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Light in August

William Faulkner

1960380 pagesabout 6–9 hours
1960
first published
  • 1960Penguin Books · 380 pages · ENGISBN 9780140014334
  • 1968Random House · 480 pages · ENGISBN 9780394309682
  • 1972Vintage Books · 480 pages · ENGISBN 9780394711898
  • 1987Garland · ENGISBN 9780824068134
  • 1987Vintage Books · 565 pages · ENGISBN 9780394747439
  • 1990Vintage Books · 512 pages · ENGISBN 9780679732266
  • 2002Modern Library · 512 pages · ENGISBN 9780679642480
  • 1965McGraw-Hill · 480 pages · ENGISBN 9780075536482

One of Faulkner's most admired and accessible novels, "Light in August reveals the great American author at the height of his powers. Lena Grove's resolute search for the father of her unborn child begets a rich, poignant, and ultimately hopeful story of perseverance in the face of mortality. It also acquaints us with several of Faulkner's most unforgettable characters, including the Reverend Gail Hightower, who is plagued by visions of Confederate horsemen, and Joe Christmas, a ragged, itinerant soul obsessed with his mixed-race ancestry. Powerfully entwining these characters' stories, "Light in August vividly brings to life Faulkner's imaginary South, one of literature's great invented landscapes, in all of its impoverished, violent, unerringly fascinating glory. This edition reproduces the corrected text of "Light in August as established in 1985 by Noel Polk.

How it feels

Emotional toneUnflinching

How it reads

ComplexityExperimental
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