William Faulkner: Modernism Unvanquished
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by M. Thomas Inge
What does it mean to be a Faulknerian biographer? In his new book "William Faulkner" (Overlook, 104 pages, $19.95), M. Thomas Inge supplies the answer right off:
I find this interesting. In traditional Journalism we often shy away from starting with questions. I find that starting off of this review with a question is very fitting, it grabs my attention and keeps me reading, especially with that word “Faulknerian.”
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Faulknerian may become if not already used as an adjective to describe something nontraditional.
Like in Russian language Dostoevsky became an adjective, the way to describe someone who is very difficult, complicated and slightly annoying. The root of name Dostoevsky derives from the noun ‘dostavat’, which in Russian means to annoy or to bother someone.
The same story is probably with ‘Faulknerian’.
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I meant if possibly "Faulknerian’ could be another neologism, like Dostoevsky in Russian language,meaning complicated and difficult. Faulknerian can stand for something nontraditional, different, outside of the borderlines.
I read only ‘Rose for Emily’ by Faulkner. And it is quite an unusual story.
Faulkner wrote as if there were no literature written in English before him, no century and more of convention and literary tradition established before he put pen to paper. He recreated fiction anew and set the novel free to better serve the twentieth century through a powerful, discordant, and irresistible torrent of language that crashed through time, space, and experience to tell the story of modern mankind in ways both tragic and comic. Faulkner would have written the way he did whether or not James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Joseph Conrad, and the others had ever existed.
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Aug 24Professor Carl RollysonProfessor Carl Rollyson : What function does the quotation serve here?A University of Toronto Ph.D, Rollyson has published more … (more)
Aug 29To me this functions to explain your opening thought, and perhaps even support and explain what Faulknerian is. It also helps to bring an aspect of the book into the review without bombarding your reader with a boring quotation. It’s also a stylistic method, as you said in class today to have variable lengths in the paragraphs. Having the quote there all alone stands out off the page and appeals to my eye too.
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Aug 30Professor Carl RollysonProfessor Carl Rollyson : And instead of explaining Faulknerian. I show what I mean by the term by quoting Inge. So the quotation is doing a lot of work for me.A University of Toronto Ph.D, Rollyson has published more … (more)
Sep 2Since you used it here, I wont shy away from using quotes in that style anymore. Like you said, it does a lot of work for you.
Sep 1The quotation justifies the opening question made by the reviewer and the endeavors of a “Faulknerian biographer,” presenting the importance and magnitude of Faulkner’s work. Moreover, the block quote entices readers. What will the reviewer have to say about a biography attempting to capture such an individualistic author?
Sep 2The quotation forces readers’ to visualize not only Faulkner’s unique style, but also the immense impact his writing had. Rather than simply providing a brief description of the “Faulknerian biographer,” the reviewer focuses more on building interest in the topic at hand, in this case William Faulkner.
Sep 2The quotation in the review opens another dimension to the reader. The quote is a highlight of the subject, showing the reader highly important and meaningful aspects of the topic. It helps the reader to understand more about what it means to be Faulkernian by giving a fruitful quote, instead of trying to explain it with paraphrasing.
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Sep 3Professor Carl RollysonProfessor Carl Rollyson : But the quote has to be really good. Otherwise, it is better to paraphrase.A University of Toronto Ph.D, Rollyson has published more … (more)
Sep 3I agree with that Irina says, the quote helps the reader understand the material… However, I have a question for Professor Rollyson regarding his response. He said to paraphrase unless the quote if its not really good. Isn’t paraphrasing dangerous in reviews? I always thought paraphrasing would mislead the reader and put words to the work that isn’t necessarily there, giving readers a bad vibe.
Sep 4Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson : Paraphrasing is essential. You can't quote everything. Without paraphrasing, you cannot establish your own authority in the review.Sep 5I don’t believe that paraphrasing will mislead the reader, after all it is YOUR review, so a part of you and a part of the subject will merge into a critique.
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Sep 5Professor Carl RollysonProfessor Carl Rollyson : That's right. Paraphrasing is one way of asserting your authority and putting what others says in your own style and commentary.A University of Toronto Ph.D, Rollyson has published more … (more)
Sep 2The quotation creates context for the reader. A brief description of what Faulkner did and his accomplishments are given, as well as how he fits in relation to other prolific authors.
