“Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town …”
Faulkner is a great writer. Reading his works is like taking a breath of fresh air after being stuck inside for days. I have read good books by good writers and I almost forget that there are great writers and great books out there.
Our library was holding an adult summer reading program contest. It was a bingo game and one square was to read a book of short stories. I searched through the library collection for short stories and came across Selected Short Stories by William Faulkner. I am so glad I choose it.
Several characters appear in several of the short stories in the book. Each story brings the characters and plot to life within a few sentences and while you wish the story would continue when it ends, you are satisfied with the window to the world you have been given. There is the story of a slave who must die now that his master is dead, so he flees for his life. There is the boy who runs away to join the army with his big brother. There is the old woman in a small town who has not appeared since a man she was engaged to showed up to her house for dinner and never was seen again. Each story is memorable.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read as a reminder of what great literature is. The stories are for adults as several stories deal with slavery and death. Many are set in the South and use dialect, but it is readable. I am planning to add more Faulkner books to my to-read list and will read them very soon!