The Reivers

In spring 1940, shortly after the publication of “The Hamlet,” Faulkner told his editor that he had an idea for a new novel. “It will be something in the spirit of Huckleberry Finn,” he wrote. “An ordinary boy of about twelve—thirteen; an adult white man with a child’s mind—strong, kind, and utterly irresponsible; a black servant who has fallen into childishness—stubborn, selfish, and very crafty; and an already not-so-young prostitute with a strong character; and a stolen racehorse that none of them were really planning to steal. The story is how, with nothing to their name, they make a thousand-mile journey, trying to stay ahead of the police so they can return the horse to its owner in time. For more than twenty years, this idea remained unrealized. And only in June 1962 did the novel see the light of day and turn out to be the writer’s last work.”