Flags in the Dust: The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, which appeared in a cut version as Sartoris [Mass Market Paperback]

William Faulkner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1974

The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, published for the first time in 1973, appeared with his reluctant consent in a much cut version in 1929 as SARTORIS.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, published for the first time in 1973, appeared with his reluctant consent in a much cut version in 1929 as SARTORIS.

About the Author

William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi, on September 25, 1897. Faulkner had begun writing poems when he was a schoolboy and published a poetry collection in 1924 at his own expense. In 1950, Faulkner traveled to Sweden to accept the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature. He died of a heart attack on July 6, 1962.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (September 12, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394712390
• ISBN-13: 978-0394712390
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Faulkner Bootcamp, December 14, 1999

By 

FestusG (NE USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flags in the Dust: The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, which appeared in a cut version as Sartoris (Mass Market Paperback)

While excessively verbose (though one its outstanding features) 'Flags in the Dust' is a requisite early read for the serious Faulkner reader. If you must, read 'Sartoris' which is 'Flags in the Dust' with 80 or so pages edited out. If you just want a taste of Faulkner and aren't too serious, go for some of the more well-known works. If you want to understand Faulkner, you must familiarize yourself with him through such works as 'Flags in the Dust', 'Sanctuary', and 'Unvanquished'. If you jump right to 'The Mansion', or 'The Sound and the Fury' or 'Absalom, Absalom!' you will miss much.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling ride, July 6, 1999

By 

J. F Malysiak "macafferty" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flags in the Dust: The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, which appeared in a cut version as Sartoris (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book in three sittings. The novel thrills as well as exasperates, especially as it starts to wind down at the end. Plot threads are not all neatly tied up at the end and the repetition of several character names -- Bayard in particular -- delineating three generations of male descendants with the same first name can be confusing and obscure, but the central story of Young Bayard Sartoris, recklessly pursuing the fulfillment of a death wish out of guilt for the death of his brother in World War One, is undeniably powerful. The plot concerning Narcissa's mysterious anonymous love letters is also intriguing particularly in light of the fact that Faulkner picks up this plot thread in a short story called "There was a Queen". Horace Benbow and his relationship with Belle, a married and "fallen" woman, also makes for delicious, though highly literal, reading.

I was reminded in some respects of Dickens.

This book, the first of Faulkner's series of novels set in the fictional county of Yoknawpatawa Mississippi, is a terrific stepping stone from which to plunge into his later works.

It isn't perfect, but -- like Young Bayard's crazy, suicidal jaunts in his "modern" automobile --it is a terrific and thrilling ride.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Faulkner's "Flags" Tastes Better Than It Looks, August 31, 2002

By 

Faulknernut "Faulknernut" (atlanta, georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flags in the Dust: The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, which appeared in a cut version as Sartoris (Mass Market Paperback)

Before I read this book, I kept hearing what a horrible novel it was. However, it isn't horrible; it's just not nearly as fantastic as some of his other works. It's still definitely worth the read, though.

If you can make it through sentences that seem to never end and some repitition, you will find a great story of love, guilt, and Southern life. This book opens with the Sartoris family, and several young men (Bayard Sartoris and others) returning home from World War I, and the impressions war left upon them. Thrown in with a little bit of incest, love notes, and a daredevil, this book provides a good combination of mushiness (sp?), humor, and sorrow.

However, while some have said not to read this book as your first Faulkner, I disagree. And here's why: reading this book after you have read some of his other works really makes you look at this book in a more negative way, since his other works have been so great. Just remember, if this is your first Faulkner read, many of his other works are MUCH BETTER, so if you read this first and don't like it, there are MUCH BETTER ones out there. As far as reading goes, it's a pretty easy read (although you might have to keep track of all the Johns and Bayards), at least in comparison to some of his other books. Also, if you plan on reading other Faulkner books, this one is a MUST, since it introduces you to the Benbrows, Snopes, and the Sartorises-all characters that are found in some of his other novels.