The Reivers

THE REIVERS
by William Faulkner

 Awards: Nobel Prize Winner 1963, Pulitzer Winner 1963

 Date Read: May 7, 2008

 The Reivers was my first introduction to Faulkner and I have to admit, I am not a fan. I find his writing style esoteric and difficult to follow and his sentence structure is mind boggling. 

 The Reivers is the story of three car from Mississippi. Young Lucius Priest is persuaded to steal his grandfather's car by Boon Hogganbeck, who is one of the family's servants and their black coachman Ned McCaslin steals away. Off they go and mayhem ensues - including horse smuggling, trainmen, sheriffs' deputies and jail.

Although this is considered one of his "comic masterpieces," I found it convoluted and just barely made it through. This was not a piece I read with relish and pleasure but was actually relieved when it was over. Several years would pass before I mustered the courage to read A Fable, his other Pulitzer winner of 1955. Would I ever try reading this one again? Short answer - no!

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