#4618

Mentioned in 6 episodes

Absalom, Absalom!

Book • 1936

William Faulkner

William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!

" is a complex and challenging novel that delves into the history and downfall of Thomas Sutpen, a wealthy planter in Mississippi.

The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, creating a fragmented and layered portrayal of Sutpen's ambition and its devastating consequences.

Faulkner's masterful use of stream-of-consciousness and shifting timelines creates a rich and immersive reading experience.

The novel explores themes of race, class, ambition, and the destructive nature of the past.

It's considered one of Faulkner's most ambitious and rewarding works.

Mentioned by

Walter Isaacson

Sheldon Solomon

Shoshana Milgram

Mentioned in 6 episodes

Mentioned by

Cal Newport

as an example of a book that requires deeper engagement.

Ep. 278: How to Think

Mentioned by

Paul Harding

, who loves that you get the whole thing the first time you read it.

Paul Harding: A New Way To Think About Writing | How I Write

Mentioned by

Sheldon Solomon

as a favorite novel.

#117 – Sheldon Solomon: Death and Meaning

Mentioned by

Marc Maron

as another book that Ruby had read.

Episode 1649 - Josh Homme

Mentioned as a book the speaker found too difficult to read.

Q&A (24th August, 2025)

Mentioned by

Walter Isaacson

as a book he read and had on his desk while at Harvard.

Walter Isaacson On Ben Franklin

Mentioned by

Shoshana Milgram

as another speaker at West Point, who spoke there shortly before his death.

Behind the Scenes: Ayn Rand’s West Point Lecture (1974–2024)

Recommended by

Anne Applebaum

as a revelatory novel about the American South.

The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party.

Mentioned by

Gregg Hurwitz

in the context of different writing styles and approaches.

The Battle for Truth: Gregg Hurwitz on Myth, Power & Cultural Control – SF540

Mentioned by

Carl Rollyson

as one of his greatest works.

Carl Rollyson, "The Life of William Faulkner: The Past Is Never Dead, 1897-1934" (UVA Press, 2020)

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