Customer Reviews

The Sound and the Fury

5 star:		(152)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(29)

 

 

The first chapter is what puts people off this classic. Here is a simple way to understand that chapter. By followong who is caring for Benji you will know when things are taking place. It becomes a very easy chapter to read once you get used to this.

Versh - 1900-ish when Benji is 3-5

T.P. 1905-1912 when Benji is 15-ish

Luster - Present when Benji is 33.

Each time italics are incorporated Benji is changing his train of thought.

I find this book moving and very rewarding.

Okay. I have had a bitter love/hate relationship with Faulkner since the first work I read of his, "The Bear." Well, after reading this novel, struggling, cussing, and questioning, I think it is safe to say that Faulkner is the greatest American author of the 20th century. (Deep breath) So what do we have in "The Sound and the Fury"? Too much to type, and I don't know most of it anyway. What I do know is that reading this book turns the experience into an obsession. It is tremendously difficult to read and it takes over your life. I believe that the reason Faulkner wrote it this way is because he is arguing that language can unite people. No, you can't use language to make good mothers, fathers, brothers, or sisters - just take a look at the Compson family. But maybe language can serve as a unifying factor between this and other books in Modernism? Whatever. Here, this might be at least slightly helpful. Caddy: Central character of the book. She is the object of fixation by her brothers, yet there isn't anything exceptional about her - the obsession is arbitrary. Faulkner doesn't give her a voice, but she speaks through her actions (Example: Squatting on the branch with muddy underwear looking through the window at her grandmother's funeral -- a feat her brother's looked upon with awe). Benjy: His narration is the first one of the book and it contains the truth of the Compson family situation objectively because he is retarded. The only thing he notices is that things happen, no emotions or thoughts attached. No desire. He does have an amazing ability in being able to predict Caddy's sexual decline (Young Caddy smells like trees, purity) - (Teenage Caddy smells like rain, she is wearing perfume). Benjy loss is Caddy as he wonders up and down the old pasture, now a golf course as he hears the golfers yelling "Caddie!" Quentin: He cannot see himself. He wants to restore Caddy into a body that is real, but his obsession with her is so he won't have to look at himself (Man this is hard to explain without giving away plot). Jason: The embodiment of evil. The weird thing is that his obsession with material things is what makes him the sanest character in the book! For isn't this obsession a nationwide phenomenon? Mr. Compson: A failure of a father on all levels, despite his effort. His once aristocratic family is now borderline poor. Mrs. Compson: The mother who is so helpless that she cannot take care of herself, let alone her family. Dilsey: The housekeeper who is the sole source of responsibility in the family. ----------------------------------------------------------------- For me this book absorbed me but, in many ways, it was a nightmare. I have never experienced characters as vivid as the Compson family. I would argue that Caddy might be the most developed portrait of a female ever written. This book also has great rereading value. I estimate that after my detailed reading, I picked up on about twenty-percent of all the symbolism and implications. No, this is not a beach book. It is a book you read at your upstairs desk with your pencil in hand to make notes in the margin and a cup of coffee at your side. I urge you to become obsessed. You'll fit right in with the Compson's.

What could I possibly say besides this might very well be my all-time favorite book? This story of the fall of the Compson family, an aristocratic Southern family, mirrors the fall of the Old South after the Civil War. Faulkner is one of my favorite authors, and the way he changes the narrative viewpoint in this book is amazing. The first section of this book is told through the eyes of Benjy Compson, a thirty-three year old mentally retarded man. Only Faulkner could tell a story from this viewpoint. This section is incredibly difficult to read because it has no chronology: Benjy has no concept of time so he jumps from event to event as the story progresses. Often, he will make a jump of thirty years with little or no warning to the reader. The reader should not be discouraged from reading because of this; the reading gets progressively easier through the book, and future sections will also explain what happened in Benjy's section.

The second section is told by Quentin Compson on the day of his suicide. It may very well be the best use of stream of consciousness narration ever. It is filled with long, flowing thoughts, and there are even two sections where Faulkner disregards ALL punctuation to simulate the frantic pace of Quentin's obsessive thoughts.

The third section, told by Jason Compson, the "evil" brother, is my favorite; it is a darkly humorous masterpiece. Read it yourself to see what I mean. The fourth section is told by an omniscient third-person narrator, and this section contains Faulkner's trademark flowing prose.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It is an awesome book, rich in symbolism and imagery, and it contains many well-developed characters and themes. For this and for its groundbreaking experiments in narration, I consider The Sound and the Fury to be my favorite book of all time.

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.

A simple glance at this review's title tells the reader that The Sound and the Fury is no simple read! Of course, that feeling will be confirmed by reading the reviews listed below. As in life, however, the truly rewarding thing never comes too easily...

The book deals with the saga (I hate to use that word but it applies very well in this case) of the Compson family of Jefferson, Mississippi, a once-proud clan now shamefully falling from grace, generation by generation. The story, which I will not divulge, is told four times- each time by a different character, comprising a separate section of the book. Each section is somewhat different, as different people often see the same event differently depending on their viewpoints, opinions, and experiences.

