Intruder in the Dust

by William Faulkner

Book Overview

A classic Faulkner novel which explores the lives of a family of characters in the South. An aging black who has long refused to adopt the black's traditionally servile attitude is wrongfully accused... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679736514
• ISBN13: 9780679736516
• Release Date: October 1991
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Unforgettable...a classic

I am in 11th grade, and my hackles naturally went up upon reading the several reviews written by high schoolers on the subject of this novel. Do not be put off by such efforts to defile a masterpiece. This is one of the most profound and convincing novels I have ever read. Tolstoy once wrote that the success of any work of art depends ultimately upon the artist's maintaining an "independent moral relation" to his subject, and that he who does not bring to his work a fresh and enlightened view of the universe will invariably fail in attempting to create good art. Applying this criterion to Intruder in the Dust, Faulkner's novel stands as a paradigm of great art; for its moral scope and philosophical perspective are singularly awesome. Faulkner is simultaneously sympathetic toward and critical of that Southern society which serves as his subject, and yet he manages never to stoop to petty preaching or outright sermonizing. His work is a marvel of artistic delicacy and intensity. Bravo.

Still controversial after all these years.

This novel has a traditional detective story plot and a conventional attitude about race relations (although it was progressive for the South in the late 40s). After that, all bets are off. The style is like a thicket, but that's because Faulkner puts you into the head of a confused boy caught up in events beyond his control. Chick Mallison is white, and his friend Aleck Sander is black (Aleck Sander doesn't know his name isn't two words, because he can't read or write). The paired adult characters of equivalent race are Chick's uncle, Gavin Stevens, a lawyer, who defends Lucas Beauchamp (pronounced "Beecham"), a black tenant farmer accused of a murder he didn't commit by the people who did it. They know that in a prejudiced society, white people are likely to believe a black man is guilty, so they try to palm it off on him. Lucas is a rather severe character who often doesn't seem to appreciate the help he's getting (part of the plot involves trying to prevent the citizens from pulling him out of jail and lynching him), but he's a marvelous character and something of a father figure to Chick by the end of the book. Reading the book is a bit of a chore at first, but I got through it in high school years ago, and am reading it now for the third time. If you want some help getting into the book, you might try a "Masterplots" description of it or a reader's guide to Faulkner (there are several around). You might also look for the 1949 film based on the book, which was filmed in Faulkner's home town of Oxford, Mississippi, with local citizens as extras, and with the great Juano Hernandez playing Lucas.

More readable than others would have you think

Those who follow the AP Book of Rules for writing (i.e., subject, predicate, no commas, no decora) will have a tough time negotiating Faulkner's peregrinating sentences, but it's worth it. This book delivers several experiences at one time: a look at the Southern social codes, a textured appraisal of racial relations, an adolescent's step off into adult life, and an entertaining murder mystery. The lead characters are nicely drawn, with surprises; the action and crowd scenes are portrayed in easily visualized imagery. For all the Southern writing I've read, this added more information about the culture and people. I feel sorry for those who don't have the patience for Faulkner's style: a taste for it isn't that difficult to acquire and it's well worth it.

Faulkner's best underrated book

This novel is not only a supervivid representation of the ugly and cowardly side of racism, but also one of the best coming of age stories I've ever read. Funny as well as emotional detail, and between the lines, Faulkner explores and displays in all their glory and infamy the connections between families, friends, strangers, and enemies, to a point further than others are brave enough to go.