Light in August (William Faulkner, 1932)

I have avoided Faulkner, but this book makes me reconsider.

What do blacks think of works like this?  A period piece (from 1932)?  Joe Christmas's alleged Negro blood is not presented very favorably (or am I projecting that somehow).  The description of the "negro" part of town.  Etc.

Also seems like there are lots of characters who were "Christian" in pretty psycho sort of way.

Maybe all this was a staple of the South in this era?  In one way the story/setting reminded me of this book:  a world really far away, I couldn't even imagine what that was like.

Main story lines are interconnected:

Lena Grove is pregnant and looking for the father - Lucas Burch (who is on the run under the name Joe Brown).  Lena gets to the right town and runs into Byron Bunch, who helps her get settled and get in touch with Burch/Brown (while falling in love with her himself).  (I know there are lots of Christianity allusions in this book though typically I miss stuff like that; but even I could pick up Lena evoking the unwed Mary with child, Bunch evoking the Joseph figure here.)

The town's ex-preacher is Gail Hightower - his grandfather was killed in the Civil War (though not gloriously).  Hightower keeps having visions of Civil War cavalry charges; this obsession (and a let's say unsatisfactory relationship with his wife) is why he is "ex" preacher.  Bunch consults with him, etc.

Joe Christmas is an orphan adopted by conservative parents - doesn't conform with the father's wishes, has uniformly negative relationships with women, starts selling alcohol illegally and uses Burch/Brown as a go-fer in the business.  Stays in an old negro cabin on a property owned by a wealthy northern woman who was ostracized by the town because she supported progress for blacks.  They have a relationship.  The woman gets murdered - not clear which of two suspects did it, however.

Burch/Brown's claim that Christmas had negro blood served him in good stead.  The sheriff captures Christmas eventually and he is visited by his grandparents (who he's never seen).

Not sure what to make of this, but I liked it.