Odor of Verbena

   I would have to say that I actually did not like Odor of Verbena very much.

   It was easier to follow than the previous Faulkner novels we've read. It was interesting to see Colonel Sartoris in a more in-depth view. But I just didn't connect to it or the characters like I have with the previous stories.

   I did like the theme of becoming a man - a bildungsroman. It's interesting to see a character similar to the boy in Barn Burning because the idea of becoming a man through nonviolence is such a rarely told story. For all of the destructive and unstable characters Faulkner creates, Bayard and Sarty are like flowers in the middle of field of weeds. They somehow grow into these brave and fair men despite their backgrounds and what was instilled in them by their fathers. They seem innocent and fresh, even though Bayard admitted to murder. They are very distinct because they have the ability to break away from what is so engrained in their family. This is a particular part I like about the story.

   I don't like Drusilla. I don't connect with Drusilla or understand her very well. But maybe that is the point. She is supposed to be as mysterious and confusing as her husband Sartoris. It seems strange that the death of a loved one would make her so bloodthirsty, to the point that she becomes hysterical when she realizes Bayard will not kill Redmond. Though, I do like that even she could not help but applaud Bayard's valor. She just seems too out of character for me, maybe because I'm only getting a small piece of her out of The Unvanquished. It just seems like a big leap from loss of a fiance to deranged, vengeance-crazed tom boy. But to each their own.

I just didn't really connect with any of the characters other than Bayard, and the small window of Colonel Sartoris we got. Maybe I should just read the rest of The Unvanquished and make up my mind then!