Customer Reviews

The Unvanquished

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Set in the old South in the finishing years of the Civil War, this novel follows members of one family, and in particular Bayard Sartoris, as they struggle and try to prevail under the circumstances where most of the prevailing social and personal relations are constantly challenged and even permanently overturned. The writing is quintessential Faulkner, with all particularities of southern dialect and narrative that tries to stay close to the protagonists' mental musings. The story is remarkable and intriguing in that the interpersonal relations between different characters aren neither predictable nor straightforward. In particular it eschews facile delineation between various parties in the war, and no individual fits into a stereotypical category. Sometimes the closest friendships are between those who should be the worst of enemies, and at other occasions those whom you regarded to be close confidants that in the end betray you. These are in fact all too familiar circumstances in most of our lives and in all generations. It's what makes Faulkner's novels so timeless and valuable to read.

The Unvanquished is an excellent book, which depicts life in the South during and after the Civil War. The title means "the undefeated or the unconquered," and Faulkner expounds on this topic. One by one, the characters are defeated by either disillusionment, selfishness, or vainity ,and only one character withstands the terrible effects of the war: Bayard. Faulker does a remarkable job depicting the emotions of Southerners during this time and uses great imagery.