Light in August - Hardcover

Faulkner, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394433351 ISBN 13: 9780394433356

Publisher: Random House, 1967

Synopsis

Joe Christmas does not know whether he is black or white. Faulkner makes of Joe's tragedy a powerful indictment of racism; at the same time Joe's life is a study of the divided self and becomes a symbol of 20th century man.
From the Trade Paperback edition.

About this title

Review:

To declare that Light in August is William Faulkner's finest work would be to invoke debate of irreconcilable conclusion. Yet for many followers of Faulkner, this novel showcases many of his best moments and characters. As usual, he mines the rich soil of Mississippi mud to create his subjects, this time in the form of Reverend Gail Hightower, Lena Grove and Joe Christmas. The issue of black and white and rich and poor is prevalent, though to draw lines that clear would be a disservice to Faulkner's immensely layered text and the multicolored beauty of his writing.

From the Back Cover:

“For all his concern with the South, Faulkner was actually seeking out the nature of man. Thus we must turn to him for that continuity of moral purpose which made for the greatness of our classics.” — Ralph Ellison

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 1967
• ISBN 10: 0394433351
• ISBN 13: 9780394433356
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480