The Sound and the Fury
86. William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
This novel depicts the supremely dysfunctional Compson family: rebellious Caddy, tragically unbalanced Quentin, self-centered and cruel Jason, mentally retarded Benjy, a detached father, and a weak-willed and querulous mother, not to mention the black servants who wait on them all. Three characters take a turn narrating the family’s self-destruction and unwittingly unveiling the tragic secret that lies at its heart.
I will say, I enjoyed this book a lot more than As I Lay Dying, but that’s not saying much. Faulkner’s stream-of-consciousness style grated on my nerves for a while, and it completely confused me; I was at least two thirds of the way through the book before I figured out who all the different characters were. I really disliked the first third or so of the book, and I basically stuck with it solely from a feeling of obligation. However, as I got farther along, I got much more interested in the novel’s plot, and I came to see that the style could actually be very effective. I’m glad I finished this book, and in hindsight I definitely think it was worth reading.