Sep 2Visually, at first, the quotation threw me off since I didn’t expect to see one at the very beginning. However after reading it, it is very fitting in that it directly gives us a taste of Inge’s style. Instead describing what a Faulknerian is, the reviewer just shows us through the quotation and it works.
Sep 4I read the quote and i thought right away how bold it is, exactly the way Faulkner himself.
And in the following sentence the reviewer mentions, that one has to be bold to take on a task of writing Faulkner’s biography.
A sequence of bold Faulkner, bold quote and bold biographer.
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Sep 5Professor Carl RollysonProfessor Carl Rollyson : If you are right, then the quotation and commentary are a good example of how to state and advance an argument.A University of Toronto Ph.D, Rollyson has published more … (more)
Sep 4The quotation is used to display the ideal Faulknerian biographer. Furthermore, it invokes a sense of curiosity in readers unfamiliar with Faulkner’s work.
Sep 4M. Thomas Inge’s quote doesn’t so much answer the question of what it means to be a “Faulknerian biographer”, but rather, it reinforces to the reader that William Faulker has made on English literature. Inge also mentions how Faulkner was ahead of his time compare to later authors like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.
Sep 5The function of the quote is to do more than simply tell the readers that Faulkner was revolutionary. It’s meant to highlight his talents, his novelty, and the effects. It’s far more suitable to describe it in a way that truly shows how his work impacted literature and gives credit where it’s due.
May 25Jonathan Chu Jonathan Chu : When Faulkner wrote he believed that everything before him was not written powerful, irresistible enough to captivate the readers. Basically to upscale the writers of the past to force them all to write better.
Sep 23This quotation served as an overview to set apart Faulkner from other writers before him and of his time. It was an introduction of him to the reader as someone who had done something that even the ones before him hadn’t been able to accomplish. with this quote for me personally it changed my entire view of Faulkner from just another great writer, to a writer who actually paved a new trail for the writers after him .
To be a Faulknerian biographer, one has to be bold, to realize that source studies (what Faulkner absorbed from other writers), social and cultural context, psychological analysis — indeed all the staples of modern literary criticism and biography — do not avail when it comes to portraying the greatest writer in the English language save Shakespeare.
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The paragraph emphasizes and further expounds on the quotation. It immediately informs the reader of the specific characteristic it takes to be a Faulknerian biographer with the word “bold.” The paragraph also brings awareness to the fact that social, cultural, and psychological context are of little to no use in depicting Faulkner. It explicitly highlights the very thoughts that the quotation briefly touches on.
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To me the quote does make social, cultural, and psychological factors secondary to Faulkner’s genius. It doesn’t really exclude them but briefly hints at them. I find that Inge should write this biography because he seems to have an understanding of what made Faulkner great.
No. Social,cultural and psychological factors are not made secondary. Because these factors are key in modern literature, it does not mean that they are overlooked or overshadowed in some of the greatest works of the past. Literature spanning back to the renaissance period and even before have a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that inculcate these factors circumlocutorily.
I think, just as the quote above, the text implies that his work should simply speak for itself. Aside from the in-depth analysis that will undoubtedly ensue, it’s necessary to see it for what it is and appreciate that value.
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Mr. Inge, a Southerner steeped in Southern literature and history, and eyewitness to a Faulkner lecture at the University of Virginia (the biographer includes a charming sketch he made of his subject), understands that it is best just to stand back, so to speak, and simply describe the career of a writer who admitted that his genius was a gift he could not explain.
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The reviewer is establishing the author’s expertise in the subject matter he is writing about and the level at which he understood Faulkner’s character. This gives credibility to the author.
There is a history and a bond between Inge and Faulkner. The reviewer uses their relationship to show the readers that Inge knows Faulkner well enough that we can value his opinion of him.
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It is a very important detail that Mr. Inge is a Southerner just like Faulkner. It was a very different culture in the south, and many writers from the South were writing about social issues present in the area.
The biographer could better relate to Faulkner and his point of view, coming from the South.
Faulkner’s nanny, who was African-American made a huge impact on him while he was growing up through her story-telling and singing. He absorbed the southern surrounding and it affected his way of writing.
