Product Description

The annotation to Go Down, Moses illuminate family relationships, chronology, narrative voice, and the complexities of racial identity in the novel. The full breadth of the novel is explored in the commentary, from Indian history and traditions to an overview of the logging industry in Mississippi.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2788182 in Books
• Published on: 1994-02-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 296 pages

Customer Reviews

Good Picture Words, Weak Story Line
“Go Down , Moses” was formed out of the melding of a series of short stories into a novel about the McCaslin family of Jefferson, Mississippi. Extending through the life of Ike McCaslin, his youthful experiences help him to later face a crucial test about his family’s legacy. The complex racial relations of Faulkner’s novels introduce the reader to a world which most of us could never understand or even imagine.

Like other Faulkner novels, I find the dialogue and stream of consciousness to be the most alluring qualities of the book. The thoughts of the characters, the descriptions of the scenes and the dialogues paint mental pictures of the action in which the reader can feel himself to be a part.

I had a bit of trouble following the story line, but the descriptions mentioned above carry the book. Faulkner is a magician with the pen. For that, this book is a good read.

Faulkner's most mature, accessible book dealing with race
It becomes quite clear after reading Go Down Moses why many critics call this William Falkner's most mature book dealing with race. In Go Down Moses, the black characters are not only as well represented as may be possible from a white author, they are believable and easy to relate to. The main character "Uncle Ike", the grandson of an influential plantation owner, comes to represent everyone who struggles with identity in the miserable face of racism. The style of the book itself was confusing for readers and critics when first published, as it makes use of a series of chapters, each with its own title and numbered sections. Faulkner resisted having the book called a collection of short stories and most modern readers should have little problem with its nonsequential chapters and its sometimes, seemingly, unrelated characters. If you have read some Faulkner, especially A Light in August or Absalom, Absalom or if you enjoy authors such as Toni Morrison and Richard Wright you must read this book to get an idea of just how far Faulkner came toward wrestling with race in his time.