Absalom, Absalom!From the Modern Library’s set of beautifully repackaged hardcover classics by William Faulkner—also available are Snopes, As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, Light in August, and Selected Short Stories One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years First published in 1936, Absalom, Absalom! is William Faulkner’s ninth novel and one of his most admired. It tells the story of Thomas Sutpen and his ruthless, single-minded attempt to forge a dynasty in Jefferson, Mississippi, in 1830. Although his grand design is ultimately destroyed by his own sons, a century later the figure of Sutpen continues to haunt young Quentin Compson, who is obsessed with his family legacy and that of the Old South. “Faulkner’s novels have the quality of being lived, absorbed, remembered rather than merely observed,” noted Malcolm Cowley. “Absalom, Absalom! is structurally the soundest of all the novels in the Yoknapatawpha series—and it gains power in retrospect.” This edition follows the text of Absalom, Absalom! as corrected in 1986 under the direction of Faulkner expert Noel Polk and features a new Foreword by John Jeremiah Sullivan. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 28 |
Section 3 | 58 |
Section 4 | 90 |
Section 5 | 133 |
Section 6 | 138 |
Section 7 | 177 |
Section 8 | 178 |
Section 12 | 389 |
Section 13 | 391 |
Section 14 | 392 |
Section 15 | 393 |
Section 16 | 395 |
Section 17 | 396 |
Section 18 | 400 |
Section 19 | 401 |
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Common terms and phrases
Absalom actually afternoon aint already asked Aunt Rosa believe beneath blood Bon's born breathing called Charles Bon child clothes Clytie Compson dark daughter dead demon door doubtless Ellen eyes face father Faulkner flesh four girl gone Haiti hand hear heard Henry and Bon Henry's horse Jefferson JOHN JEREMIAH SULLIVAN Judith knew lawyer learned least listening lived looked marriage married miles Miss Coldfield Miss Rosa Mississippi mother move negress negro never Nevermore nigger night octoroon once Orleans perhaps pistol probably Quentin Quentin Compson quiet realised remember rode Rosa Coldfield seemed seen sherbet Shreve sister sitting stood stopped Sutpen's Hundred talking tell thinking Thomas Sutpen thought town turned University of Mississippi vanished voice waiting walked Wash Jones watching wedding wife WILLIAM FAULKNER window woman women Yoknapatawpha County young