The Sound and the Fury

By William Faulkner

Book Overview

"The Sound and the Fury," William Faulkner's groundbreaking masterpiece, is a profound and intricate exploration of a Southern aristocratic family in decline. Set against the rich, complex backdrop of Mississippi, this novel delves deep into the Compson family's unraveling over three decades, painting a vivid portrait of faded glory, intergenerational conflict, and the enduring weight of the past.

Faulkner masterfully employs innovative narrative techniques, presenting the story through the stream-of-consciousness perspectives of various family members. This modernist approach allows for a uniquely intimate and psychological immersion into their individual struggles with love, loss, honor, and despair. Themes of sibling relationships, the impact of illegitimate children, the challenges faced by people with mental disabilities, and the loyalties of household figures further enrich this dense domestic fiction.

A cornerstone of Southern literature and a towering achievement in psychological fiction, "The Sound and the Fury" remains a powerful and unforgettable family saga. It invites readers to grapple with the fractured lives of its characters, offering a timeless meditation on memory, identity, and the relentless march of time. Experience this classic work in a meticulously prepared print edition, a testament to its enduring literary power.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102523572X
• ISBN13: 9781025235721
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Anson Street Press
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Haven't read book yet...pages missing

This review is not about the story but the condition of the book itself. When I received the book it was a little more used than I expected, but that was okay. I started reading the book and noticed pages are missing. Unfortunately I purchased the book a couple of months ago and so I can not get a refund. Very frustrated that there isn't some accountability for the products sold.

Enjoyed this book

To give this review perspective, I had just completed reading Stephen King's The Green Mile when I started this book. These two authors' writing styles' couldn't be more disparate. At the conclusion, I'm glad for the experience.

His best work. Perhaps the best novel of the century.

I'm searching for words to describe this novel, because it is so very complex and unusual that it defies traditional explanation.This novel is so COMPLETE, so WHOLE, that I have not found another that comes close to its ability to convey a story.Faulkner makes use of MANY techniques to describe what can only be called the tragedy of the Compson family, a once-wealthy Southern aristocratic dynasty. These techniques include: 1. Recurring imagery 2. Intensive use of symbolism 3. First-person narration from 4 different viewpoints 4. Occasional stream-of-consciousness passages which let you literally see into a character's thought process (in Quentin's section) 5. Ingenious sequencing of narratives (in Benjy's section, in particular)AND MANY MORE!The central role of imagery to this novel cannot be understated. Each section has its own recurring motifs that (whenever they appear) conjure up an entire armada of connotations. Faulkner was a master of envisioning images and then writing at breakneck pace to describe them. He once stated that The Sound and the Fury began when he got the image of Caddy up in a tree with soiled britches in his head. That was the basis for the novel. Everything else came from his attempt to explain its significance.I was forced to read this as part of an AP English class in high school. It was painful because of its difficulty. But I can't overemphasize the incredible rewards you will reap once you begin to piece the puzzle together. Faulkner's writing is incredibly deliberate; his sentences convey more than the sum of their words because each word's connotation is an entire image. Faulkner relates images, then conjures them up again at will, to iron into our minds what the characters must be thinking and feeling.Many have vilified this novel because some English professors have dubbed it a classic example of "stream-of-consciousness" technique. Such a label is a blatant stereotype, and this great novel should not be trivialized by such a categorization. Stream-of-consciousness is used sparingly and only where it has its most poingant effect. This technique is so perfect in this novel that seeing it in any other setting makes it seem artificial and awkward.My only criticism: I would like to see an edition that colorizes Benjy's section as Faulkner originally intended. You see, Faulkner REALIZED that Benjy's section would be difficult to follow, and wanted to print each period of time (there are approximately 11, if I remember correctly) in a different ink color to help the readers follow the narrative. But being limited by contemporary printing technology, his editor fell back on a rather poor use of italics, which falls fall short and only seems to add to the confusion.Once you've thoroughly read this novel, you can't help but appreciate the masterful way that Faulkner has told the story. After seeing the same story told from four points of view, you reach a higher level of understanding the plight of th

If I like this book, anyone will love it!

First of all, I'm one of those kids who mentally cusses out the teacher every time a novel is assigned, reads two pages of it, then scrapes through each chapter quiz by flicking through my trusty Cliff's notes five minutes before class. But this time, something was different. I found myself actually staying awake whilst reading, and even (gasp!) ENJOYING the book! I was being lured through each section, entranced by the vivid depiction of the tragic downward spiral of the once-noble Compson family. Reading Faulkner's harrowing, in-depth studies into the minds of three very different yet equally fascinating siblings is like piecing a puzzle together. The so-called idiot (Benjy), the virginity-obsessed suicidal (Quentin), the spiteful demon (Jason) and their kindhearted servant (Dilsey) all focus on the beautiful, rebellious Caddie. In doing so, they reveal fascinating ideas about the human mind and society. Trust me, this book is truly thought provoking. My English grade of an 'A' now stands out like a sore thumb on my report card, just as this masterpiece does in a world full of books that will always be second best.

Seminal work in the English language

The first time I had to read this book, I didn't so much read it as scowl and condemnt it. How dare a novel be so dense, so distant from the reader! What's the point of classic literature if it can not be read by the comman man? However, in order to pass my Literature class, I had to stick with it, forego the Cliffs Notes... trudge in with a knife in my teeth, ready to kill that white elephant.To say I respect this book is an understatement. The Sound and the Fury was my Rosetta Stone. When I finally understood the degradation of the post-slave south, the swiftly eroding morality, the hypocrisy, and the questioning of the meaning of religion and human value... all books became easier to read. I have become a literary snob, reading only those books that attack my values and intellect, and I blame that torrid dypsomaniac William Faulkner. From the Macbeth Act V, Scene V quote that sets the stage to the reccurent symbols to the overwhelming pain of every carefully chosen word, I have never been so challenged since. Don't buy the one-star reviews. Great works of literature and art aren't great because they are pablum for the masses, they are great because they demand the reader to grow and question everything held dear. Emily Dickensen said the only poetry worth reading is that which lops your head off. This novel is the guillotine for anyone who believes intelligence is a matter of cleverness. Caveat Lector and enjoy.