Reviews

Os Ratoneiros by William Faulkner

blueyorkie's review

4.0

Faulkner's latest novel, "The Thieves," as its title indicates, borders more on the ridiculous and the pitiful than on drama and pathos. The comic register, however, rests on a theme dear to Faulkner, that of the irresistible fall of his characters towards the bottom of the precipice, a fall that is nevertheless predictable, as if the awareness of the danger was already a promise of fortune and exaltation as if the constant appeals to Virtue resulted only in the contrary desire of Non-Virtue.

snutedute's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

slimjimjames99's review against another edition

adventurous challenging lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

chambordreads's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

dustysummers's review against another edition

4.0

There's somewhere the law stops and just people start

massmassmarket's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

alisonjfields's review against another edition

3.0

The favorite Faulkner novel among several people I know who otherwise don't like Faulkner, "The Reivers" is the literary equivalent of a reunion special, in which almost every character that ever showed up in any of the Yoknapatawpha County books is at least referenced by the narrator, Lucius Priest, who is himself a cousin of the McCaslin family (of "Go Down Moses" fame) masquerading as a coming-of-age picaresque. Because Faulkner is doing the writing, this is better than it sounds. It's funny, charming and at times, quite beautifully written. But Faulkner is funniest when he's inappropriately funny ("As I Lay Dying"), seems to lose the plot (literally) when he's dealing with characters that aren't evil, psychotic bastards.

krobart's review against another edition

4.0

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/review-2254-1962-club-the-reivers/

andyv's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

ja3m3's review against another edition

3.0

The Reivers is the first book by Faulkner that I completed (I started The Hamlet several months ago, but couldn’t get past the first chapter) and in all honesty I think it will be the last. I did enjoy the writing and Faulkner’s visual imagery and characterization skills are awe inspiring; however, the book fell flat. It started off well enough and I was getting into the story and Lucius’s adventure, but once they got to Parsham the story turned dark and ugly and well, I felt that I was wading through mud to get to the end of the book.

I’m glad I did read, if only to mark it off my Pulitzer to read list.