Light in August, a novel set in the American South during Prohibition, contrasts stark tragedy with hopeful perseverance in the face of mortality. This work features some of Faulkner’s most memorable characters:
“Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.” —William Faulkner