Collected Stories

De: William Faulkner

Narrado por: Various

“I’m a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can’t and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing that, only then does he take up novel writing.” —William Faulkner

Winner of the National Book Award

Forty-two stories make up this magisterial collection by the writer who stands at the pinnacle of modern American fiction. Compressing an epic expanse of vision into hard and wounding narratives, Faulkner’s stories evoke the intimate textures of place, the deep strata of history and legend, and all the fear, brutality, and tenderness of the human condition. These tales are set not only in Yoknapatawpha County, but in Beverly Hills and in France during World War I. They are populated by such characters as the Faulknerian archetypes Flem Snopes and Quentin Compson, as well as by ordinary men and women who emerge so sharply and indelibly in these pages that they dwarf the protagonists of most novels.

©1976 Jill Faulkner Summers; (P)2005 Random House, Inc.
Copyright renewed

Reseñas de la Crítica

“No man ever put more of his heart and soul into the written word than did William Faulkner. If you want to know all you can about that heart and soul, the fiction where he put it is still right there.” —Eudora Welty

“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 greatness of our classics.” —Ralph Ellison

Difficult to Understand

I liked the readers' performances. I Din't like the fact that I couldn't understand a handful of them.

Faulkner stories great (narration awful in parts)

I love reading William Faulkner, though at times his work is difficult to follow on audio and it, of course, can be spoiled by a bad narrator, just like any other book narrated by Scott Brick.

If one listens to an audiobook in which the narration is heartfelt and the narrator can actually act in narrating, it's such a wonderful experience. A recent example for me is "Last Days of California" by Mary Miller (like Faulkner, a Mississippian), narrated by Andi Arndt. Ms. Arndt apparently put in a tremendous effort, to sound Southern, young and to act as in teen angst and in constant banter between 2 teen sisters. She made the whole thing so real that I got lost in it like a good movie.

Scott Brick's narration gives a soap feel and at times slides into adult-film grade acting. He overdramatizes a word in each sentence (usually the last one) and at times emphasizes every 2d or 3d syllable in every other or 2d or 3d sentence in a paragraph (with no real pattern, perhaps on an ad hoc, random basis). And, you can't help but notice his adulation with his voice; this effect on the (this) listener absolutely ruins the audiobook. I have wondered more than once if he has his latest narration piped into speakers throughout his house and poolside.

I have had to return books I purchased because his smarmy narration was worse to me than listening to 3 kids scraping rulers repeatedly over a chalkboard.

I had already rated this audiobook long ago, but just decided to add the review because I have recently come across books I would have loved but dropped like any other Brick. From reviews I've read, I'm not alone in my chagrin. I'm hoping enough noise will make a difference in audio-casting for prime books.

Works for Me

Thanks so much to reader who left the complete TOC for this collection.
That said, I can love listening to Faulkner the same way I listen to Wagner. I just let it wash over me.

A magician

These short stories are simply beautiful, and the narrators are very talented and well read.

many great stories, and some not so great ones.

This massive collection covers a large portion of William Faulkner's short story output. This means that there are many brilliant stories ("Barn Burning," Dry September," "Elly"), and some lesser lights. I don't know if anyone is really waiting for a sequel to, say, "The Leg.". Interestingly, a large percentage of the stories, including many of the best ones, were written in a brief window of time. from the very late 1920s to the early 1930s. Anyway, if you're Faulkner fan, this is a great read. If your opinion is a bit more mixed, you might want to start with the shorter collection "These 13."

As far as the performances go, there are many different narrators. Most are good, and some much better than that. Still, over the course of so many stories, some could have used another take or two.

Great Intro to Faulkner

If you could sum up Collected Stories of William Faulkner in three words, what would they be?

Smart! Funny! Entertaining!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Collected Stories of William Faulkner?

The majority of these short stories are captivating and enjoyable in my opinion. Stand out stories for me are A Rose for Emily, Death Drag, Dr. Martino, The Broch and Beyond.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to the narrator's other performances. Though they are all very fitting for the stories of Faulkner.

If you could take any character from Collected Stories of William Faulkner out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I'd have dinner with Uncle Willy because he seems like a crazy cat.

Any additional comments?

I have never read/listened to Faulkner before this collection of stories. I found it to be a good introduction to the author and I now want to read/listen to one of his longer works.

The year changes but human behavior repeats

it was refreshing to hear the trials and tribulations of a mere 100 years ago and contrast them to what we are going through today in 2025. to imagine that not much has changed other than the set and the costumes and the technology but the human will and condition underlying it all remain the same.

when will we learn?

great

Faulkner is one of those writers I could never get into, but always felt I 'should' like because of wide acclaim. Felt this way about Hemingway for many years until I was at an age where I could appreciate the weight of the work. I am age 31 and, though I can't grapple with Faulner's novels yet, found the short stories quite amazing and much different than what I expected (having read portions of some of his novels). This book costs two credits, but I think it's worth it because the narration by three different readers is perfect. The stories, "Black Music," and "The Tall Men," and a "Rose for Emily" are alone worth the price of this audio. Without exaggerating, I can tell you I've listened to "The Tall Men," at least six times. One day I hope to be able to read an entire Faulkner novel, but for now the short stories are great and very readable (listenable)

Too Chopped

I couldn't make the transitions from one story to the next, one author to the next very well. Didn't complete the listening. I use it sometimes during the interim of waiting to purchase a new book.

Difficult to identify and separate the stories.

Excellent entes stories as expected and good performances in general. However no way of knowing which story is being read! The list of chapters give zero information on this! A pity..