The Hamlet
First edition cover
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| Author | William Faulkner |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | George Salter |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Snopes trilogy |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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1940 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
| Pages | 421 pp |
| OCLC | 409724 |
| Preceded by | If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem |
| Followed by | Go Down, Moses |
The Hamlet is a novel by the American author William Faulkner, published in 1940, about the fictional Snopes family of Mississippi. It is the first of the "Snopes" trilogy, completed by The Town (1957), and The Mansion (1959).
The novel follows the exploits of the Snopes family, beginning with Ab Snopes, who is introduced more fully in Faulkner's The Unvanquished. Most of the book centers on Frenchman's Bend, into which the heirs of Ab and his family have migrated from parts unknown. In the beginning of the book Ab, his wife, daughter, and son Flem settle down as tenant farmers beholden to the powerful Varner family.
As the book progresses, the Snopeses move from being poor outcasts to a very controversial, if not dangerous, element in the life of the town. In contrast, V.K. Ratliff stands as the moral hero of the novel. Faulkner uses the eccentricities of the Snopeses to great comic effect, most notably in his description of Ike Snopes and his carnal inclinations toward a cow.
A section toward the end of this book, detailing Flem's return from Texas and the auction of several horses, has also been published as the short story "Spotted Horses".
CHAPTER ONE
Part 1 (which is the only part) (pp. 3–26)
Frenchman's Bend/The Old Frenchman Place introduced: lawlessness; socioeconomic background of settlers. Will Varner, Jody Varner introduced. Ab Snopes rents a place from Jody; is discovered via gossip to be an alleged barn-burner. First glimpse of Eula (p. 11). Jody plans to force Ab out after getting work out of him. Ab is discovered to be mixed up in a second incident of barn-burning, over a dispute with de Spain over his wife's expensive French carpet. Jody agrees to take on Flem as a clerk in the Varner store to keep Ab happy.
CHAPTER TWO
Part 1
Ratliff is introduced, claims he knew Ab a long time ago.
Part 2
Ratliff discusses Ab's past, before he was "soured." Ab trades horses with Pat Stamper. Ab's motive: to recover the eight Yoknapatawpha County dollars that Stamper had acquired from Beasly. Ab picks up his wife's milk separator; trades Pat Stamper several teams, and comes out much the worse.
Part 3
Ratliff takes Ab a bottle of McCallum's whiskey.
CHAPTER THREE
Part 1
Flem settles in to clerking at Varner's store. Ratliff is established as a gossipmonger, a speculative capitalist, a traveler. Flem disrupts the normal business practices of the Varner store by insisting on payment up front and always calculating the bill correctly. Flem has a bow tie (64). Flem quickly establishes himself as upwardly mobile. Flem establishes a cow-trading sideline; I.O. and Eck Snopes appear on the Frenchman's Bend scene. The old blacksmith, Trumbull, is forced out. Jody wonders how much he'll have to pay in order to keep himself safe from the rumor of Ab's barn-burning.
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Wikipedia