《八月之光》(1932年)是威廉·福克纳最重要、最具挑战性、研究最为广泛的小说之一,不但需要从多角度进行研究,还需要研究者具有广泛的学术研究阐释方法技巧。五位杰出的评论家在本书中为读者奉献了不同研究方法视角的论述,讨论了小说的写作以及在全部福克纳作品中的位置,以及小说的结构和叙述技巧,所描述的社会中关于宗教、种族和性的观念,对女人的呈现和对性别问题的处理,如小说人物乔·克里斯默思的“英雄”的社会、道德含义。每位作者都努力实现双重的目的:文章清晰直接,以使更多潜在读者领会接受;同时,观点新鲜原创,以提高包括那些甚至完全熟悉现有评论的读者对《八月之光(英文版)》的理解乃至对全部福克纳作品的理解。
《八月之光(英文版)》的作者是威廉·福克纳。
《八月之光(英文版)》:
HE Sees the faces which surround him mirror astonishment,puzzlement, then outrage, then fear, as if they looked beyond hiswild antics and saw behind him and looking down upon him, in histurn unaware, the Final and supreme Face Itself, cold, terriblebecause of lts omniscient detachment. He knows that they see morethan that: that they see the trust of which he proved himselfunworthy, being used now for his chastisement, it seems to him nowthat he talks to the Face: "Perhaps I accepted more than I couldperform. But is that criminal? Shall be punished for that? Shall Ibe held responsible for that which was beyond my power?" And theFace: "It was not to accomplish that that you accepted her. Youtook her as a means toward your own selfishness. As an instrumentto be called to jefferson; not for my ends, but for your own."