Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rating: 3 & 1/2 Stars
After hearing so much about how Faulkner is so difficult to read I was expecting to have a more difficult time with it. The back country dialect is a bit tedious to get through, but all you have to do is to pay a bit more attention to what you’re reading and you’ll be fine. I enjoyed the many different perspectives throughout the book, however the stream of consciousness run off sentences in my opinion are more a hindrance to the flow of the story than a help.
The idea of a family traveling several miles through trials to bury their matriarch is a solid plot I could get behind, the problem with me lies in the pacing of the story. I didn’t necessarily get really into the book until the second half began, which is why I’m reluctant to give it a 4 star rating. Having said that, I do believe it’s a book everyone should read at least once.
After hearing so much about how Faulkner is so difficult to read I was expecting to have a more difficult time with it. The back country dialect is a bit tedious to get through, but all you have to do is to pay a bit more attention to what you’re reading and you’ll be fine. I enjoyed the many different perspectives throughout the book, however the stream of consciousness run off sentences in my opinion are more a hindrance to the flow of the story than a help.
The idea of a family traveling several miles through trials to bury their matriarch is a solid plot I could get behind, the problem with me lies in the pacing of the story. I didn’t necessarily get really into the book until the second half began, which is why I’m reluctant to give it a 4 star rating. Having said that, I do believe it’s a book everyone should read at least once.
This book could have been gimicky back before gimicky even existed, with Faulkner writing numerous short chapters from the perspective of a number of different characters, but it works and feels like a natural structure to the narrative. In the use of multiple narrators, it's much like "Sound and Fury." Arguably, though, this book is much simpler in its intent and scope, while still plenty ambitious. It's a tribute to Faulkner's skill that the multiple narrators do not confuse things and that it is easy to follow what's happening from who's perspective as a family more-or-less implodes as the head of the family prepares to go to the great beyond.
A great twist of characters. Left me with a lot to consider. It has a very dark plot that will leave you feeling sick at parts (the way well written novels do!). It's a pretty easy read, and not long at all, but the story will be one that will stay with you for times to come.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book because my then boyfriend said it was his favorite book….. he broke up with me as soon as I started the book. That’s all I can remember about the book.
It’s okay, would kinda recommend.
It’s okay, would kinda recommend.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this for my new English class, which is analysis of Southern literature. Having Faulkner as our first book was definitely an intense beginning, and "As I Lay Dying" was just the cherry on top to set the scene for the variety of insane tales we'd be reading in class. A story about being set in your ways and stuck in your born environment, Faulkner tells the story of a family that barely acts like one, characters that can't get out of their own personal ruts and a death that rocks even the strongest of people to their cores. "The poison trickles through," as they tend to say, and it doesn't just stop when you're born: no matter how old or physically/emotionally separated you are from your parents and family, you can become like them whether you like it or not. Poverty, class distinctions and the ravages of war — both on the battlefield and in the brain — tend to do that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, Classism
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I started off absolutely hating this book, and by the time I finished I realized it was the best thing I'd read in years.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes