Absalom, Absalom! In-Depth Playlist: czcams.com/video/feSKuKw1xRU/video.html Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thecodexcantina Bookmarks: Publication Info: @2:47 Yoknapatawpha Reading Order: @3:27 Why the Text is so Important?: @4:25 Faulkner Warnings: @6:23 Narrators: @8:38 Story as Mystery/History: @10:39 Major Themes: @12:12 Greek Myths, The Civil War, The Bible Road Ahead: @17:03
PS. There may be some hidden Easter Eggs in wordplay or appearances through this series that we did for fun. +10 points to Gryffindor if you spot them :D
Ok, it is difficult, but the pleasure is so high, the Great Art is so high that exceeds the difficulty. I read it when I was 20 and since I read it every 2-3 years. It is like new. Now I am 68... So, it justifies your excitement. Bravo ! A Greek friend, Dimitri.
Thank you for this. My book club (Books and Bourbon) has decided to read (reread) some of the classics we read (were supposed to read) in our school days. It is my turn to chose the next book. I remember not getting through this novel in college and thinking that now, as an adult, I should be able to. I just finished the first chapter and thought maybe my cohorts would not like the effort this book requires. Your encouragement has inspired me to go ahead and suggest the book for our next read. I will certainly be reading and coming back to your videos for a clearer understanding. I'm looking forward to learning a lot.
The CodeX Cantina Most of my group are teachers so we decided to wait to tackle this book until we aren’t facing the start of this crazy school year. I chose My Antonia instead. You are happy to join us any time.
I read _The Sound and The Fury_ first so I tend to think that makes _Absalom,Absalom_ more decipherable. Not sure I think this is the greatest or most important work in American Literature, but it is Faulkner's masterpiece which is saying something. I've always thought that the novel reveals Faulkner's own slow realization of the damage done to the South by its history of violence and racism. Its like Faulkner revealing the truth about the South as he knew it in his time. This book is very important to me and my own thoughts about my own Southern heritage.
Bookish Yeah. I experienced it in that order too. I think knowing some things with Caddy and Quentin explain some things that Krypto may still be unclear on that I couldn’t really explain. With that said... how that conversation will go with Krypto when we do TSatF will be interesting 😂
I know you're a big Faulkner fan, so if you do not consider this the greatest work in American Literature, I'm very interested to hear your take on what is the greatest.
Excellent breakdown of what you need to know before reading! Bravo! As far as Greek mythology, epic, and drama, it would be well worth it to brush up on Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy, and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Like you said, Rosa is the Cassandra of the novel to Sutpen's Agamemnon. Faulkner makes reference to Pyramus and Thisbe too, but I'm not sure that's necessary reading. As far as spoilers go, I'm not disagreeing with you entirely, but I don't think spoilers are a big deal in this novel with one exception (not gonna spoil it here, but the big shock/reveal about the fate of a certain character near the end is definitely worth not being spoiled). This is Faulkner's love letter to Greek drama and perhaps to Shakespeare too. Audiences who went to see Greek drama and to Shakespeare's Globe theater already knew the stories they were about to see. And even if they didn't, Shakespeare tends to spoil it in the prologue of many of his works (Romeo and Juliet's prologue). We want to avoid spoilers for our modern day epics (such as the MCU films), but back then the fate of most characters portrayed were common knowledge. Biblical allusions: Wow, I never noticed the Creation story allusions in the creation of Sutpen's Hundred. Nice catch! As far as David and Absalom go, and you mentioned this in another video not too long ago (pretty sure it was in one of the Go Down, Moses videos), Faulkner thinks he knows the Bible, but his knowledge is very vague or skewed, or perhaps he does this on purpose. I read Aristotle's poetics for the first time last year. I'm interested to hear your take on how it applies to Faulkner's magnum opus. Love the shirt!
Oh, wow, this video series is so helpful! I read Absalom, Absalom years ago with the Volpe, Brooks, and 3 Decades of Criticism books to help begin to understand it, but I am so excited to read it again with your video discussions. Great book! Thanks for all you do.
Oooh, Cassandra is one of my favorite characters from Greek mythology. I wish I had time to read this with you guys 😭 It’s pretty amazing how many writers use Greek mythology, in some way, in their story framework. Knowing those myths really brings literature to life.
Yeah, still more to learn and go for us. But I agree that it's interesting how myths play a role in modern literature and the conversation that happens there.
@@TheCodeXCantina I need to battle through another 700 pages of Ducks Newbuyport while we're in lockdown and I don't know if our "Ulysses" group readalong will recommence or not so it's kind of hard to know. Late summer I'm guessing, but who knows?
Sorry guys, but I had to read the cast of characters in the back because my memory isn't what it use to be, and I need references. Great job of explaining the book in layman's terms.
