Light in August

‘Taylor’s edition is an invaluable resource for students and researchers. Faulkner’s own commentary, and that of leading historians and critics, will help readers sense the many historical and cultural tributaries converging in this great novel. The economic, racial, and gendered conditions of Depression-era Mississippi, along with the vibrant milieu of literary modernism, become visible in this Norton Critical Edition.”  — Susan Scott Parrish, University of Michigan

This Norton Critical Edition includes:

The authoritative text of Light in August, established by Noel Polk in 1985 and accompanied by Melanie Benson Taylor’s preface and explanatory footnotes.

A rich selection of background and contextual materials, thoughtfully and practically arranged to draw readers into the American South of Faulkner’s imagination. Topics include “The Writer’s World and Words,” “Reception and Influence,” and “Historical and Cultural Contexts.”

Thirteen critical essays on the novel’s major themes.

A chronology and a selected bibliography.