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The reviewer is showing his fondness and appreciation of Faulkner, as well as involving readers by projecting his feelings onto them. He believes that Faulkner is as brilliant as he believes he is, and that he’s best understood directly than through description. I believe this shows a rather wise understanding of his work.
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Feelings / Tone
The lesser Faulkner — the one who wanted to be a poet — failed precisely because he was derivative and wanted to show that he could write like A.E. Housman, T. S. Eliot, Keats, and the other greats he worshipped. Only when Faulkner decided to put away his books did he rise to the magnificence of "The Sound and the Fury," "As I Lay Dying," "Light in August," "Absalom, Absalom!," "The Wild Palms," "The Hamlet," and "Go Down, Moses" — works that defy categorization, products of savage humor and searing tragedy, embodying an epistemology that has enticed generations of scholars and general readers.
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The reviewer is tying to explain that since Faulkner’s true style was unlike that of the other authors mentioned, his attempts to imitate his heroes were hopeless. This strengthens the argument that Faulkner’s prose was not only different from his predecessors, but was so divergent that it became and entity on its own.
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He failed trying to imitate, as he was unable to do so. Faulkner had a very unique style, he just simply couldn’t fit in the traditional frames. Derivative was not his way of writing, and he succeeded only when he derived from within his own imagination.
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Right, ‘very unique’ is incorrect to say, because unique means ‘one of a kind’. Adding ‘very’ to it doesn’t change anything, something is either unique or it is not.
The point is that Faulkner’s work was at its best when it came from his mind alone. His unique style and brilliance are all results of his staying true to himself rather than trying to be somebody else. As someone once said, “You can only be the best version of yourself. Everyone else is taken.” And I think he’s trying to say that Faulkner did just that.
Faulkner needed to fail in order to realize and accept his own greatness. This setback helped him to grow into a profound writer and I’m sure it has led to others trying to do just as he did – emulate.
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Faulkner has often been described as a "difficult" author. His answer to that charge was to suggest reading his work again. There is no better advice to be had. What certain reviewers decried as chaotic was in fact writing of exquisite order and perception. Faulkner is fathomable, but you need to take the time to take him at his word. I was heartened recently to find on amazon.com a lively volume of chatter about "Absalom, Absalom!" — not among academics but among readers who had found their way to greatness and wanted to share their knowledge of it with others.
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Maybe this is not really related, but I myself read some of Faulkerner’s work last semester and I agree. Faulkner has his own unique style that sometimes is hard to understand to those not familiar with him.
Some critics and researches of Faulkner’s work suggest that the author was influenced in many ways by Dostoevsky. Faulkner admitted himself that he read Dostoevsky during his college years.
There is probably something to this thought, the way Faulkner opens his novel on behalf of an idiot,or the way he portrays violence.
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I believe that he’s trying to say Faulkner was perhaps misunderstood at times and definitely took time to truly comprehend. Although, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He believes that the complexity is the reason for readings that may be convoluted to some, and that it simply takes a trained eye to spot right away.
Faulkner appeals to us on a gut level. We want to know who his characters are, why they are telling their stories, why others contradict their stories, why, in the case of "Absalom, Absalom!," all of them are fixated on Thomas Sutpen, who came to Jefferson, Miss., where he built himself a mansion and started a dynasty and then somehow destroyed it all. Albert Camus was right when he said Faulkner had brought Greek tragedy into detective fiction.
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Where Greek tragedy may be viewed by some as distant, dealing with motifs and themes in a historic setting, Faulkner engages readers by appealing to their “guts.” Readers want to know why something is happening, but motifs explored in Greek tragedy play out in Faulkner’s works.
The last sentence summarizes this idea, which is illustrated in the rest of the paragraph.
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Greek tragedy was an early form of drama. It creates situations that inspire fear and compassion but makes the experience enjoyable for audiences.
Likewise, in As I Lay Dying (the only Faulkner I’ve read), Faulkner employs a stream of consciousness narrative to explain the successive events following the death of a matriarch. He explores themes of death and the purpose of life—not exactly light reading.
Faulkner makes his story enticing by keeping readers guessing as to what is actually happening. None of the many narratives are reliable. Readers must play detective and figure out what is actually happening and why Faulkner is doing it.
