COLLECTED STORIES OF WILLIAM FAULKNER

Forty two short stories which reveal a much broader scope of matter and manner than the average reader expects of William Faulkner. An interesting editorial approach breaks the stories into six groups. The first, The Country, includes a number of stories set in his familiar back country area of the Deep South, regional in both character and characters. Read Shingles for the Lord for the characteristic twists of sardonic humor, the unsentimental but understanding study of the poor whites. The Village raises the level of social standing, and A Rose for Emily is a gem of perceptive handling of small town attitudes. Personally, I found The Wilderness with its very stylized Indian and frontier tales the least interesting group of the lot. The last three sections, The Wasteland with its war stories (read Victory), The Middle Ground, and Beyond show some very different facets of Faulkner, a kind of sophistication, and surprising variety of mood and tempo. An important book in the Faulkner picture, and for short story enthusiasts, it offers rich fare.