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/lit/ - Literature

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5551128 No.5551128 [Reply] [Original]

How does one of the greatest writers, Faulkner, come from such a shit state?

>> No.5551142

While I have you here, where should I start with Faulkner?

>> No.5551147

he's sort of the descartes of mississippi

>> No.5551155

And a shitload of mediocre writers come from New York and California.

It's almost like the state you live in doesn't dictate how much talent you will have. What a tremendous surprise.

>> No.5551162
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5551162

>>5551142

>> No.5551167

>>5551142
try The Bear, he's a pretty good short story/novella writer

if you like that, The Sound and the Fury isn't as hard as some people say it is, so do novel first, then Absalom Absalom

>> No.5551179

>>5551128
how do any good writers manage to come from such a shit country?

>> No.5551199

>>5551155
whats so great bout these tax hell holes?

>> No.5551212

>>5551199
They've managed to create self-promoting cultures, mostly.

>> No.5551216

>>5551212
This. OP's post is full of it. How can you consider yourself well-read if you still hold onto such a tribal mindset.

>> No.5551217

>>5551128
Have you ever been to the part of Mississippi he was known for? The question answers itself, he comes from a vibrant beautiful mysterious place in a shitty state. Beauty and Ugliness are neighbors.

>> No.5551225

>>5551167
I don't like when people discredit The Sound and The Fury. I mean, it's not the absolute hardest book out there but there's no fucking way you have the entire timeline straight without some extra help. I'm glad I read it in my AP class in high school because we would get annotations and dates as we went and it made it make so much more sense. I've talked to so many people that like it just for the prose and stream of consciouss-type shit but really have no clue what happens exactly when. It really is quite complex.
One of my favorite books of all time, too.

>> No.5551226

Mississippian here. It isn't that bad as long as you stay away form the Delta. Even then, you'll be knee-deep in depressing poverty, but at least you'll have the blues.

>> No.5551230

>>5551162
"no"

Start with As I Lay Dying or The Sound and The Fury

>> No.5551231

>>5551226
I used to live in the arkansas delta and miss it immensely.

>> No.5551265

>>5551128
>How does one of the greatest writers, Faulkner, come from such a shit state?

Have you ever even been there, you assfaced yankeeizing peter-puffer?

>>5551155
>And a shitload of mediocre writers come from New York and California.

Are these supposed to be examples of "good" states...?

>> No.5551273

>implying anything good ever came out of the U.S

>> No.5551279

>>5551273
Weapons. We love our weapons.

>> No.5551284

>>5551128
uncultured swine
go suck some more wall street/hollywood dick

>> No.5551293

>>5551273
>He said, exercising free speech (an American invention) on an American imageboard that he accessed via the American internet.

>> No.5551304

>>5551128
hardship provides writing material

>> No.5551308

>>5551128

all the suffering and poor people and racism makes for a very inspiring environment dont you know?

what the fuck do pampered best coasters have to know about the human condition?

>> No.5551315

>>5551293
>free speech
>American invention

so much lol

>> No.5551318

>>5551315
Apparently a sense of humor is also an American invention.

>> No.5551320

>>5551293
>implying I'm exercising free speech (a French invention) while accessing a South Vietnamese imageboard on a machine invented by Germans via the Canadian-invented Internet, using a protocol invented by the UK

>> No.5551324

>>5551225
it's been about 5 or 6 years since I read it but I think I understood everything decently well and I didn't do it in a class. (there's no way I could have done, say, Ulysses that way.)

but check me if I'm wrong: the first section (Benjy's) jumps around in time a lot because he's retarded but you can pick up between that one and Quentin's that Quentin made up an incestuous relationship with his sister to protect his family from the truth about her other relationship (I forget why though). the second section is Quentin's and he throws himself off a bridge due to his neuroses and the fallout from that lie he told. third section is...Jason's? the older brother's? significantly later, he's 30 or so, they're all grown up except Quentin who's dead and Jason's kind of a hardass and thinks he's the one keeping the family together even though he's mostly an asshole. last section is the third-person section mostly focused on Dillsey.

no doubt there are sentences and paragraphs especially in Benjy's section that I didn't fully understand or didn't comprehend the importance of, but if you're a decent reader you can pretty much follow the plot without a guide or a class. unless I totally fucked up something above!

>> No.5551323

>>5551318
Having a sense of humor is not the same as being funny

>> No.5551325

>>5551162
this

>> No.5551391

>>5551230
Read it for a history class first introduction to Faulkner, besides "A Rose for Emily" loved it and read the fuck out of the rest why not start with? Too hard?

>> No.5551404

>>5551391

I'd say it's probably too hard for someone looking to get a taste of his style.

