The Sound and the Fury The Corrected Text

I unexpectedly loved this book, about the dissolution of a prominent Southern family in the early part of the 20th century. Recommend reading a brief review to orient yourself before you begin....I am no scholar, but from my limited experience, Faulkner was one of the first authors to use stream of consciousness extensively. Also,writes of the South as no one I have read has done.

I would have liked this more if I understood it.

Holy hell. Can someone even describe how grand an achievement this book is without doing injustice to how perfectly--perfectly--it is crafted. I can't. It's the only book that has actually hurt me, made me feel that despite all my best efforts I could never make something so grand, but at the same time must inspire any writer who reads it with the knowledge that their art...more

Holy hell. Can someone even describe how grand an achievement this book is without doing injustice to how perfectly--perfectly--it is crafted. I can't. It's the only book that has actually hurt me, made me feel that despite all my best efforts I could never make something so grand, but at the same time must inspire any writer who reads it with the knowledge that their art can make something like this, something that does not only captures the human soul but defines areas of it that might otherwise go unknown.   hide

I first read this book back in high school, on a dare -- a friend bet me I couldn't finish it, and I proved her wrong by not only doing so, but by writing my junior thesis on it. (It probably helped that I had a huge crush on her.) I've been fascinated with it ever since -- Faulkner's use of different voices for each of the characters, and the imagery he gives us ("she no longer smelled like...more

I first read this book back in high school, on a dare -- a friend bet me I couldn't finish it, and I proved her wrong by not only doing so, but by writing my junior thesis on it. (It probably helped that I had a huge crush on her.) I've been fascinated with it ever since -- Faulkner's use of different voices for each of the characters, and the imagery he gives us ("she no longer smelled like trees"). It's not an easy read, but some of the most enjoyable works of literature rarely are. I wrote a major paper on this book my junior year in high school - on a dare. The girl I made the bet with had to read it for a class; I didn't. She hated it; I loved it. It's difficult, but it's well worth it.   hide

Read it more than once. It's a really difficult book because it jumps between time and is told from four different perspectives. It's obvious that this is a great book, but I cannot fathom why this was chosen for Oprah's Book Club. You will have to work for meaning in a major way. The book is divided into four parts, and the first part is narrated by a person with a mental...more

Read it more than once. It's a really difficult book because it jumps between time and is told from four different perspectives. It's obvious that this is a great book, but I cannot fathom why this was chosen for Oprah's Book Club. You will have to work for meaning in a major way. The book is divided into four parts, and the first part is narrated by a person with a mental disability, so don't worry if it doesn't make sense at first... the first quarter is definitely the toughest. The best advice I can give is to always make sure you know what time frame you are in. Look for clues, such as which servants are involved. It changes over the years. Make a timeline if you have to. Still, though, I think it's probably worth it.   hide

TOUGH stuff

The Book Thief by Markus ZusakA haunting and compelling read. The unusual narrator is Death. the story is set in prewar Germany during the burgeoning Nazi movement. I thought it one of the best reads I've had in recent months.

I honestly do not understand why this book is considered such an achievement. It is easy to mimic, as what person could not disorient readers by presenting snippets of perception unconnected by a reasoning mind? Perhaps some readers feel they are experiencing how life is lived from a very different point of view. I could argue that removing organization from the presentation of details is the...more

I honestly do not understand why this book is considered such an achievement. It is easy to mimic, as what person could not disorient readers by presenting snippets of perception unconnected by a reasoning mind? Perhaps some readers feel they are experiencing how life is lived from a very different point of view. I could argue that removing organization from the presentation of details is the opposite of what fiction is meant to do, but the truth is that I just disagree with the many readers who feel Faulkner is doing it well here.   hide

HATE! I do not understand why Faulkner is so loved, but I find that personally, after reading both Faulkner and Woolf, I am simply not a fan of stream of consciousness writing, so take my review with a grain of salt. However, even aside from the style, I didn't appreciate the story line or find the characters at all compelling. I had to force myself to finish this book.