A- Buffet, Hemingway, Chesney and Faulkner with a Margarita

Written in September during a girl getaway:

So here I am in Key West and feeling inspired to write. I am surrounded by the same atmosphere as some of the world’s greatest writers Ernest Hemingway, Tennesee Williams, Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney.  Hey, it depends on your perspective.  Cheeseburgers and margaritas or the decline of a Southern family.  Close.  Maybe cheeseburgers and margaritas WERE the decline of the South?  It is here that I will write my final review of The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner.  I am with Heather this was a tough one to get going on.  Not in the stream of conscience type of confusing as in the view of a three old mind trapped in an adult’s body confusing.

This book follows the Compson family and it’s decline… parallels that of the good ol’ south.  We follow the four Compson children and their perspectives of the family through the years.  I tried to decide which character I liked the most… I really wanted to like Caddy but couldn’t.  I go for Quentin – the male.  I can’t say why maybe it’s a relation with him that I too miss some of the times forgotten.  I empathized a bit with his view, maybe?

I never could understand my feelings for Caddy… did I feel sorry for her? Did I think she was a tramp? Was she kind? Misunderstood? Was she happy?  Could she be happy?

Quentin the eldest, although I liked the character, he was weak.  I didn’t get it. Why did he kill himself? Did he love his sister too much? What was it that troubled him so?

Benjy is the smartest of the bunch. Lived in the moment, more in tune with his environment than anyone else. He was happy when he left the boundaries of the homestead like he knew it was doomed.

I find it interesting that Jason was the lone survivor.. the most cynical and mean.  Yet, he stayed with his family despite everything that happened to him or his opinions of his siblings. I suppose he represents the surviving South.  Jason and the South were beaten and bruised. Both with their way of life taken from them.  The remaining character is still proud and steeped in history yet with a harder edge.  Both survivors.

I did enjoy this book though.  A different style of writing and way of presenting a chronology.  Dare I say it.  Yes I dare, it could be better… more on THAT in my next post!  Keep reading!!!