Great start to this! The Old Testament influence is palpable, particularly with the link that the Israelites felt to the Promised Land and that emphasis on a critical link between the land and the people, similarly emphasized in the Fisher King myths with King Arthur. Great call out on the symbolism of Cassandra. That’s such an important piece to sift the various unreliable narrators Faulkner humbly presents us with. The title also feels valuable: Sutpen as a David who never has a Solomon. There really aren’t good sons in his oeuvre. It’s interesting to view Sutpen’s story as a tragedy. He’s such an awful person, but he possesses a dangerous charisma and just keeps reaching and overreaching. I’ve been thinking about how as a character he sort of combines aspects of both Hamilton and Burr, with the abolitionist ideas of Burr a fascinating counterpoint.
Hello! Thanks for your great videos!😊 I'm a Chinese student majoring in English literature, and I wonder if I can repost your Faulkner series videos on bilibili, a video platform in China. I will add English and Chinese translation subtitle so that more Chinese viewers can understand them. I will affix the sources if I am authorized to repost, and these videos will not be for commercial use.
I can look into managing that site. I would prefer the context isn’t just uploaded to an account I don’t have because we may update these talks or share new info and I’d like to be able to manage that. I could always try to upload Chinese subtitles
I am hoping that you are still doing reviews. A,A! is my all time favorite. Faulkner, while a writer in residence said that YOKNAPATAWPHA means "Water runs slow through flat land." I guess that the meaning you provide "split land" could mean the same thing. I do hope that you will do an updated version, from a literary criticism angle and invite me to join. It is interesting to hear you say that Sutpen "brings" slavery to the South and disrupts society. My question is since Bon is Haitian and New Orleans is central to the conversation of miscegenation and the laws of Haiti's President Boyer's Rural Code of 1826 is the destruction of "white lineage" inevitable? I think so. Faulkner's work is masterful in that the destruction of the Southern way of life too was inevitable.
I might try and keep up...I make no promises, only Faulkner I read was As I Lay Dying when I was 17 and I did not particularly enjoy it but I would be interested to see how my literary reading has hopefully improved and atleast have you guys for guidance
Literature Science Alliance This is one of his more tragic pieces for sure. Not everyone is in the mood for that right now. AILD was my first Faulkner as well. I didn’t really care for it much at the time either. No clue how I ended up making him one of my favorites but here we are, stuck in the amber of the moment 😂
@@TheCodeXCantina I mean I probably couldn't read the Stand right now but I can handle tragedies, I am kind of a heartless reader who is rarely emotionally affected by books 😝 what days do you plan to post videos for this series?
In typical Inexplicable Faulkner fashion he wrote the same characters, or at least the same names across many different short stories and novels. As reader you might immediately think that you recognize the character from.... wherever, but in alot of cases they may not bear any resemblance to one another save for the name.
I never understand why people say this book is difficult. If you try and jump straight from “Green Eggs and Ham” to “Absalom, Absalom!” then it is difficult. Otherwise, it’s relatively simple.
Absalom, Absalom! In-Depth Playlist: czcams.com/video/feSKuKw1xRU/video.html
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thecodexcantina
Bookmarks:
Publication Info: @2:47
Yoknapatawpha Reading Order: @3:27
Why the Text is so Important?: @4:25
Faulkner Warnings: @6:23
Narrators: @8:38
Story as Mystery/History: @10:39
Major Themes: @12:12
Greek Myths, The Civil War, The Bible
Road Ahead: @17:03
PS. There may be some hidden Easter Eggs in wordplay or appearances through this series that we did for fun. +10 points to Gryffindor if you spot them :D
Thank you! 🙌🏻
Ok, it is difficult, but the pleasure is so high, the Great Art is so high that exceeds the difficulty. I read it when I was 20 and since I read it every 2-3 years. It is like new. Now I am 68... So, it justifies your excitement. Bravo ! A Greek friend, Dimitri.
🙏
This excellent, thanks. Great that you put so much importance on not ruining the story.
Thank you for this. My book club (Books and Bourbon) has decided to read (reread) some of the classics we read (were supposed to read) in our school days. It is my turn to chose the next book. I remember not getting through this novel in college and thinking that now, as an adult, I should be able to. I just finished the first chapter and thought maybe my cohorts would not like the effort this book requires. Your encouragement has inspired me to go ahead and suggest the book for our next read. I will certainly be reading and coming back to your videos for a clearer understanding. I'm looking forward to learning a lot.
Oh, that sounds like a bookclub I'd be a part of! I hope you enjoy it however you get through it!
The CodeX Cantina Most of my group are teachers so we decided to wait to tackle this book until we aren’t facing the start of this crazy school year. I chose My Antonia instead. You are happy to join us any time.
