Light in August

By: William Faulkner

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Audible is pleased to present Light in August, by Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner.

An Oprah's Book Club Selection regarded as one of Faulkner's greatest and most accessible novels, Light in August is a timeless and riveting story of determination, tragedy, and hope. In Faulkner's iconic Yoknapatawpha County, race, sex, and religion collide around three memorable characters searching desperately for human connection and their own identities.

Audie Award-winning narrator Will Patton lends his voice to Light in August. Patton has narrated works by Ernest Hemingway, Don DeLillo, Pat Conroy, Denis Johson, Larry McMurtry, and James Lee Burke, and brings to this performance a keen understanding of Faulkner, an authentic feel for the South, and a virtuoso narrator's touch.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of William Faulkner's book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview – where James Atlas interviews James Lee Burke about the life and work of William Faulkner – begins as soon as the audiobook ends.

Be sure to check out Faulkner's The Wild Palms as well.

This production is part of our Audible Modern Vanguard line, a collection of important works from groundbreaking authors.

©1954, 1976 William Faulkner (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Nominee - Best Classic Audiobook, 2011

"For all his concern with the South, Faulkner was actually seeking out the nature of man. Thus we must turn to him for that continuity of moral purpose which made for the greatness of our classics." (Ralph Ellison)

"It's impossible to overstate the difficulties facing Will Patton as he undertakes a reading of this Faulkner classic. It's not simply the matter of conveying early-twentieth-century Southern backwoods dialects. That, a skilled mimic with an exceptional ear like Patton masters easily. But this novel's demands are so much more arduous, requiring a narrator to plumb the depths of despair, hopelessness, faith, rage, and yearning that go on for page after page without letup." ( AudioFile)

Sheer Brilliance

I'm afraid if I begin to write a review, I will never stop. The story, language, cadence, texture, setting and narration of this book are beyond parallel. I always say... Proost is interminable, Joyce is impossible and Faulkner is challenging.

Excellent

First and not my last book by William Faulkner - well developed characters and interesting plot

even better the second time

I started this book in 1996, but lost the final section as the pages fell out of the binding. 27 years later it was still on my mind....it's THAT good!

This is the way to read Faulkner

If you could sum up Light in August in three words, what would they be?

Light in August is almost more about the sound of the words, as much as it is a 'story' or a 'character study.' It's actually a bit difficult to keep track of the story and how it unfolds (I almost wanted to read a plot synopsis first, then just listen).

Would you be willing to try another book from William Faulkner? Why or why not?

Faulkner is a tough read. I managed to avoid having Faulkner as assigned reading for any class (high school or university) - I was very unsure whether this book would be my cup of tea. If I read any more of his work, I will definitely choose audiobook though. It's almost like it's meant to be read out loud.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Will Patton is the perfect narrator for the work. Everything about his voice just fits here.

Hard to follow in Audio format

If you miss a few seconds, you will have transitioned in time and point of view and be lost. His writing is beautiful, difficult topics placed in a cruel world... if I was to read again, would do in book form. Performance was great, the story thought provoking but it didn't work for me as an audio book.

FAULKNER'S SOUTHERN VISION

To this reviewer, Faulkner, like Mark Twain, is an acquired taste. “Light in August” is considered by Modern Library, in their 1998 list, to be one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century; “Time” magazine suggests the same thing in 1923 and 2005.

“Abasalom, Abasalom” is William Faulkner’s vision of the South. It is an interesting book but it gnaws at one’s sense of completeness, both in the society being described and the fate of its characters. Faulkner describes early 20th century prejudice with characters that are largely unforgivable and unlikable. All women are characterized as dissemblers, and sex objects that lure men to sin as though men have no will of their own. Religion is exclusively seen as punitive and destructive. Faulkner pictures southern life as dark with only slivers of light; maybe slivers of light in August but only one month in twelve leaves his characters mostly mired in violence, sin, and despair.

Faulkner draws attention to American societal failures in the same way his contemporary Richard Wright does in “Native Son”. However, Faulkner paints on a wider canvas; i.e. exploring the dark side of religious zealotry which has no north/south or east/west boundary. The irony of Faulkner’s wider vision is its narrow focus. Both “Light in August” and “Native Son” are difficult to read because of the brutality of their main characters but Faulkner, though more lyrical and broadly visionary, is ironically one-dimensional and less complete than Wright.

a dragging, dull listen

I have been more enthralled watching paint dry than I was listening to this classic. Why it became a classic I'll never understand.

Lost Interest

Light in August caught my attention and kept it until about 3/4 the way through then it just lost me. I found the story to be very interesting and enjoyed the characters but too much rambling on with the characters and their backgrounds that you start to lose interest in the story at hand. At one point I thought I missed the ending and another story started. I made it to the end, although I almost stopped listening about 3/4 through.

Genius

I always hated Faulkner, being a fan of brief sentences and simple, clear prose. Then I read Ulysses. Suddenly Faulkner seemed very readable. And it is. Quite a lovely story, despite its darkness.

Will Patton you are something else

Like every audiobook he reads. Will Patton brings the books to life, a rich full fitting tribute to the authors. Thank you again Will Patton