I read this book solely because I’m a big Faulkner fan, and since his great-grandfather Falkner was the inspiration for the colonel of the Yoknapatawpha stories, I was intrigued. It was really surprising to see how sappy and romantic this book was, as I’d thought of Falkner as a sort of genteel cowboy.As for the story itself, I read one description of it as “ponderous,” and I find that an apt description. The story just keeps going and going as subplots abound. The copy I read was deceptive because it was only 180 pages, but they were very large pages with tiny print. So in a regular -sized book I’d guess it would be the equivalent of about 600 pages and maybe more.It reminded me a lot of Frankenstein for several reasons. One was the descriptions of the female love interests—they were described throughout as beings that were absolutely stunning in every conceivable way. Another reason is the way the plot unfolds with such foreboding, only this story ultimately goes in a different direction (I won’t say more about that so as to avoid spoilers). The exaggerated emotionalism also smacks of Romantic and Victorian Era literature, with ladies fainting from shock or coming close to death from heartbreak seemingly on every page. Another similarity is the occasional suggestion of the supernatural at play.If you can get used to the dated style of writing, it’s actually a pretty fun story. It would make a good TV miniseries.So for students of Faulkner or those who enjoy a sappy story or those who like romanticized 18th-century literature, it’s worth checking out. Just don’t expect a literary masterpiece.