William Styron (1925–2006)

I saw the movie Sophie’s Choice many years ago, and like most people, was deeply moved and disturbed by the experience. I have never watched it again, but have seen several discussions of the movie recently, leading me to realize that I had never read the book, which is somewhat unusual. So, I elected to remedy the situation.

I do not recall the details of the movie in enough specificity to say whether the movie accurately tracks with the book, but I’ve never heard otherwise, so will assume that it does. I do not remember most of the movie other than the “choice” and reading the book did not jog my memory in that regard.

I can only say that the book is extremely well written and I found it captivating. I was not prepared for the extremely sexually charged content, but was certainly not in any way put off by it. It could be an issue for some readers, but given the subject matter, if you can wade through Auschwitz, you can probably make it through a little (well, really a lot) of sex.

If you are getting ready to purchase this book, you have likely seen the movie, or at least are familiar with its subject matter. If not, be aware that it is perhaps the most disturbing account, though fictional, of events occurring during the Holocaust. And while fictional, many of the events likely occurred dozens, if not hundreds of times every day. It should be an emotional experience to read this book. If it is not, you have issues that need to be addressed.… (mer)

A Book At The Bottom Of Your To-Read List

I am still suspect of Pulitzer Prize winning books, even those predating the '90s, and find it interesting that my copy of The Confessions of Nat Turner, first printed fifteen years after winning the award, bears no indication of its achievement. I suspect this is due to the subsequent controversy arising from a white man imagining what a slave would think and feel. Personally, I think fiction is doomed if we continue down the path of restricting authors to writing characters matching their personal backgrounds.

The Confessions of Nat Turner is William Styron's first-person narrative of the events surrounding a short-lived slave rebellion, told by the man who led it. In spite of the controversy the book caused, I found it a mostly believable depiction of what might have led to the insurrection. Nat—whose assigned surname is actually that of his owner—is an intelligent, mostly sympathetic character whose major character flaws Styron invented. There is nothing in the historical record documenting the relationships he had with any of the victims, particularly his obsession for a white woman who is, according to the real confession, the only person he personally murdered. There are also several unnecessary (ill-considered?) scenes whose homoerotic undertones and lack of clarity regarding who was doing what to whom work against what the novel was attempting to achieve. I also found the practice of writing speech in dialect distracting, but that was more prevalent (less objectionable?) when the novel was written.

The Confessions of Nat Turner is not of the same quality as Sophie's Choice, perhaps because it is told from the perspective of the main actor rather than by an observer, adding an (intentional?) element of unreliability to the novel's events rather than subjecting them to simple misinterpretation. Given the paucity of historical documents about both the events and the people involved (including significant discrepancies in the number of people murdered), Styron wrote a book worthy of reading. Buy a copy with his afterword, where he elaborates on the objections to his inventions and explains some of the choices he made as an author.… (mer)

I've been through this book three times over a 15 year span, divided by five year intervals. As best as I can remember, I was either going into or coming out of a deep depression. I don't think I could have read it while I was in the middle of it. Actually, I can't read anything in the midst of such a madness. And, madness, although I hate the term, is exactly what it is for me. All I know is that I loved it. Loved him for sharing this deeply, personal thing. Loved the feeling that I wasn't alone.… (mer)