Light in August by W.Faulkner

This was my first experience with Faulkner. Since University at least, when I tried to read "Absalom" and I was completely horrified by it. I couldn't get into the story. Then I decided to give Faulkner another chance. And he didn't disappoint me. "Light in August" is a very good start with Faulkner. While I was reading the novel I felt a great familiarity with Steinbeck's novels, especially Grapes of Wrath in terms of style and the exploration of human nature. It is an accessible novel and within it Faulkner weaves together 3 different stories. The first is the story of Lena Grove who moved from Alabama to Mississippi in search of the father of her unborn child. The second one is the story of How Christmas, an abused orphan obsessed with the idea of having "negro blood",which was very dangerous in the South of the 60s. The third one is the story of Hightower, a disgraced preacher, marginalized by the society. The town of Jefferson becomes a character in itself. And through them Faulkner also weaves together other stories of a multitude of characters. In this novel Faulkner explores themes of racial identity, alienation, gender relations, father son relations. The narrative structure is also fascinating. We have entire chapters dedicated to each characters and the stream of consciousness. It also combines 3rd person narrative with interior monologues and lots of flashbacks. The point of view changes from one character to another and the narration travels back and forward in time and place, which allows the same scene to be described from different perspectives.