William Faulkner was undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers. Now, you can take Thomas Merton as your personal guide in discovering the literary and spiritual genius of Faulkner’s works.
Awarded both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, William Cuthbert Faulkner (1897–1962) was a multi-talented writer who wrote such beloved classics as The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. In this series, you will join renowned mystic and writer Thomas Merton on an extraordinary course on Faulkner and classicism in literature. An English professor before becoming a monk, Merton continued to teach literature courses to the monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani. These lectures were originally recorded by Merton in the 1960s and are remastered to enhance your listening experience.
First, you will look at the concept of the classical in literature by exploring the poetry of John Milton and T.S. Eliot before looking specifically at Faulkner’s works. Merton demonstrates that Faulkner is a mythological rather than sociological writer; he uses the particular setting of the American South to tell stories of universal significance. His works embody the great classic truths of literature: love, honor, pride, compassion, and sacrifice.
Under Merton’s guidance, you will see how Faulkner was a sapiential, or visionary, writer. Merton will also guide you through the deeper spiritual undercurrent of Faulkner’s writings, which illustrate the biblical themes of redemption, the fall, and the resurrection.
Join Thomas Merton today with this brilliant course on Faulkner.
"The Merton talks (any and all) are special because in addition to the sound quality being acceptable and the content being as rich as is found reading his books, one can get a sense of the kind of person Merton was that is hard to get just from reading: warm, down-to-earth, funny."
Stephen Cook, Mansfield, TX, US
"We are privileged to be ,flies on the wall, of his classroom as Merton leads the novices into the deeper insights of the Benedictine tradition. Highly recommended. "
Richard Bell
"I've read many published works of Merton and, even though his work is now decades old, more than ever, they speak to our world today. To hear him speaking in his own voice adds a dimension of humanness to him that writings alone cannot convey. Also, his sense of humor, something we seem to never catch a glimpse of in print, clearly comes to us."
