Matt B. (BuffaloSavage) reviewed on 7/16/2022 + 53 more book reviews

It is a masterpiece of American literature whose reading requires a watchful relinquishment of the spirit of skeptical criticism, if this is possible. The alert reader must follow the arc of the story with a vigilant but not logical mind since logic is not so helpful; because the explanations are not presented directly, systematically, the process of revealing is gradual, the information follows an order based on each character, not a chronological or other logical order. The sections on Jason and Dilsey are highly clarifying and by the end most of the pieces have fallen into their place - if the reader reads it all twice. Then even the flow of Benjy's stream of consciousness in the notorious first part seems to possess a beguiling clarity and simplicity, there is no difficulty, the arc of story is clear, there are no extra screws lying around, everything is locked together. As to Faulkner's notorious difficulty: Nothing good comes easy.

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