additionally, I’m curious how the American governments violence against and mistreatment of the Native Americans has anything to do with the south or southern history?

[@zharapatterson]

@@sadhvacman7238 You're just a sad, creepy, bigoted, southern history revisionist then just get lost, I'm not in the mood for an lost cause apologist, and a what aboutism, look at the shiny object, that the right's always engage in whenever they come in contact with the racist truth about the South, and America That's was always happening, but rightfully one term #45 Dtrump helped delusional white grievance, white people like you who want to play victim, he made it okay to hate the changes happing to society. If you want the romantic, lie about the South and American History in general, just go to your safe space at fox, cut and paste, make it up as you go along news.

[@acruelreadersthesis5868]

I'm learning a lot from these!

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you my friend. That means a great deal to me.

[@bighardbooks770]

That was impressive. Consider fleshing it out to an article; more, to a book? I particularly liked the methodic, concise way you outlined the very complicated Henry/Charles Bon relationship, not an easy task. Yeah, and po' Joe Christmas' death, huh, shoot ... Shall we tell 'em how they KILL him?!!? _SPOILER ALERT!_ lmao . . . Not that you'd need any assistance but (and I know we've got the "Faulkner in August" back burnered) but it'd be great to do a _Absalom! Absalom!_ read-a-long here w you, too. (I like reading it AFTER _The Sound and the Fury,_ for it is its sequel (I argue). "Hat's off!" to you, Brian.

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you Allen. Yes, poor Joe Christmas. I think its best to let the reader discover what happens to him on their own. We are still down for reading _Light in August_ in August right? Not sure I'm up to _Absalom, Absalom_ though. Yeeesh that's a tough book.

[@bighardbooks770]

@@BookishTexan Yes, still on (thought "Faulkner in August" or "Light in Faulkner" might have a "ring"" to it, no? Okay, then, maybe some other title, ha haha ...) O! Im taking off for a 2 week retreat--no cell phone access--so I wont be online. I WILL be able to watch "nightly news" so Ill seek out recaps of 3rd Round. Just got a white #0 Lillard jersey! Till then!

[@bighardbooks770]

@@BookishTexan_Absalom! Absalom!_ is my fav Faulkner. How I LOOOoooove to show it to professors who spout, "Show! Dont TELL!"

[@BookishTexan]

Hahahaha! Yeah, _Absalom! Absalom!_ has to be the best refutation of the old saw about showing and not telling.

[@bighardbooks770]

@@BookishTexan Seriously, all narrative. It's like a story told by mouth, then they/someone/Rosa? finally wrote it down in a letter which wasnt post marked so it was returned to the incorrect address but luckily found decades later between the pages of a Bible and ...

[@rosariomontoya1826]

Thank you for telling the truth, sir! I am so grateful for your work!

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you