It's just so damn dense for someone to read if they don't trust or have enough experience with the author to know that everything will pay off.

>> No.5551423

>>5551308
its not like MS is birthplace of music or anything.

>> No.5551945

Hey guys, europoor here. My university is offering me to do an exchange for a semester in Ole Miss, Oxford, Mississippi. I'm really excited because it'll be my first time in the US, and also, I'll be living in Faulkner's hometown. Can you tell me what life in Oxford is like? I've never lived in such a small town, I'm from Berlin. Will I like it there? What is there to do in the city?

>> No.5551954 [DELETED] 
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5551954

The south produces real culture, unlike the yankee wasteland up north.

>> No.5552042

>>5551945
be prepared for a whole lot of nothing. but sort of in a good way... the south is huge and boring and poor, but because of these things, the food and parties and music are great. im pretty sure modern southern culture has its roots in boredom. of course they spend all day cooking, otherwise they're stuck going outside with the deadly snakes and spiders and shit. might as well get stoned while you're at it - people in mississippi love weed. rednecks even just grow it in their yard like a decorative plant.

its not gonna be NYC or Boston or Washington DC or Seattle or San Francisco or any place worth a damn, but i'm sure you'll have fond memories of the place

>> No.5552067 [DELETED] 

>>5551954
the south is the reason we have black people to begin with and the reason why they were never shipped off to Liberia

>> No.5552082

>>5551954
The South might have in he 19th Century, but there is nothing particularly culturally enriching or interesting about the South today, aside from certain parts of Louisiana.

>> No.5552159

>>5552042
thanks for the input! I noticed Oxford's location is pretty great, in the heart of the south, just one or two hours away from Memphis, Little Rock, Atlanta. I don't know anything about those cities either, but they're famous southern cities. Great for exploring.

And what about nature? Mountains, rivers, lakes? There's a lake near Oxford, is it nice?

>> No.5552169

>>5552082
>he don't know Charleston

>> No.5552184 [DELETED] 
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5552184

>>5552067
Both the black people and white people of the south are more culturally interesting, eccentric, and entertaining than any Yankee scum will ever be.

>> No.5552235 [DELETED] 

>>5552184
>disgusting climate; hot, ugly landscapes
>disgusting, backwards, fat people
>99% black people
>unhealthy food
>no industry
>no New England sea tradition, no NE Clam Bakes or NE Clam Chowder
>everyone talks slower and are thus less efficient at communication
>muh violent culture of honor

Some southern accents are very nice, but none compare to the Bostonian accent, especially Boston Brahmin accent

>> No.5552816

>>5551128
>one of the greatest writers
>Faulkner
haha

>> No.5552823

Are there any great writers coming from flyovers?

>> No.5552846

Who /Hattiesburg/ here

>> No.5552983

>>5551128
See Ireland and Russia. Shitty places make for good writers.

>> No.5553021

The Sound and the Fury is only "hard" to people who absolutely cannot stand being confused or lost for even two or three pages. If you just shut up and keep reading, it becomes pretty obvious what is going on. You never go more than 20 pages without getting at least a decent understanding of what is being said.

Yes, it's all very confusing. Fucking good. That's what is so great about it. It goes from batshit insane to utter nonsense to nice, clear, beautifully crisp prose and plot at the end.

>> No.5553027

>>5552816
OP means one of the greatest AMERICAN writers, duh.

>> No.5553047

>>5552159

Different poster

Oxford is a college town, so it'll be livelier, wealthier, and more cosmopolitan than most other small towns in Mississippi, but you'll get a taste of the area's culture all the same.

Generally speaking, you're never very far from God-tier wilderness in the South. Just be prepared to face heat, humidity, and bugs, depending on the time of year. Summer will be brutal.

>> No.5553112

>>5552816
huh?

>> No.5553118

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7fgB0m_y2I

>> No.5553187

>>5551265
>Are these supposed to be examples of "good" states...?
I imagine the answer to be yes. They are examples of "good" states. You know, with the quotes included.

You anksty cousin fucker, you. I've heard that inbred southern retards literally cannot comprehend sarcasm. That must be true.

>> No.5553213

>>5551945

Visit New Orleans, it is as voluptuous as the Catholics. Go to Memphis and Houston if you can too. The latter is an interesting place with a lot of different types of people but no places to go or anything to do.

>> No.5555119
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5555119

“'Oh, Willy,' she said. 'You're all eaten up inside.'”


hold me, /lit/

>> No.5555643
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5555643

Bamafag reporting in.

The South will rise again.