It's a year later... y'all got through the book yet? I mean, it's ABSALOM you might only be a third of the way through, hahaha!
They say you don't read Faulkner, you reread Faulkner. Lol
Thanks guys. This is all excellent. I'm glad there's people like you two out there.
Thank you so much
I read _The Sound and The Fury_ first so I tend to think that makes _Absalom,Absalom_ more decipherable. Not sure I think this is the greatest or most important work in American Literature, but it is Faulkner's masterpiece which is saying something. I've always thought that the novel reveals Faulkner's own slow realization of the damage done to the South by its history of violence and racism. Its like Faulkner revealing the truth about the South as he knew it in his time. This book is very important to me and my own thoughts about my own Southern heritage.
Bookish Yeah. I experienced it in that order too. I think knowing some things with Caddy and Quentin explain some things that Krypto may still be unclear on that I couldn’t really explain. With that said... how that conversation will go with Krypto when we do TSatF will be interesting 😂
I know you're a big Faulkner fan, so if you do not consider this the greatest work in American Literature, I'm very interested to hear your take on what is the greatest.
Excellent breakdown of what you need to know before reading! Bravo!
As far as Greek mythology, epic, and drama, it would be well worth it to brush up on Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy, and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Like you said, Rosa is the Cassandra of the novel to Sutpen's Agamemnon. Faulkner makes reference to Pyramus and Thisbe too, but I'm not sure that's necessary reading.
As far as spoilers go, I'm not disagreeing with you entirely, but I don't think spoilers are a big deal in this novel with one exception (not gonna spoil it here, but the big shock/reveal about the fate of a certain character near the end is definitely worth not being spoiled). This is Faulkner's love letter to Greek drama and perhaps to Shakespeare too. Audiences who went to see Greek drama and to Shakespeare's Globe theater already knew the stories they were about to see. And even if they didn't, Shakespeare tends to spoil it in the prologue of many of his works (Romeo and Juliet's prologue). We want to avoid spoilers for our modern day epics (such as the MCU films), but back then the fate of most characters portrayed were common knowledge.
Biblical allusions: Wow, I never noticed the Creation story allusions in the creation of Sutpen's Hundred. Nice catch! As far as David and Absalom go, and you mentioned this in another video not too long ago (pretty sure it was in one of the Go Down, Moses videos), Faulkner thinks he knows the Bible, but his knowledge is very vague or skewed, or perhaps he does this on purpose.
I read Aristotle's poetics for the first time last year. I'm interested to hear your take on how it applies to Faulkner's magnum opus.
Love the shirt!
Starscreamlive Yeah, we go into a bit of the mixing pot of religious in Ch 3,4 video. Thanks for the kind words!
They got into this with THE HAMLET vid, especially with comparison to Eula and Dionysus.
You had me with the Pip-Boy on the shelf behind you.
Oh, wow, this video series is so helpful! I read Absalom, Absalom years ago with the Volpe, Brooks, and 3 Decades of Criticism books to help begin to understand it, but I am so excited to read it again with your video discussions. Great book! Thanks for all you do.
So many great sources there. I hope you enjoy
This sounds like a meaty, dense and rewarding experience. I will be looking forward to following your journey and updates through it
Michael Knipp It was draining
Oooh, Cassandra is one of my favorite characters from Greek mythology. I wish I had time to read this with you guys 😭
It’s pretty amazing how many writers use Greek mythology, in some way, in their story framework. Knowing those myths really brings literature to life.
Yeah, still more to learn and go for us. But I agree that it's interesting how myths play a role in modern literature and the conversation that happens there.
Greek/Roman mythology and the Bible were read for centuries and naturally became the backbone of symbolism in modern lit.
Such a good video. Absolutely loved it!
Thank you so much!
Many thanks for this chaps. It's my intended Faulkner read for this year
That's awesome, Marc. When do you think you'll start?
@@TheCodeXCantina I need to battle through another 700 pages of Ducks Newbuyport while we're in lockdown and I don't know if our "Ulysses" group readalong will recommence or not so it's kind of hard to know. Late summer I'm guessing, but who knows?
@@MarcNash Ah yes. Noah told me that "Ulysses" had been put on hold with everything going on. I salute your efforts and selection of books.
@@TheCodeXCantina making up for lost time. Didn't read as a kid...
Did you read it?
Sorry guys, but I had to read the cast of characters in the back because my memory isn't what it use to be, and I need references. Great job of explaining the book in layman's terms.
faulkner is so deep he enlists you into the myth -you become one of his characters.
i know... it happened to me.
You were in the town chorus! :D
Great start to this!
