In order to make up for the three-hundred-some dollars I’m going to spend this semester on books, this summer I read only books I either had some keen interest in or books that were “fluffy” enough to not cause my English-major brain to begin a thorough analysis of the “deeper meaning” behind it all. The “fluff” of my summer was covered in the mailhome issue, so we can now focus on the substance.

“Go Down Moses” by William Faulkner (Vintage, reissue edition, 1991)

Okay. I admit it. Faulkner and his trademark writing style are favorites of mine. It’s always amazing when authors not only write extraordinary books, but also write them in extraordinary ways (see “Finnegans Wake” below).

So reading “Go Down Moses” is somewhat disappointing, as it isn’t very Faulkneresque in its style or story. It is actually one of the more lucid and cohesive of Faulkner’s novels; and though generally lucidness is a good thing in a novel, it isn’t what is needed here. The narrators are so similar it’s almost necessary to retrace them back through the book after reading it to see which story and which characters goes with what.

One of the intricacies of Faulkner’s writing — both brilliant and frustrating — that is found in this novel is that he gives just enough information for the moment; he slowly feeds his reader small bits, often looping back again and again until everything suddenly falls into place.

“Go Down Moses” is a timeless story on race and class issues — how each group has its own beliefs and rituals that other groups may or may not choose to incorporate into their own lives. It’s a story about how memories and traditions that were important to one generation may lose strength and become unimportant and even forgotten over time. And Faulkner portrays each of these themes tactfully.

“Black Orchid” by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean (DC Comics, 1991)

I’m not a comic-book expert, but I’ve read my share of “Spiderman” and “Batman,” so I feel pretty secure in saying that any story that begins with the villain stating that he knows how these things normally go — the villain captures the girl, reveals his plans to her, and ends up getting caught before getting the chance to kill her — and that he’s not going to end up like that (and doesn’t), is not your every-day comic book.

Right from the beginning of “Black Orchid,” the reader can’t help feeling that a lot of useful background information is missing — yet this confusion at least makes it easier to identify with the female protagonist Suzy, the orchid, as she struggles to discover who she is and why she was created.

And those readers with knowledge of the DC Universe will recognize appearances by some well-known comic characters like Swamp Thing and Batman, and a few others at the Arkham Asylum.

Even though this graphic novel is made up of a collection of three comics, generally not much happens. It is more a story of reawakening and self-discovery than one of fighting and villains and disguise (though there’s some of that as well).

Although “Black Orchid” is not McKean’s best work, his illustrations reflect the sense of struggle and confusion that inhabits the story. And he masterfully contrasts the harsh city (portrayed in black and white) at the beginning of the novel from the lush jungle (with deep greens) at the end.

“Finnegans Wake” by James Joyce (Penguin Classics, 1999) and “A Reader’s Guide to Finnegans Wake” by William York Tindall (Syracuse University Press, 1996)

And I wanted to end this article with one of the books I attempted to read this summer. I just couldn’t be happy having read “Ulysses,” so I set out this summer to read Joyce’s proclaimed “book of the night.”

Joyce, like Faulkner, is an amazing author whose talent is reflected in both style and story; and “Finnegans Wake” is just so rich with references and technique that it seems nearly everything of importance would be missed without a reader’s guide — and William York Tindall’s guide turns out to be extremely comprehensive and immensely helpful.

This is the kind of book I would like to be stranded on a deserted island with — something that would take me a long time to read and decipher, yet something I would enjoy reading all the same. And maybe, if I ever do find myself on said island, I will get around to finishing “Finnegans Wake.” (Or maybe in four months when I find myself graduated but without a job … my own personal deserted island.)

Go Down Moses: B-

Black Orchid: B

Finnegans Wake & Guide: unfinished

Kat Krueger ([email protected]) is a fifth-year senior majoring in English.