Reviews

The Reivers:A Reminiscence by William Faulkner

spenkevich's review against another edition

4.0

A big-hearted book about stealing cars, horse race gambling and knife fights while on the lam with an 11-year old boy. What more could you want?

jacobjonk's review against another edition

Didn't love the writing style and the plot didn't feel compelling. Very mark twain-esque which just isn't my jam. I do wanna give Faulkner another try at some point but I probably will not return to this 

blueyorkie's review against another edition

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/