Hence, the appropriate “Greek tragedy into detective fiction” comparison.
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The last sentence fits to highlight the fact that Faulkner was an apparent genius at combining themes and ideas in his writing. He managed to escape derivatives and creative his own sense of style by playing with concepts. In saying that, he supports his previous arguments and explain why it is that viewers are truly so fascinated with his work.
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Although I was introduced to Faulkner back in my undergraduate days by Mr. Inge and went on to publish my own book on Faulkner, I still had much to learn from this deft, cogent book, which is certainly the definitive introduction to Faulkner. Mr. Inge dispels a few myths and misperceptions.
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The reviewer mentions their connection with M. Thomas Inge to establish authority on the subject at hand. The reviewer also includes that they have published a book solely about Faulkner. These two connections informs the reader that the reviewer has a strong background in the subject of Faulkner and his work and can trust the reviewer’s criticism without hesitation.
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I was going to use “convince”, but I was looking for a word that is soft. As if the reader feels like a guest, not just an audience.
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The reviewer later in the article challenges and proves wrong some myths about Faulkner’s life and work. Letting his readers know that he personally met the writer, reinforces the reviewer’s point of view and backs up his arguments.
I believe he’s referencing his experience to not only assert his credibility but, also, explain that although he’d written a book on Faulkner, his work and character leave much to be discovered.
The mention is also the reviewer’s anecdotal way of demonstrating the profound influence Faulkner had on people through a firsthand account.
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Myth No.1: Faulkner was a neglected writer whose reputation need rehabilitating by the critic Malcolm Cowley, whose publication of "The Portable Faulkner" in 1946 set off a re-evaluation of the novelist that led to a Nobel Prize in 1950. Not so. Until reading this biography, I did not fully appreciate the cumulative impact Faulkner made on readers in the 1930s and 1940s, even as Hemingway and Fitzgerald outshone him in the public eye. Faulkner's original and "difficult" novels received discerning reviews. Certainly Cowley's "Portable" was propitious, but it was not decisive.
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Propitious simply means that the object being described had viable promise, though not entirely confirmed. In contrast, decisive alludes to definitive actions and resolutions. The language used in the final sentence concisely debunks the myth stated at the beginning of the paragraph without merely rehashing.
Propitious,but not decisive means promising, but not determined.
Cowley’s publication had some potential, but the critic’s argument wasn’t strong enough to make such a big difference to the way Faulkner was perceived. That’s why it is a myth.
The reviewer here clearly states that Faulkner had a strong impact on readers through his writing, earned their respect. No tentative critic was needed to prove that.
Malcolm Cowley’s efforts showed signs of promise, but ultimately failed Faulkner in the eyes of this critic. The critic has high standards in his hawkish Faulkner defense, and wants to say that even those sympathetic to Faulkner didn’t go far enough in his defense. He comes off as a staunch supporter of everything that bears Faulkner’s name, regardless of the quality of the work.
The difference between propitious and decisive is that the former is more lenient than the latter. It asserts less authority and shows guidance and direction, rather than command. Using these words in the last sentence seems to imply that Cowley’s work wasn’t as strong as it could have been, and certainly wasn’t as strong as, although appreciated more than, Faulkner’s.
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Myth No.2: Faulkner was an acquired taste among the literati, and sales of his work did not pick up until after the Nobel Prize. In fact, "Sanctuary," "Pylon," and "The Wild Palms"were best sellers. It is true that Faulkner went through a dry period in the mid-1940s when most of his books were out of print, but by 1948 his novel "Intruder in the Dust" was another best seller.
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Merriam-Webster defines “literati” as “the educated class” or "persons interested in literature or the arts.” The “literati” were considered scholars who read and commented on published literature, similar to critics today, thus allowing for the literature to become popularized to some extent. Reviews from the “literati” would, seemingly, help or harm an author’s career.
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To get a better understanding, would higher education students be considered literati since they are studying works of literature but are not scholars in that field?
Literati are intellectuals and higher society in the field of literature and similar arts connected. Not only intelligence and academic significance is needed but the ability to prove ones authority and abilities through work, references etc and to influence writers, readers and critiques.
