The Reivers by William Faulkner, 320 pages

"The Reivers" is the library book clubs' classic pick this year.  It was originally published in 1962, about a month before William Faulkner died.

It is a rollicking and nostalgic story that the narrator, Lucius, is telling his own grandson nearly 60 years after it happened.  Lucius was 11 years old in 1905 when he and two family employees, one black and one white, "borrow" Lucius' grandfather's car and drive it from Jefferson, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee.  They pull this off because Lucius' parents and grandparents leave town to attend a funeral. 

Stolen cars, stolen horses, prostitutes, amoral lawmen are all part of this adventure.  I wondered all through the book when the term "Reivers" would come up.  It didn't.  I later read a review that said "reivers" is an old Scottish word that means "robber."  Ahh, well said, Mr. Faulkner.  I mostly internally cringe when I know I am going to read a CLASSIC, but I totally enjoyed this one.