Uses of the Past in the Novels of William Faulkner

Book excerpt: Originally selected by Faulkner scholars Blotner and Litz for their series on the author, this pathbreaking monograph contains a comprehensive and provocative discussion of Faulkner’s historical vision. Drawing on the rich literature of historiography (including the writings of R. G. Collingwood and Herbert Butterfield), and on a wide-ranging body of scholarship on the historical novel (including discussions of Scott, Thackeray, and Conrad), Rollyson shrewdly probes Faulkner’s dynamic and changing uses of the past. Also taking advantage of his own work as a biographer, Rollyson has updated, revised, and expanded his original book—extending his dialogue with recent Faulkner critics.