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Light in August (Vintage Classics)
 
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Light in August (Vintage Classics) (Paperback)

by William Faulkner (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; New Ed edition (5 Oct 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0099283158
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099283157
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 116,084 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #7 in  Books > Fiction > 20th Century Classics > Faulkner, William

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Product Description

Product Description

A landmark in American fiction, "Light in August" explores Faulkner's central theme: the nature of evil. Joe Christmas - a man doomed, deracinated and alone - wanders the Deep South in search of an identity, and a place in society. After killing his perverted God-fearing lover, it becomes inevitable that he is pursued by a lynch-hungry mob. Yet after the sacrifice, there is new life, a determined ray of light in Faulkner's complex and tragic world.


From the Back Cover

'Magisterial' Independent

A landmark in American fiction, Light in August explores Faulkner's central theme: the nature of evil. Joe Christmas - a man doomed, deracinated and alone - wanders the Deep South in search of an identity, and a place in society. After killing his perverted God-fearing lover, it becomes inevitable that he is pursued by a lynch-hungry mob. Yet after the sacrifice, there is new life, a determined ray of light in Faulkner's complex and tragic world.

See also: The Sound and the Fury

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Light in August (Vintage Classics)
79% buy the item featured on this page:
Light in August (Vintage Classics) 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£5.99
The Sound and the Fury (Vintage Classics)
11% buy
The Sound and the Fury (Vintage Classics) 4.7 out of 5 stars (9)
£4.99
As I Lay Dying
6% buy
As I Lay Dying 4.1 out of 5 stars (12)
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Absalom, Absalom! (Vintage Classics)
3% buy
Absalom, Absalom! (Vintage Classics) 4.5 out of 5 stars (11)
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Mississippi Burning, 16 April 2001
By A Customer
This a Faulkner's major work which could be considered as one of the best American novels of the 1930s. On its surface, Light in August seems to be a chaotic narrative of life in the deep South after Reconstruction. However, such a chaos mirrors the chaos of a whole society unable to cope with the shadow of racism. For it is racism, the very truth behind racism, what Faulkner explores in this novel.

Behind the violence and confusion of Faulkner's narrative, there is a glance into the very core of human condition. Faulkner shows how we are, our fears, our secret dreams, our prejudices. Although, Faulkner's style is complex, the reading of "Light in August" is utterly rewarding.

This book represents the best introduction to Faulkner's novels and to the history of the deep South. Anyone interested in American literature should read it.

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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Twentieth Century Poe, 14 May 2004
By James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I once heard an English teacher describe William Faulkner as "Our Shakespeare". He said that the southern culture provides so much for a novelist to work with and Faulkner works it to the limit. I saw much of Shakespeare in "Light In August" as Faulkner transports us into the minds and culture of the depression era South. Lena Horne, traipsing from Alabama to Mississippi in search of the father of her unborn child, Joe Christmas, the self-proclaimed mulatto outcast, Gail Hightower, the minister whose obsession with the past cost him his wife and pulpit and Joanna Burden the heiress of the Carpetbag family who never became a part of the community in which she lived her life all provide us with an insight into this world.

More than Shakespeare, "Light In August" reveals Faulkner, in my opinion, as a Twentieth Century Poe. In Poe's work it is often the sounds that make the work. In "Light In August", I was entranced by the dialogue and the streams of consciousness which revealed the characters and their world to the reader.

I cared little for the story line, but the sights, sounds and the smells of "Light In August" make it a worthwhile read.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Dark, Brooding Book but Worth It, 4 Mar 2004
Don't read this when feeling depressed about the state of the world - it's Southern Gothic mix of racism, poverty, violence and general depravity will do little to relieve your angst. That being said, the novel is beautifully written and well-worth a read. Faulkner is a master of scene and his sense of pacing is incredible. Overall, an unsettling, but powerful work.
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2.0 out of 5 stars VERY hard work
I've read at least five Faulkner novels and generally like his rambling style, but I found this book really really hard work. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2004

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