The William Faulkner Audio Collection

by William Faulkner, William Faulkner (Read by), Keith Carradine (Read by), Debra Winger (Read by)

Overview

William Faulkner never stood taller than five feet, six inches, but in the realm of American literature, he is a giant. More than simply a renowned Mississippi writer, the Nobel-Prize winning novelist and short story writer is acclaimed throughout the world as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers, one who transformed his "postage stamp" of native soil into an apocryphal setting in which he explored, articulated, and challenged the "old verities and truths of the heart."

In this collection, we are proud to present a historic recording of Mr. Faulkner reading his 1949 Nobel acceptance speech and excerpts from As I Lay Dying and The Old Man.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060555009
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/08/2003
Edition description:	Unabridged, 5 CDs, 5 Hours
Pages:	5
Product dimensions:	6.32(w) x 5.66(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

William Faulkner (1897-1962) is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all American novelists and short-story writers.  His other works include the novels The Sound and the Fury, The Reivers, and Sanctuary.  He twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and in 1949 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

William Faulkner (1897-1962) is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all American novelists and short-story writers.  His other works include the novels The Sound and the Fury, The Reivers, and Sanctuary.  He twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and in 1949 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Keith Carradine has starred in almost forty feature films among them Pretty Baby and Nashville, is an Academy Award-winning singer and song writer, and is a star of the first magnitude on Broadway Foxfire and The Will Roger Follies.

Date of Birth:

September 25, 1897

Date of Death:

July 6, 1962

Place of Birth:

New Albany, Mississippi

Place of Death:

Byhalia, Mississippi

Editorial Reviews

This collection of recordings begins with William Faulkner himself, reading his brilliant Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Faulkner speaks surprisingly briskly and softly, his light drawl setting the tone for the stories that follow. The all-star cast offers masterful performances of these moody tales. Classic stories such as “A Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” are especially engaging, and included in the five-CD set are excerpts from As I Lay Dying, A Fable, and Old Man. Hearing Faulkner’s words read aloud so beautifully is extraordinary; even those intimidated by his lengthy sentences will enjoy this nearly flawless collection. L.B.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

DEC 03/JAN 04 - AudioFile

Faulkner's greatness results from the conjunction of his themes and his distinctive style and their accumulative effect over the length of novels such as Absalom, Absalom! His best short fiction, with the notable exception of The Bear, lacks this power but can still serve as a good introduction to this great writer. While the readers here have different techniques, this difference helps underscore Faulkner's universality. Keith Carradine presents a lively rendition of "Spotted Horses"; Debra Winger offers low-key readings of "Barn Burning" and "A Rose for Emily." At first, she seems tentative with the latter, but it becomes clear that she is trying to capture the townspeople's uncertainty about Miss Emily's bizarre behavior. Arliss Howard, displaying an authentic Southern accent, gives forceful presentations of "That Evening Sun" and "Wash," in which he delivers a perfect reading of one of Faulkner's most famous lines. Also included are four excerpts read by the author himself. Highly recommended for all collections.-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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