Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.
This week’s book:
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
Blurb from Goodreads
Published in 1936, Absalom, Absalom! is considered by many to be William Faulkner’s masterpiece. Although the novel’s complex and fragmented structure poses considerable difficulty to readers, the book’s literary merits place it squarely in the ranks of America’s finest novels. The story concerns Thomas Sutpen, a poor man who finds wealth and then marries into a respectable family. His ambition and extreme need for control bring about his ruin and the ruin of his family. Sutpen’s story is told by several narrators, allowing the reader to observe variations in the saga as it is recounted by different speakers. This unusual technique spotlights one of the novel’s central questions: To what extent can people know the truth about the past?
Why I Want To Read It
Ah Absalom, Absalom! I bought a copy of the book a couple years aback (four or five years I think). Unfortunately, I never got around to reading it and simply parked it because of my, let’s just say, baffling experience with Nobel in Literature laureate William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. It was written in the colloquial which made it difficult for me to appreciate the narrative. I am afraid that will come across again in Absalom, Absalom!
Despite my apprehension, I am willing to take a chance. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for too long and I intend to read it this year; I included it in my 2020 Beat the Backlist challenge. Beyond my unfavorable experience with my first Faulkner, there is so much to look forward to in Absalom, Absalom! First, it is part of the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. More importantly, however, is the fact that many literary pundits consider this his best work. That says a lot. I hope it lives up to the expectations.
So that’s it for my Goodreads Monday update. It is the start of the week and the start of a new month. Have a great week ahead!
The Pine-Scented Chronicles 
I have read The Sound And The Fury and completely understand why you were so reluctant in committing to another Faulkner novel. However, I found Light in August to be much easier to follow and a very enjoyable read (the ending is quite brutal, though). Looking forward to reading your impressions about Absalom.
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I want to read Light in August as well. I hope I can find a copy of the book. Thank you for that recommendation.
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