“[A] hack writer who would not have been considered fourth rate in Europe, who tricked out a few of the old proven ‘sure fire’ literary skeletons with sufficient local color to intrigue the superficial and the lazy.” — William Faulkner
Only having read a few short stories by Faulkner, I tried one of his novels. Could not stand the schmaltzy prose. Faulkner does not stand the test of time like Twain does.
Faulkner is as big now as he ever was. He’s a huge influence on writers all over the world.
What about Thomas Wolfe? I tried reading You Can’t Go Home Again after I moved to Asheville. It was incredibly boring and I never finished it.
I do love Nelson DeMille, though.
“[A] hack writer who would not have been considered fourth rate in Europe, “
Frankly I think Faulkner disqualifies himself on the subject with the European writer angle. Twain was the antidote to things European. Apples and oranges. See ‘Innocents Abroad’. Twain was a DISTINCTLY American humorist/writer.