Absalom, Absalom!
By William Faulkner
Rating 4/5
Genres: Drama, classics, 2021-read, non linear story telling
This is the first book I have read by William Faulkner and its non linear story telling kept me hooked through out its rather simple plot. He gives a gist of what had happened in the past and slowly unravels the whys, the whens and the where's by going back from the present into the past opening a window there, closing a window here and so forth. It got a bit tricky to keep track of what point in time he is referring to and who the characters in the context are. To put it mildly, it is a bit challenging of a novel which required occasional back and forth in reading also. He says something and the details or explanation to it come later..so one has to hold on to reading and it all becomes clear eventually.
This book tells the story of the family of a fictitious Thomas Sutpen narrated by a young man Quentin Compson who got it from multiple sources like his grandfather who was acquainted with Thomas Sutpen, his father and Aunt Rosa who was sister in law to Thomas Sutpen. The gist of the story goes thus. Thomas Sutpen comes to a town in Mississippi as a complete stranger with no past whatsoever that the residents can learn and purchases the largest plot of land in the area. He builds a big house in the land and starts up his own business. He bosses around a bunch of negroes and conducts fight matches between them at nights along with himself as a participant. From the time of his arrival, all his actions and his persona is much talked about, contemplated and speculated upon by the native folk. He marries Ellen(they don't understand thr reason behind his choice and the motivations behind his action) from a local respectable family and begets two children on her - Judith and Henry. Ellen also has a very young sister( younger than her youngest daughter Judith) - Rosa - who harbors great resentment towards her brother in law Thomas Sutpen all her life because she holds him accountable for the ruin of her family. Henry meets a friend Charles Bon at university whom he adores. He sets up an engagement between Charles Bon and Judith but Thomas Sutpen intervenes and prevents it by disclosing a deeply held secret. Fast forward a bit and Henry kills Charles who rescues him during war - why did he do this?. Ellen dies and Thomas asks for the hand of Rosa which she gives and ungives through rage and self respect - why did she take back on her word? . Rosa moves back to lead a bitter, solitary life. Towards the end, Thomas ,Judith, Rosa and everyone dies from either heart break or having wasted away their lives in hatred/nostalgia. The house built and cherished by Sutpen also crumbles and falls to ashes like the rest of his family. The writing style spelt doom right from the start for the family with Aunt Rosa holding grudges against Thomas till her death.
I found many references to the blacks as derogatory and really insulting but this book being written in the years of early 19th century was merely reflecting the prevalent sentiments of the time I guess.
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