The Rivers by William Faulkner

There’s something wonderful about a book that makes you laugh out loud while still leaving a mark on your heart. This one does exactly that.

The Reivers is one of Faulkner’s true comic masterpieces—a picaresque romp that tells of three unlikely car thieves from rural Mississippi. Eleven-year-old Lucius Priest is persuaded by Boon Hogganbeck, one of his family’s retainers, to “borrow” his grandfather’s car and set off for Memphis. The family’s coachman, Ned McCaslin, stows away, and suddenly the three of them are off on a heroic odyssey for which they are wildly ill-equipped.

What follows is pure delight: horse smuggling, trainmen, sheriffs’ deputies, a stay at Miss Reba’s bordello, and a good bit of time spent one step ahead of the law. It’s coming-of-age, tall tale, and Southern comedy all rolled into one.

Published in 1962, this was Faulkner’s final novel—and it earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, his second. Readers often call it his most accessible and warm-hearted work, a perfect doorway into his beloved Yoknapatawpha County for newcomers, and a joy for longtime fans.

Nestled here on our Classics shelf, this tradepaperback edition is made for lingering. Curl up with it on a salty, rainy afternoon and let Faulkner sweep you away.

Whether you’re building a Faulkner collection or simply hunting for a story that’s equal parts funny and profound, this is a discovery worth making. Come browse—or let us wrap one up for you.

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