Stick A Faulk In Me... I'm Done

Dear Mr. Faulkner,

I had really planned to spend the summer with you, but unfortunatley it looks like I am going to have to cut it short.  While I have no doubts that you deserve your reputation of one of the great American writers, I am just not having much fun reading your works.  While As I Lay Dying was a challenging read... I managed to understand and get through it.  I really liked how you used different narrators to piece together the story of the Bundrens trying mightily to bury their family matriarch.

However, you lost me with The Sound and The Fury.  I managed to muddle through the first section and a half of your book... and after many a vow to do so before, I officially threw in the towel last night.  I found myself reading words instead of a story... and honestly I did not know what was going... and perhaps more sadly, I did not care.  The Benjy section really threw me... hard to ease into a book where the narrator is a 33-year old "idiot" who has "no concept of time or place... sensory stimuli in the present bring him back to another time and place in his past, instantly and without warning."

I got that description from this thing called the Internet... in today's world, if you have questions in life you can pretty much find the answer on the Internet.  Back when I was in school, if you did not understand a novel you would buy this little yellow and black booklet called Cliff Notes to help you out. I am guessing these days the kids don't even need to go out and get it, thanks to all the information on the Internet.  However, I am not in school any more... and while, I do like a challenging read, at this stage in my life I don't feel I need to do extra research in an attempt to understand what is going on in a book. As it is, there are too many books I want to read and not enough time to read them...

My apologies for not given it my best effort, but I tried... really!

Ed

************************************
Dear Oprah,

Oh O!?! I don't know about this summer's book selection.  You usually don't let me down with your book selections.  I have really liked that you have moved to the classics, it gives me a good reason to read the books and authors that I never got around to in my youth.  But I was just not getting any enjoyment with your Summer of Faulkner trilogy.  I had never read Faulkner, so I was actually excited to finally get around to it... but boy, he is not very accessible!   If you told me a few years back that I would have no serious problems getting through a Tolstoy beheamoth of a novel... and not be able to get through a relatively short Faulkner novel I would have called you crazy before you could yell out "And you get a car!" for a second time.

In introducing this series of books, you said "you cannot call yourself a real reader unless you have read some of Faulkner"... well I don't know what my decision to quit reading these book(s) says about me.  I consider myself a "real" reader... so I will take it that a book and a half of Faulkner counts as some.
 

As I just told Bill above, I still plan on reading more this summer... but it will just be something that I like.  I am guessing I am not the only one who is waving the white flag on these books.  I appreciate the fact that you are trying to challenge readers, but I am just hoping that this selection won't discourage folks from picking up another book, any book.

I will still give your book club another chance, but give us a little break next time, okay?!

E

Comments

[Scott C]

While I have not attempted to read Faulkner this summer, as it is not condusive to reading in short bursts on Airplanes, I have attempted in the past, without much success. However, spending much time in airports this summer, I have seen quite a few people reading Faulkner, thanks to O. Most of them fall asleep. But, I would say, Good for you for giving them a try.

[Beth]

Seems like those suffering from insominia might want to give Faulk a try! :)

[Browneye]

I give you credit for even attempting it. There's no way I'd do it.

[Linda]

I bought the 3 Faulkners thinking they'd be perfect while riding the subway to work. I've yet to crack open the first one as I started to fall asleep before turning to page one. Have you ever heard of the practice of leaving a book in a public place - subway car, bus seat, laundromat - anywhere for someone to find and read. You insert a little note telling them to enjoy the book and to pass it on when finished. I might do that with these 3 books. What are you going to read next?