I knew going into reading Faulkner that it would be far from a walk in the park. But, I had no idea it would be as challenging as it is. Before opening the novel, I decided to read the back cover, as most of us probably do. From the summary, I thought it would be an interesting and exciting glimpse into a family whom is described as “featuring some of the most memorable characters in American literature.” I was ready to dive in.
I opened the book and began reading. I read the first page through and felt as if I had no concept of what I had just read. So, I reread the entire first page and felt the same way. That is when I knew this was going to be difficult. I think the novel is so challenging because the first chapter is narrated by Benjy Compson, a mentally challenged man and, narrates the first chapter of the book. Benjy’s narration is so difficult to grasp because he has no concept of time and speaks as if everything occurs in the present. While reading, it was hard for me decode what was present and what were Benjy’s memories.
As I kept reading, I tried to find a way to differentiate between the present and the past. I read at a slower pace and looked for any indication of something being a memory. I tried to get familiar with the characters even though Benjy’s narration is so incoherent. Another thing that I found to be odd is that fact that there is no commentary. I am used to a narrator who reflects on either his/her own thoughts or what is going on around them. But, Benjy does not comment on anything throughout the entire section-making it feel like there is a missing piece to the puzzle. This is going to be quite the hard obstacle to overcome as a reader.
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