Nearly finished with "The Hamlet" by William Faulkner

He wrote novels with subjects so shocking, they still seem raw today. His ability to craft his writing is what saves the taudrey, depressing stories---that, and his light touch with gruesome details. Your mind fills in the gaps. He portrays dynamic movement well--like a galloping horse, a person falling down a staircase, etc.

The Hamlet was the first "Snopes" novel in a trilogy. It is set about the turn of the 20th Century.

Faulkner's family was from the "planter class" of 19th century Mississippi, though not excessively wealthy; he was aware of the social decline of his family and friends; he had sympathy within the black community and friends, too.

The times did not favor the poor, white hill farmers of the South; even those who tried hard had difficulty to prosper. The Snopes family was beneath them. He said "a Snopes is a son-of-a-bitch's son-of-a-bitch", a "different kind of man, like a cotton mouth is a different kind of snake". Snopes's would burn peoples' barns for a grudge or kill another man for winning a court case, the family had to be forced to care for one of their own who suffered severe mental handicaps (to the point where he had fallen in love with a neighbor's cow and "married" it! Shocking) This book tells the story of Flem Snopes' rise to prominence in the village of Frenchman's Bend, his marriage to the local Big Man's daughter and their eventual departure for Jefferson.

Faulkner could find no sympathy for the Snopes's, though he spoke with evenness about those Snopes wives who were able to care for their families with the poor lot provided by the usual Snopes man.

Why am I writing about this? I'm writing about what I am doing--above the level of household chores--This is what I am doing.  Faulkner's world was complex, dangerous and perplexing: wars, depression and worry.