The Old Testament influence is palpable, particularly with the link that the Israelites felt to the Promised Land and that emphasis on a critical link between the land and the people, similarly emphasized in the Fisher King myths with King Arthur.
Great call out on the symbolism of Cassandra. That’s such an important piece to sift the various unreliable narrators Faulkner humbly presents us with. The title also feels valuable: Sutpen as a David who never has a Solomon. There really aren’t good sons in his oeuvre.
It’s interesting to view Sutpen’s story as a tragedy. He’s such an awful person, but he possesses a dangerous charisma and just keeps reaching and overreaching. I’ve been thinking about how as a character he sort of combines aspects of both Hamilton and Burr, with the abolitionist ideas of Burr a fascinating counterpoint.
Very nice thoughts here, Jack! Yeah, chapter 7 we go a bit deeper into the structure of a tragedy approach. That was a really fun exploration.
I finished it, it took a while and it was hard work, but I'm glad I finished it.
Wow...your channel is great!
Thanks
I’m going to try to squeeze this book in before the month ends. Great video.
Yaaas!
The second you said you have timelines for every two chapters, the book was immediately in my cart lmao
😂
And I thought Tropic of Cancer was a pain in the ass. What have I gotten myself into? Thanks for the info!
Jeromy Doerksen It ain’t easy! I hope you come out with a good view after!
Hello! Thanks for your great videos!😊
I'm a Chinese student majoring in English literature, and I wonder if I can repost your Faulkner series videos on bilibili, a video platform in China. I will add English and Chinese translation subtitle so that more Chinese viewers can understand them.
I will affix the sources if I am authorized to repost, and these videos will not be for commercial use.
I can look into managing that site. I would prefer the context isn’t just uploaded to an account I don’t have because we may update these talks or share new info and I’d like to be able to manage that. I could always try to upload Chinese subtitles
@@TheCodeXCantina Thank you for your reply!! I will not repost them. Looking forward to your new videos!
Very helpful thank you!
I am hoping that you are still doing reviews. A,A! is my all time favorite. Faulkner, while a writer in residence said that YOKNAPATAWPHA means "Water runs slow through flat land." I guess that the meaning you provide "split land" could mean the same thing. I do hope that you will do an updated version, from a literary criticism angle and invite me to join. It is interesting to hear you say that Sutpen "brings" slavery to the South and disrupts society. My question is since Bon is Haitian and New Orleans is central to the conversation of miscegenation and the laws of Haiti's President Boyer's Rural Code of 1826 is the destruction of "white lineage" inevitable? I think so. Faulkner's work is masterful in that the destruction of the Southern way of life too was inevitable.
So helpful! Thank you
Any time
I might try and keep up...I make no promises, only Faulkner I read was As I Lay Dying when I was 17 and I did not particularly enjoy it but I would be interested to see how my literary reading has hopefully improved and atleast have you guys for guidance
Literature Science Alliance This is one of his more tragic pieces for sure. Not everyone is in the mood for that right now. AILD was my first Faulkner as well. I didn’t really care for it much at the time either. No clue how I ended up making him one of my favorites but here we are, stuck in the amber of the moment 😂
@@TheCodeXCantina I mean I probably couldn't read the Stand right now but I can handle tragedies, I am kind of a heartless reader who is rarely emotionally affected by books 😝 what days do you plan to post videos for this series?
Literature Science Alliance Ha! Well played. Every Thursday over next 5 weeks (Apr 23-May 21).
Not sure anyone should inflict As I Lay Dying on a 17-year-old...
Have you read Light in August? I think that could be my favorite of Faulkner thus far
Yes! It's an amazing work! I was hoping to cover it on this channel at some point in time!
In typical Inexplicable Faulkner fashion he wrote the same characters, or at least the same names across many different short stories and novels. As reader you might immediately think that you recognize the character from.... wherever, but in alot of cases they may not bear any resemblance to one another save for the name.
Thank you!
Any time
Ok! I’m with you guys! So far…. 😆
What’s the worst that could happen? 😂
sweet thanks!
Pleasure is ours
Amazing job🥺
Zach Maiella Thanks, Zach. You get part editor credit for helping spot that mistake on ch 5,6 👍
Too late, I’ve already read 130 pages. I read all the bios at the end 😩
NooooooooO!!!!
yay!
ungrateful child Ditto
I never understand why people say this book is difficult. If you try and jump straight from “Green Eggs and Ham” to “Absalom, Absalom!” then it is difficult. Otherwise, it’s relatively simple.
People should at least read The Giving Tree first to warm up 😂
😀😀
Absalom Absalom is one of the most tedious books about boring incest and post-tramamatic stress and Faulkner’s fantasies are grotesque.
This book was painful to read. How can this guy be considered a great author?