Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
This novel is a complex narrative about Thomas Sutpen, a poor white man who rises to power in the South, aiming to create a dynasty that would rival the old aristocratic families. However, his ambitions are thwarted by his own flawed decisions and the overarching racial and societal tensions of the era. The story is not told in a linear fashion but rather through a series of interconnected flashbacks and narratives, offering different perspectives on the same events. The book explores themes of family, class, race, and the destructive power of obsession.
The 47th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 3565
This book was first published in 1936
38 Lists
- score: 215 -- For The Love of Books - 1999 (Weight: 180)
- score: 205 -- El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors - 2008 (Weight: 190)
- score: 200 -- Top 100 Works in World Literature - 2002 (Weight: 200)
- score: 199 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 180)
- score: 196 -- The 25 Favorite Books of 100 Francophone Writers - 2009 (Weight: 170)
- score: 191 -- The 100 Best Books from 1900 to the Present - 2024 (Weight: 190)
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 190 -- The 100 Best Books of World Literature - 2018 (Weight: 190)
- score: 177 -- Finest Works of Fiction - 1980 (Weight: 167)
- score: 175 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 166)
- score: 159 -- The Best Southern Novels of All Time - 2009 (Weight: 130)
- score: 144 -- The Ideal Library - 2024 (Weight: 120)
- score: 137 -- Five Books to Read on a Desert Island - 1983 (Weight: 137)
- score: 133 -- 100 Life-Changing Books - 2006 (Weight: 126)
- score: 120 -- Best Books Listed for High School Students - 1984 (Weight: 120)
- score: 118 -- The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century - 1999 (Weight: 118)
- score: 98 -- All-Time Classics, According to Academics - 1985 (Weight: 81)
- score: 94 -- Fifty French Writers Choose Their Favorite 10 Books - Honourable Mention - 2022 (Weight: 89)
- score: 81 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 80)
- score: 76 -- 100 Best Books - 2010 (Weight: 70)
- score: 72 -- Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World - 2015 (Weight: 60)
- score: 63 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 60 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 51 -- Six Professors from "Esteemed" Universities Favorite Books - 1982 (Weight: 51)
- score: 50 -- 4chan’s Literature Board’s Aggregate Top 100 Books for the Decade 2014 - 2024 - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 34 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 30)
- score: 34 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 31 -- The Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Readers' List - 1998 (Weight: 30)
- score: 20 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 20)
- score: 11 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Masterpieces of World Literature - 1991 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List - 2003 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Dream of the Great American Novel - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)