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Intelligentsia can be a synonym for literati, they matter because they are the ones who form and influence a public opinion, as they are educated and understand literature.
Though, it seems like in this paragraph ‘literati’ is used with sarcasm. In the beginning of the 20th century not too many could afford an education, and those who did, they usually belonged to the upper class and were not really willing to question the established norms. Faulkner did question indeed, and wasn’t always loved for it.
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Literati, those who’re particularly interested in and intensively study literature are important to authors such as Faulkner because their approval defines his success and prestige as a writer. People such as those ‘experts’ in the field have the power to compare, contrast, and criticize his work and it seemed as though it was difficult for them to quickly grow on him.
That Faulkner had his detractors is hardly worth mentioning, although Mr. Inge scrupulously gives them their due. An unconventional man, Faulkner was bound to irritate some reviewers because of his relentless quest to shatter the norms of storytelling. Who would dare to begin a novel from the point of view of an idiot? And yet having Benjy Compson do so in "The Sound and The Fury" produced some of the greatest imagist prose of this century. Who would create a novel by alternating chapters with a passionate love story, rather like "A Farewell to Arms" with those devoted to the tall tale of a convict caught in a Mississippi flood? And yet the emotional entanglements evoked in these juxtaposed narratives suddenly collide in the convict's terse concluding word, "Women!" — which makes "The Wild Palms" such a powerful tragicomedy.
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Faulkner was a very unconventional writer, he challenged the norms of society by his style and content of writing. Of course, he had received a lot of criticism during his life. The review emphasizes this by saying that it is hardly worth mentioning, as there were so many Faulkner’s detractors.
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A word ‘detractor’ has some negativity to it, as someone who tries to belittle the worth of something.
In this context, it seemed to me, the reviewer refers to those who spoke ill of Faulkner’s writing. And those who hate or try to belittle are the ones who also don’t understand.
Or maybe, those who understand, but don’t want to admit it out fear or envy, they will attack and detract. Many outstanding writers had to go through this rough path.
I believe they were considered unworthy of mention because of how novel and unconventional his writing was. Like the reviewer said “he was bound to irritate some viewers” while on his quest to “shatter the norms of storytelling.” People don’t usually embrace, or particularly like, change. So it is no surprise that Faulkner’s rush into the modern didn’t fare well with some. Although, it’s almost irrelevant because of the lack of impact they had on his career.
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Success / Honor
Mr. Inge's book is a wonderful addition to the Overlook Press series of illustrated biographies. His selection of photographs is astute: He puts together sequences of images that suggest the rhythms of Faulkner's life
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The reviewer makes mention of the photographs. Though individual photos aren’t discussed, it is important that readers know this is an additional facet to the biography.
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Without changing any other writing dramatically, no.
But using the collection of photographs as an introduction to the review could have been another possibility.
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I think the reviewer provides a comment on what these photographs add to the book. He says that the selection of pictures is very insightful, which helps to capture Faulkner’s rhythm of life.
He ‘solves’ the problem by succinctly summarizing the collection of photos with an adjective and descriptive sentence.
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This biography is a miracle of compression, made possible only because its author has distilled a lifetime of devotion to his subject into this small gem of a book.
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It is a very smart way to summarize the biography by letting the readers know that it is compressed, yet the author dedicated his lifetime to explore the subject, which turned into this precious book. This final paragraph answers briefly but to the point the opening question what does it mean to be a ‘Faulknerian biographer’.
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The final paragraph gave the author of the review that final stamp of authority a reader may need. He lets us know that the biography was thoughtful, insightful and trustworthy. His use of the word devotion let me know that the biography was written with passion and that the subject was worthy of every bit of it.
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The final paragraph very concisely wraps up the review by stating that the author had done a fine job of explaining Faulkner in shorter terms, but only because he spent such a large portion of time on a topic that obviously required in-depth knowledge and understanding. Not only does it compliment the author, but it also compliments the complexity and range of Faulkner’s work.
Lifetime
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Opening with a question immediately places the reader into the piece. Whether or not they want to be, they’re already sucked in. And thus, he makes the reader think. What DOES it mean? And then continue to read to find out the answer. Not only does it challenge the reader, but it sets up the arc of the piece from the start.
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