To go out of my dialect, which you

I've slowly been making progress on my latest book from the list, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I find I always seem to go pretty slowly when I first start a book, as I just haven't gotten wrapped up in the characters or the writing, and as a result don't feel as much of an inkling to read it.

In the case of this book, I'm finding myself reading even slower, because of the dialect the Southern, African-American characters speak. This is the same problem I've had with quite a few Southern novels, like Faulkner's two books, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

#68 - "The Heart of the Matter" by Graham Greene

A week ago I finished #68 from Time's list, The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene. This was the 2nd Greene book I've read from the list, so he joins Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner with this honor. I'm happy to report that this book was more enjoyable than Woolf and Faulkner's books combined. In fact, I think it's safe to say I'd rather read this book 100 times, than read those four books once.

Henry Scobie is a policeman, serving in an unnamed West Africa colony during the War. Scobie is, in many ways, a classic colonial Englishman, dedicated to Queen and country and proud of his English heritage and traditions. But unlike most of his contemporaries in West Africa, Scobie is also very honest; refusing bribes and for the most part doing what is "right." Or at least, what he feels is right.

#63 - "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

After reading The Lord of the Rings for so very, very long, my 63rd book from the list, The Sound and the Fury seemed like a breeze. It only took 10 days and there were days I looked forward to reading it; such a departure from #62. But there were a couple of problems; a couple of big problems.

When I finished reading this book, I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure what I had just read. The book is broken into four sections, each narrated by a different person. Well, except the fourth section which switches to third person. Of course Faulkner is hazy on the details of who is narrating and it usually takes ten pages or so to establish who 'I' now is.

In short, the book follows the Compsons, a Southern family in the early part of the 20th century. There are four grown siblings, a father who isn't around anymore (I think he's dead) and a mother who seems to be suffering from...something, maybe depression. If that seems vague, it's because so is the book.

One of the sons has a mental handicap (we're never really sure what the problem is as it's never even partially explained) so we read through his blurred sense of reality via his inner thoughts. But since this is never really explained, we actually read through a series of incoherent babble for 75 pages and wonder what the hell just happened. Later we learn about his handicap and are meant to now understand why it didn't make any sense.

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

I'm reading The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, and so far so good. Actually, I'm doing really well. Even though I finished The Lord of the Rings a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't able to start The Sound and the Fury until this past Monday as I had to finish a non-fiction book, At Home by Bill Bryson, which couldn't be renewed from the library. But that's done (it was great as all Bryson books seem to be), and I've been flying through Faulkner all week.

So far, I think I'm enjoying it more than Light in August, which I wasn't expecting. I say this not because I enjoyed Light in August so much, but rather from what I have read and heard about The Sound and the Fury. Having said that, this book isn't without its problems. After an interesting first chapter, things have turned a little bizarre. In what I believe is typical Faulkner fashion, there are time shifts and new characters, often without any explanation or description. Often I'm not sure who "I" is when I read "I said," and I'm not always sure when or where I am in the story. This was the same problem I had with Light in August, but for whatever reason, I'm finding this one a little more readable.

At my current pace, I should be finished over the weekend. That's right #62 will have taken five months, #63 will have taken less than a week. I hope anyway.