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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Probably my favorite of all of Faulkner's works - a family that will stay with you forever. Faulkner knows his characters inside and out and goes deeper than most other authors into the chaos of human thought and relationships.
slow-paced
Audiobook 3.8 stars
I got [b:The Dog of the South|938212|The Dog of the South|Charles Portis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425216240l/938212._SY75_.jpg|47235] vibes from this book.
To begin, I guess, the structure and narrative style of the book was jarring at first and esoteric - I consulted a character list at first - however, after the first couple of chapters, the perspective changes add a lot of depth to events, which at first appear penumbral, but are given new life by another character. As soon as I grew accustomed to the different character's voices, there was much to be learned about character development through such an innovative and indirect way.
Several questions are still unanswered in my mind and maybe it is because they demand more rumination. What was Falkner saying about death? What was he saying about life? I feel as though the characters, in grief became more and more selfish and concerned with their own human desires whilst embarking on a beleaguered funeral procession. Or maybe, Falkner wanted to leave his readers with the stark contrast between life and death - how people do ridiculous things, break legs, burn barns, and cross rivers in order to respect the wishes of the dead. What are the dead to the living? The much-anticipated burial was not even mentioned by the characters, simply the borrowing and returning of shovels. It is as though Falkner was guiding us to the realization that all is vanity and striving after wind - maybe that is what Darl found so funny.
Read if you are interested in innovated, classical storytelling and also single sentence chapters.
I got [b:The Dog of the South|938212|The Dog of the South|Charles Portis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425216240l/938212._SY75_.jpg|47235] vibes from this book.
To begin, I guess, the structure and narrative style of the book was jarring at first and esoteric - I consulted a character list at first - however, after the first couple of chapters, the perspective changes add a lot of depth to events, which at first appear penumbral, but are given new life by another character. As soon as I grew accustomed to the different character's voices, there was much to be learned about character development through such an innovative and indirect way.
Several questions are still unanswered in my mind and maybe it is because they demand more rumination. What was Falkner saying about death? What was he saying about life? I feel as though the characters, in grief became more and more selfish and concerned with their own human desires whilst embarking on a beleaguered funeral procession. Or maybe, Falkner wanted to leave his readers with the stark contrast between life and death - how people do ridiculous things, break legs, burn barns, and cross rivers in order to respect the wishes of the dead. What are the dead to the living? The much-anticipated burial was not even mentioned by the characters, simply the borrowing and returning of shovels. It is as though Falkner was guiding us to the realization that all is vanity and striving after wind - maybe that is what Darl found so funny.
Read if you are interested in innovated, classical storytelling and also single sentence chapters.
Faulkner is a painter. With words and with juxtapositions of disparate expressions, text styles, and so many other things in this novel he creates an expansive newness beyond the mere narrative. Puzzling and dazzling.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
I actually read this outside of school and really liked it... But I don't really remember why!
This was my first time reading Faulkner, and it was much more of a mental workout than I'm used to from novels. Faulkner does not provide any exposition whatsoever, forcing the reader to figure out what is happening by piecing together the patchwork of narratives presented as stream-of-consciousness monologues from each character. I will confess that I did not always know what was going on, particularly in the beginning of the book, but I enjoyed the challenge of trying to understand it. As I Lay Dying is a confusing yet poetic and profound masterpiece. I imagine it would be even better on the second read-through, when I would actually know who each character was from the beginning, and I look forward to reading more Faulkner in the future.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes