Review: Flags in the Dust

Flags in the Dust by William Faulkner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm auditing a Faulkner class this semester to help me read and understand some of his catalog since I've always failed when I've tried on my own. Flags in the Dust, published in reduced form as Sartoris in 1929, lays the groundwork for the setting of several more novels. I say that allegedly because I haven't read them yet. This one is set immediately after World War I with characters dealing with the aftermath, and of course the impact on already tense race relations. Faulkner focuses on a handful of characters and the novel has the feeling of opening doors to observe the characters and checking back in on them to see what else has transpired. I like to think of this as lazy afternoon teatime with a few car rides in between. It's a bit of a mess but gets better as it goes. (Since I read all 400 pages in a day I think I need to reread the last quarter.)

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