it doesn’t have to be your favorite book or anything. It can be any book that you find yourself thinking of with a sense of pride for having read it.
Personally, I am really proud of myself for not DNFing A Little Life and pushing forward. I read a very good chunk of that book with tears running down my face–mind you, I was reading it on my phone during lectures for the entirety of my first semester last year–and I was always on the verge of putting it down just because of the horrible content. Also, it was pretty long; too long, actually. So when I was done, I was simultaneously Heartbroken, broken (just like in general), and relieved. It was truly a feat.
An honorable mention is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, because I swear to God I did not understand a single thing about it even 10 chapters in. Charles Dickens is too much.
The Sound and the Fury-I was totally confused after the Benjy section. I’m glad I pushed through because it became one of my favorite books by the time I was finished with it.
I need to read more Faulkner. His writing is wonderful
I feel like Benjy is a breeze compared to the nightmare Quentin devolves into. One of my favorites! Have you read “Absalom, Absalom!”? I have been on a Faulkner kick the past two months and “Absalom, Absalom!” just sticks in my brain. One of the greatest books I have ever read