Book Awards Reading Challenge

Author: William Faulkner

Pages: 261

Rating: 3.5/5

I chose this book both for the Book Awards Challenge and By the Decades Challenge (1930s), but I have been putting it off for months. I have a bitter-sweet relationship with Faulkner. I am fascinated by him, and in many respects he is one of my favorite American authors (at least non-contemp), but nothing about his writing is straight-forward. Frankly, sometimes his writing is exhausting, which usually tires and bores me, but with Faulkner its almost as if I know he is playing some joke on me and I won't be made the fool. Anyone reading this who is not a bibliophile is probably thinking, "Cuckoo!" :)

As I Lay Dying is the story of The Bundren family: Anse, Addie, Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman. Addie, the matriarch, is dying, and Cash, the eldest son, is building her casket while she watches. Once Addie dies, the Bundrens make an arduous journey to Jefferson to bury her-a journey which is the key of the story.

The rest of the review can be found HERE on my blog.