Light in August

First published in 1932, ‘Light in August’ is a novel that contrasts stark tragedy with optimistic perseverance in the face of mortality, written by William Faulkner, a Nobel Prize-winning American author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Faulkner’s reputation is based on his novels, novellas, and short stories. He was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter. The novel is set in the American South during prohibition and features an ensemble cast of Faulkner’s most memorable characters: honest and brave Lena Grove, in search of the father of her unborn child; Reverend Gail Hightower, a lonely outcast haunted by visions of Confederate glory; and Joe Christmas, a desperate, enigmatic drifter consumed by his mixed ancestry. These characters tussle with alienation, racism, and heartbreak across a nonlinear narrative. Classified as a Southern gothic and modernist novel, it is considered a seminal work in 20th-century American literature.