The Village

Name: The Village
ISBN: 9787559870018

William Faulkner / 斯钦Guangxi Normal University Press · ChinaSep 2024

4.6

Word count: 271K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787559870018

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Summary

The Hamlet is the first volume of Faulkner's Snopes Trilogy and one of his important later novels. Set in the rural community of Frenchman's Bend, the novel tells how Flem Snopes, representative figure of Northern capitalist commerce and industry, gradually conquers Frenchman's Bend—the village representing Southern culture—in political, economic, and ethical terms through a series of cunning and deceptive schemes.

At the end, the novel describes with penetrating insight how Flem sells a herd of captured wild horses to local residents as counterfeit tame horses, disguises a piece of wasteland as a treasure-bearing plot and sells it to the villagers at a high price, and then leaves the village for the town of Jefferson. The style is concise, crisp, and decisive, forming a distinctive character.

Editor's review

As the foundational work of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha saga, The Hamlet is not only the opening of the Snopes Trilogy but also the key entry point to understanding his literary universe. With his signature multiple-perspective narration and dense, intricate language, this work constructs a "village" far broader than a geographical concept—it is both a microcosm of American Southern society and a stage for the fierce collision between human desire and moral order. Here Faulkner displays his astonishing insight into the burden of history and the darkness of human nature; the rise of the Snopes family is in truth an allegory of primitive capital accumulation eroding traditional ethics. When reading, it is advisable to let go of attachment to linear plot and instead immerse yourself in its unique narrative rhythm and psychological depth—those seemingly lengthy sentences often enfold lightning-like epiphanies. Compared with his later, more obscure works, The Hamlet achieves a delicate balance between narrative experiment and readability, making it one of the ideal paths into Faulkner's literary world. This edition from Guangxi Normal University Press preserves the density of the language while accommodating Chinese readers' habits, and the appended genealogy and background notes are especially thoughtful.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who wish to systematically understand American Southern literature and Faulkner's creative system
Literature lovers with a deep interest in exploring complex human nature and social change
Readers looking for classic works that combine narrative technique with intellectual depth
Readers preparing to extend from works such as The Sound and the Fury to Faulkner's other major works

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light, fluent, plot-driven entertainment reading
Readers impatient with long psychological descriptions and shifts in multiple perspectives

Reading tips

First-time readers may begin with the appended family genealogy and historical background to establish a basic framework of understanding
When encountering narrative leaps, there is no need to rush back; Faulkner's intent often gradually emerges in later chapters
It can be read alongside The Town and The Mansion for a complete trilogy experience, though this book itself has independent artistic completeness

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
作者简介
译者简介
楔子
第一部分弗莱姆
第一章
第二章
第三章
第二部分尤拉
第一章
第二章
第三部分漫长的夏天
第一章
第二章
第四部分村民
第一章
第二章

FAQ

Where does The Hamlet stand in Faulkner's overall career?

It marks an important turning point in Faulkner's mid-career, signaling the Yoknapatawpha saga's transition from experiment to maturity and laying the foundation of character systems and themes for his later, more ambitious narratives.

Must the Snopes Trilogy be read in order?

Although it is a trilogy, each volume has an independent, complete narrative structure. The Hamlet, as the origin volume, provides the most basic character relationships and historical background and is best read first.

Will Faulkner's complex narrative style seriously hinder understanding?

His techniques of multiple perspectives and temporal leaps do require readers to adjust their expectations. It is advisable to shift attention from "plot advancement" to "the construction of a psychological landscape"; many seemingly fragmented passages will naturally assemble into a complete image as the reading progresses.

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About the author

William Faulkner Author · American · 1897–1962

William Faulkner (1897–1962) was an American novelist and poet, one of the most important writers in twentieth-century American literature and a leading figure of stream-of-consciousness fiction. Many of his works are set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, presenting the history, families, and individual fates of the American South through shifting time and multiple perspectives. His major works include The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Light in August, and Absalom, Absalom!, known for their intricate structures and profound psychological depth. In 1949 Faulkner received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his writing has had a lasting influence on later fiction. The collection currently holds 26 of his works.

斯钦 Author

Siqin is an author about whom limited public information is available. What is known is that the author's work falls within the field of foreign literature, with four titles held in the collection: Wild Palms, The Village, The Member of the Wedding, and Sanctuary. These titles suggest writing that may deal with rural life, family relationships, and individual fate, with an emphasis on narrative and character portrayal. Because biographical information has not appeared in public sources, the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name cannot be confirmed. Overall, Siqin's works, commonly classified as foreign literature, are few in number but center on everyday experience and emotional conflict, and remain readable. Readers seeking a fuller understanding of the author and the writing will need to rely on the disclosure and organization of more public materials.