Customer Reviews

New Orleans Sketches

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This isn't a REAL review just a suggestion for all those fellow Faulkner fans out there who may not have come across this book, a collection of some of his first published writing for the New Orleans newspaper. This book is a jewel and puts Faulkner fans on alert that wonderful writing is coming down the road. It shows to me that he was born a great writer. He wasn't merely developing his talent. He was born this way. I'm an old lady and have loved Faulkner for years but I never heard of this book until recently. Beginning writers have so much to learn from him and those who don't write and have no plans to but love to read will find Faulkner in a special, wonderful category all by himself. And this book is a wonderful place to begin an exploration of this great writer.

This collection of short prose pieces was originally published in the _New Orleans Time Picayune_ in 1925; however, I'm not sure that Faulkner would be entirely pleased that they have been re-exposed to the light of day. The writing is rough, even amateurish, and the story lines of the pieces are often trite and stock. But in spite of the general weakness of the writings, there are thematic elements and character types in the pieces that would reappear in Faulkner's mature writings. What is absolutely amazing is that just two years after the publication of these mediocre writings, Faulkner had published two novels and was deeply involved in the creation of his masterpiece, _The Sound and the Fury_.