Reviews

The Sound and the Fury: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism by C. Vann Woodward, Robert Penn Warren, Noel Polk, Jean-Paul Sartre, Richard H. King, Ben Wasson, David Minter, Ralph Ellison, Irving Howe, William Faulkner

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mipa_jt's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

juanpablo's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

graywacke's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

5.0

The opening section is the magic. This is roughly the same story told four times, but each is totally different. First mute Benji tells his version on his 33rd birthday. Then his brother Quenten from Harvard 17 years earlier, then his brother Jason from the day before, and finally a 3rd person narrator from the day after.

Benji's section is special because he can't talk and can't express what he thinks, even to the reader. He merely observes, confusing timelines, mixing memory and the present, taking up smells and ultimately understanding a lot more than anyone realizes. He grows up with his two brothers and sister Caddy who he adores, and who cares from him until she gets married. But Benji's main caretakers are the black servants, the sons and grandsons of Dilsey, who takes care of the house.

The white family is the Compson family, fully flushed on self-pride, spoiling the children, and hiding financial problems. As the fortune collapses, the family tries to get by strictly on pride alone, becoming uglier and more pathetic at every step. Benji is witness, as is Dilsey. But unlike everyone else, Dilsey maintains her pride, and integrity, suffering and yet growing, becoming the graceful one in the family, even as she is overlooked at a negro servant.

I'll leave this here. Suffice to say I enjoyed it. I was enraptured by the Benji section.

kcrouth's review against another edition

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3.0

Here I am, once again burned by reading a book included on "must-read" lists! I am a reader, not an author or a writer. I do not know or understand the various goals and objectives of writers and authors, particularly those of critical acclaim such as Mr. Faulkner. Being a reader who is not a literary scholar or critic, when i read a book, particularly a novel, i am seeking a compelling and well told story. In my opinion, Mr. Faulkner delivers neither in "The Sound and the Fury". The narrative method he uses is confusing and difficult to follow, much less understand. With the help of some comments found on various internet reviews, i was able to struggle my way through this tale. Upon finishing the book, i look back seeing a story that could have been both compelling and deeply interesting if it had only been made accessible to the reader. Instead this is a book studied by literary scholars, searching for the meaning hidden inside like some cruel riddle or trick played on the reader. I am not impressed with this book, and if Faulkner's other books are written in a similar way, i have no interest reading any more. :(

klparmley's review against another edition

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1.0

Yuck.

I don't know that I would have liked this better if I had read it to myself instead of listening to it, but I'm not likely to find out.

Multiple time lines hopping back and forth between tediums is just not how I want to spend my time.