shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 That script work by Faulkner made him "the man" at the studio. But by the time the film was finished, most of his work was watered down. Faulkner once called Hemingway a coward for always writing only what he knew would absolutely work ie not experimenting. It wasn't supposed to be made public because it was told to a college class but Faulkner didn't realize that everything he was saying was being taking down for an article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 I believe they were friends until these incidents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) I've been a Faulker fan for many years. Oddly enough (given the opening post) "Sanctuary" has always been a favorite of mine. A real Southern Gothic thriller, and I've always thought it was make a great movie (it's actually been made into a couple of films, but they haven't been very good). "The Sound and the Fury" is a classic, of course, and I've always loved "Light In August". Damn! I'm going to have to reread some Bill Faulkner! I also LOVE the movie "To Have and Have Not", and one of the reasons is because of Faulkner's work on the screenplay. Faulkner rewrites Hemingway! I love it! Edited July 4, 2003 by Alexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Faulkner was able to smooth things over and Hemingway actually wrote him a very friendly letter and stated that he would love to correspond with Faulkner. Faulkner never wrote back. I highly recommend Joseph Blotner's bio on Faulkner. I recently finished the paperback one volume edition. The two volume hardback set is kind of too much for me right now but I think I'll tackle it in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) I also LOVE the movie "To Have and Have Not", and one of the reasons is because of Faulkner's work on the screenplay. Faulkner rewrites Hemmingway! I love it! I agree it is an excellent film. Faulkner rewrites it so much very little if any of the Hemingway story is left in the screenplay, which is why Hemingway got upset. Edited July 3, 2003 by Mnytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Another vote for the short stories. "Barn Burning", "A Rose for Emily", "Red Leaves", "The Bear", "Mistral"... And why does no one ever talk about how deeply, darkly FUNNY Faulkner can be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) Good point. I guess a lot of folks are introduced to him with The Sound And The Fury and tend to think of him as obscure unless they really work at it. But Faulkner was a rascal at heart and there is humor throughout his work. How about Shingles For The Lord? That's pure comedy. "We crossed the street toward home. And do you know what I thought? I thought It hasn't even changed. Because it should have. It should have been changed of itself, but that I, bringing back to it what...must have changed in me, should have altered it." William Faulkner The Reivers Edited July 3, 2003 by shrugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Christmas Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 The whole purpose of this thread was for those that have read and are fans of Faulkner and his books. Of course key points are going to be discussed. Ah, those are hardly key points to the book anyway. More like spicy little things that happened on last night's Melrose Place. Much more to it than castration, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 The whole purpose of this thread was for those that have read and are fans of Faulkner and his books. Of course key points are going to be discussed. Ah, those are hardly key points to the book anyway. More like spicy little things that happened on last night's Melrose Place. Much more to it than castration, I think. Well yea but you know what I meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Yes, key points was a bit of exaggeration but make them work for it!!! If you end up whimping out because you can't figure out who the hell Quintin is you'll end up like those guys with websites that have pages dedicated to the top 100 books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 and while I am at it, I guess good books are like jazz nowadays. Those who enjoy both are steadily decreasing in number. Hell, I don't think anyone I work with reads by choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 If you end up whimping out because you can't figure out who the hell Quintin is you'll end up like those guys with websites that have pages dedicated to the top 100 books. Huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) Actually, it's Quentin! :) I'll find the sites but there is some asshole that says the book sucks because of the confusing dual use of names for Quentin and Maury. He also lists other reasons and they are all lame. His fav. hemingway is the Old Man And The Sea and he hates The Sun Also Rises. ok so I entered a title like it told me to Edited July 3, 2003 by shrugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Christmas Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 On the note that this thread is supposed to be for people who read (and are fans of) Faulkner, well, I hope that is not so. Someone made the generalization that most people avoid Faulkner unless they have to read him... Sounds like the intellectual garbage that sometimes goes hand in hand with many jazz listeners. I've turned many people onto his work (including shrugs) just by talking about a great story I just read of his, or simply treating his writing as some truly special to me. Conn500, as one of my friends says about music, my favorite Faulkner is whichever story I'm reading at the moment. I've become so absorbed into so many elements to his writing that it becomes pointless for me to differentiate on grounds of better, worse, inspired, lazy, whatever. As I Lay Dying, for instance, is a book I get along with swimmingly just for the twisted nature of it. You may dislike AILD, but you can't recall another plot (hehe) like it, can you? For its simplicity, there is tons of humanity to that story, greed (Darl) and heart (Vardaman) being the respective ends of the emotional spectrum, and yet Faulkner defines those two terms on his own and embodies them within those characters. I like Kenny's question about the music. I catch myself sometimes using music as an accessory to things I am doing, like doing 4 chapters of integral calculus homework one year before I realized that I was listening to Anthony Braxton each time I cracked open the text. I've thought about music for Faulkner's work too. There was a rumor going around for a while that Sean Penn or BB Thornton was going to produce and direct AILD. What music? What composer? Uncle Tupelo and Neko Case would make some great modern musical