William Faulkner is one of the foremost American novelists in history and the most heavily criticized. Many critics feel that Faulkner's writing style displays brilliant originality, while others complain that his style is too wordy and difficult to understand.

             One of the first styles that Faulkner displays in many of his novels is the repetition of words which is a technique called 'grammatical repetition.' In one of Faulkner works, Absalom, Faulkner uses the word "demon" over and over again to describe one character's mania. In addition to this novel, he uses the tactic of repeating words in many of his earlier works. Another aspect of Faulkner's style is his use of lofty words. He uses bombastic words in order to impress the significance of a particular situation upon the reader.

             On the other hand, Michael Ondaatje is a Canadian author where almost every sentence of his work is heavy in meaning and powerful in content. Ondaatje brings the lines together seamlessly, and in many ways you feel like the writing is washing over you somehow. Ondaatje writing is clearly shown in his work "In the Skin of a Lion" (his second novel) in comparison with Faulkner. Ondaatje's novels give a memorable, often-enigmatic character, and interlocking tales of their extraordinary lives. The lushness of the writing and the vibrancy of characters is enough to entice most readers, unlike with Faulkner writings that use verbose words to impress the reader. Additionally, many readers will enjoy the historical content in Ondaatje's writing. Though never overtly political, his sensitive treatment of issues of discrimination (Coming Through Slaughter), Hiroshima and WWII (The English Patient), ethnic conflict (Anil's Ghost) and power relations (In the Skin of a Lion) deserve special mention.