>> No.5555669

>>5551945
Hey krautfag, I go to the University of Alabama (~2 hours from Ole Miss) and I was raised in Memphis so I can tell you a thing or two about the South.

There isn't a lot in the way of culture. People around here don't go in for theatre or art or any of that shit except in the major cities and college towns, which luckily you'll be in. So be prepared for boredom unless you can submerge yourself in the culture somehow. It's an interesting place. Southerners are rather elitist, which manifests itself at schools around here with the fraternities and sororities.

People at universities here don't focus on school at all, not sure if that's similar to Germany or not.

I guess I just recommend trying the different barbeque joints. And fried chicken. And maybe go see some country musicians while you're here. Mixing with black people (which will be rare since you'll be in a college town) is definitely a unique experience you probably don't get to do in Germany.

I guess that's really it. If you can visit Memphis you can see some cool stuff like Elvis's mansion, Graceland, the place where MLK got killed, and Beale Street, where there's some fine eateries and some of the best Blues musicians around.

Maybe try to make it down to New Orleans, a VERY fun town.

Oh and finally, the vital aspect of Southern culture: COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Ole Miss is doing very well this year so if you are getting here in the Fall or early winter try to buy tickets for a game and also tailgate beforehand. You may not like it but you should at least try it out.

>> No.5555704

>>5555119
I'm reading this now

;_;

>> No.5555713

>yfw England has lower H.D.I than shitty poor ass southern states

i LOVE pointing this out. FUCK off euros, fix your own shit before you insult us.

>> No.5555718

>>5551324
This

>> No.5555792
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5555792

>>5551324
Yeah I mean you understand plot, that's about what most people get. But can you read benjy's section and tell me the date/year that each lapse in time is from and what the significance of the thought is? Do you even know what happened on December 23rd?

>> No.5556853

>>5555669
>>5553213
>>5553047

thanks for the help. Last question, is the town of Oxford small enough to get by without a car? I won't buy one just for six months. What about public transportation?

I know for long distance I got greyhound buses, but I'm more concerned about local transportation.

>> No.5556857

>>5556853
I've lived in Oxford for two decades, and I can confirm that you really don't need a car. Get a bike and you're golden.

>> No.5556867

>>5556857
disregard this post, apparently you're talking about an American Oxford of some kind

>> No.5557013
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5557013

>>5555643
>tfw we fucking suck

>> No.5557110

>>5551226
>mississippi delta blues
>no longer resides in the delta

The times they are a'changin'.

>> No.5557201

>>5556857
lol yes. We're talking about the state of Mississippi, and there's a college town named Oxford there too. Faulkner lived there most of his life.

>> No.5557677

>>5556853
Ehhhh it would be nice to have a car for tourism purposes but for actual living needs everything will be walkable since it's a college campus. You won't need a car to get groceries, go to restaurants, and stuff like that, but you might need one if you want to see something across town.

>> No.5557679
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5557679

>>5557013
iktf

>> No.5557727

>>5557013
>>5557679

>lol guise we're so bad rite *wink wink* xD

No. Fuck you. You don't know what it's like to go from decent to absolute shit-tier in the span of a single season.

>> No.5557730
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5557730

>>5557727

Forgot pic.

>> No.5557746

>>5555713
England is one of the shittiest part of Europe though. It's like the US but smaller, without the huge economy and army, and in Europe. Worst of both worlds.

>> No.5557749

>>5557727
lol go suck a dick USCfag

>> No.5557755

>>5557749

>not saying go suck a cock

For that reason alone you lose

>> No.5557777

>>5557677
no, I won't be living on campus, I'll have to rent my own place outside, in the city. Is everything kinda in walkable distance?

>> No.5557912

>>5557777
I'm not really sure cause I don't go to Oxford. However, here at Bama, off campus people do need cars.

I'm kind of surprised the people who set this up didn't tell you you might need a car.

Nice get btw

>> No.5557914

>>5557777
Me again. Best solution would be to just google map your off-campus apartment and a few of the classroom halls and see what kind of walk it is. I'm not really sure what kind of walking you're used to.

From what I've seen of Oxford it's a pretty walking friendly place, though.

>> No.5558047

>>5551179
shit countries make for interesting lives and events.

>> No.5560097

>>5551155
This

>> No.5561099

>>5557914
Will do, thanks.

I'm pretty excited, I'll be living in the town where Faulkner lived, there's his home turned into a museum and the university has his archives, all his unpublished shit, some real manuscripts, letters and stuff. I'll be Faulkner fanboy #1 when I'm done.

>> No.5561906

go fuck yourself, mississippi is an incredible state

any southern state beats any northern one

do you know how many genius musicians came from mississippi? many, anon, many