counterparts to Faulkner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) I give you mucho credit for helping me through but when was it that you turned me on to Faulkner? I'll jog your memory. I was already reading A Light In August(and had already read Absalolm and AILD) and you found that out and maybe that's why you seem to recall turning me on? Gotta give props for the WF & Southern History rec though!! Edited July 3, 2003 by shrugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) On the note that this thread is supposed to be for people who read (and are fans of) Faulkner, well, I hope that is not so. Someone made the generalization that most people avoid Faulkner unless they have to read him... Sounds like the intellectual garbage that sometimes goes hand in hand with many jazz listeners. I've turned many people onto his work (including shrugs) just by talking about a great story I just read of his, or simply treating his writing as some truly special to me. This thread alone proves that people avoid Faulkner's books because of their reputation of being difficult. What I said has nothing to do with elitism but the fact that Faulkner is not someone people go out of their way to read. You're own post proves my point. You turned people onto Faulkner. Who knows when and if they would have read any of the books without you turning them onto him? Why would you have to turn anyone onto a great author like Faulkner and the masterpieces he wrote otherwise? It’s the same with Joyce the reputation that his books are so difficult turn people away from reading his books. Edited July 3, 2003 by Mnytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) I give you Conn's own post as an example. And he has a Master's in Lit mind you. "One notable exception would be "Absalom, Absalom." Never read it and I think I was frightened away by its reputed difficulty." And this is from JazzMoose: "Paul, I've been scared off of Absalom, Absalom as well, but maybe I ought to move that one up to the "on deck shelf" and give it a go..." Ghost of Miles has a couple of the books but from his post he hasn't even read them. Who knows how long he has had them. It's the reputation these books have that keeps even highly intelligent people from reading them. We are talking about books that are well known as being masterpieces but you still had to turn people on to them. Edited July 3, 2003 by Mnytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Christmas Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Really? I could have sworn that we had a few conversations about it when we were working in Connecticut. Then, 3 years later in Washington you tell me you finally got off your ass and picked up LIA. But like so many other things, I could be totally mistaken. Maybe it was Cormac? FWIW, I sort of feel that a primer would be very useful to someone before reading Sound/Fury. Shit, I never would have made it through Ulysses if it weren't for the honey I was trying to impress by reading it in the first place. She was reading it for college lit. I said, "cool." She said, "Oh, read it with me then!! That would be fun!" I fumbled through it, she picked me up by regurgitating the class discussions on each chapter. It was pretty pathetic, but she was turned on by my unrelenting need for understanding the book, hehe. Joyce would have vomited at the thought of all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrugs Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 (edited) I didn't realize Absalom had such a nasty rep. It's too bad. But I admit when I vision it, I always think it's like 600 pages or so. It's half that. It's probably one of the "easier" ones to read out from that time period of his work since the reader is led on with the juicy "gossip" that Quenten is hearing. Poor son of a bitch. I know he says something along the lines of being older at his age then most people who are dead. I think it was Cormac that you turned me onto. All The Pretty Horses is in Paul B's hands right now. I doubt he has read it since I leant it to him a few years ago...... And I guess I am the only one who feels a primer that spells everything out would be counterproductive. Like having a primer for Cecil Taylor. These things can sometimes take repeated visits. I will say that if one person decides to dive into some Billy because of this thread then everything would have been worthwhile. Spotted Horses, baby Edited July 3, 2003 by shrugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 If there was a person on this board who's always wanted to read Faulkner but hasn't quite known where to begin, where might you folks suggest that he start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 (edited) Outside of the short stories I would suggest: As I Lay Dying Light in August Sanctuary Absalom, Absalom! The Reivers The Snopes Trilogy: 1) The Hamlet 2) The Town 3) The Mansion Go Down, Moses A Fable Somewhere in there once you get the hang of Faulkner I would read The Sound and The Fury. Edited July 4, 2003 by Mnytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 I think I've read all his work, though I confess I haven't read any of his books in years. "Sanctuary" is a big favorite, and "The Sound and the Fury" is a real masterwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 I would recommend the Vintage International versions if possible, which has the corrected texts. Not sure if anyone else has released the corrected texts since Vintage's were released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mnytime Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 I think I've read all his work, though I confess I haven't read any of his books in years. "Sanctuary" is a big favorite, and "The Sound and the Fury" is a real masterwork. What does everyone think of the sequal to Sanctuary, Requiem for a Nun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Christmas Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 Tony- I'd recommend Light in August to anyone as an intro to Faulkner. It has a manageable amount of depth for someone previously unfamiliar with his style. It's both challenging and rewarding, and the intertwining of its own stories and themes is like no other. The story is still incredibly modern in the way it deals with age-old conflicts. I have a new favorite character every time I read it. And while the writing is infused with many of Faulkner's unique quirks...stream-of-conscious prose with anyone's guess as to who is doing the talking/thinking...twisted, yet totally logical restructure of common English grammar... It is still very readable. You'll want to reach in and strangle Lucas burch. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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