The first section is told by Benjy, a profoundly retarded man. The next is told by Quentin, his brother; the third by Jason (another brother); and the last is omniscient though it concentrates on the thoughts of the housekeeper. There is no narrative to speak of, and the thought patterns of the disturbed characters are very nonlinear, to say the least. All three brothers are, in one way or another, obsessed with their sister Caddy. The reader is never introduced to Caddy and is thus forced to paint a picture of her from the contradictory descriptions of her brothers' thoughts.

There are various tragic twists and turns and the reader is not sure what really happened until the end of the book (and sometimes not even then). But enough plot... read the book yourself for that. I want to talk about Jason-

It is often said that the sections become easier to read as the book proceeds. Fair enough, because the first section refers to events which the reader cannot know have taken place yet. However, it is concomitantly assumed that as the book continues, the character telling the story becomes more sane. Jason is considered as a mean but sensible character, who runs a tight ship. This is, to me, nonsense. Jason is completely psychotic. His interactions with ALL the characters in the book indicate this. He constantly claims that money is not important, and yet he hoards nickels and dimes in his room and steals from his own family... not just theft but an elaborate embezzlement scheme of forgery and pretending to burn checks. He claims that he would never bet on a team with Babe Ruth, even if he knew in advance that it would win- and then complains that his "jews" ie stock informers from New York are withholding market information from him just to ruin him. Paranoia is a definite sign of psychosis to me. Quentin, on the other hand, is completely neurotic.

A psychotic man thinks that 2+2 = 5. A neurotic man knows that the answer is 4, BUT IT BOTHERS HIM! Chew on that one for a bit...

As Faulkner himself admitted, the book was a failure in that it was unclear. This, however, leads to a thesis discussed in his next novel, that of.... can it possibly be revealed using our system? Are words adequate to reveal the story? Words get in the way sometimes, after all, clouding up communication. Either way, it's an interesting idea, no? It sure beats Grisham novels at least....By the way, don't use cliff's notes... instead, go to the site "William Faulkner on the Web" for help with the jump cuts through time in the first two sections.

Check it out!

I wanted to really like this novel. I wanted it to get under my skin. I wanted to re-read it again and again and discover subtle nuances that I missed in earlier readings; but I have to say it never happened. I'm reluctant to write this review because I suspect that fans of the novel will label me as yet another unsophisticated reader who is unable to appreciate the complex genius of Faulkner's masterpiece.

If you haven't read the novel my best advice is to get a list of the novel's characters before you start reading. Faulkner uses a `stream of consciousness' style of narration in the novel. The character's thoughts come without introductions and little effort is made to explain who the characters are in relation to one another. Having a `who's who' guide by my side would have helped me tremendously.

The first chapter is from the perspective of Benji, the youngest child in the Compson family who is mentally retarded and (I assume) autistic. Benji has no apparent concept of time and his narration continuously shifts from past to present. This can take some getting used to, but there are clues that will help you determine the time line for events (for example, Benji has three separate care-givers over the years. You can estimate the year, based on who is looking after Benji.)

The oldest brother, Quentin, narrates the second chapter of the novel. This chapter is not nearly as cryptic as the first, but it can still be difficult to follow. Quentin is obsessed, as all his brothers are in their own way, with their sister Caddy. Caddy is novel's protagonist, despite the fact that she is only seen through the eyes of others.

The third and forth chapters of the novel are more traditional in format and subsequently are much easier to follow. Jason, the third child, narrates the third chapter, while the final chapter is written in the third person.

Faulkner is an unquestionably talented writer and there are passages in The Sound and the Fury that are powerful and moving. I admire Faulkner's willingness to take risks and to stay true to his unconventional vision but for me, The Sound and Fury was like an unfulfilled promise. It seemed to me that there was so much potential with these characters, but that this potential was never fully realized.

The ending felt arbitrary and left so much unresolved that the novel felt unfinished. There are a number of story lines introduced in Benji's chapter that aren't followed up in subsequent chapters. I realize that there is a point to this (after all, what is memorable to Benji, is not necessarily memorable to Quentin or Jason) but the bottom line is, all the dead ends and loose threads in the story leave the reader (at least this reader) feeling unfulfilled.

The Sound and the Fury is worth reading but it didn't resonate with me the way some of Faulkner's other work has.

Then again, maybe I'm just not a sophisticated enough reader to fully appreciate it.

Faulkner delivers a superb masterwork with this one. The characters are sculpted with astounding depth and believability and arranged in perfect juxtaposition to one another. Very few authors possess the uncanny ability to truly delve into so many characters so deeply as Faulkner seems to do with no effort at all.

Each of the books four chapters is told from a different characters perspective and provides insights into the events of the story from assorted times and scenes.

Be warned that this is absolutely not a pool side, vacation book for most people. You will think. You will be confused. You will laugh, and weep at your inability to follow the internal monologue of a distracted, disattached mongoloid. You may even feel like one yourself.

A quick Google search, or a run through of other reviews, will provide a few very useful web sites for sorting through the narration and hammering out the chronology of the telling. Such assistance is highly recommended as very beneficial.

Sure, you need to do some work to appreciate this great novel, but many things in life require a bit of effort to appreciate. I disagree with the below reviewer who claims that if it takes work, it aint worth it. I would add that by far the most helpful companion to Faulkner's novel is the Twayne's Masterworks series (like Cliffs, only 1000 times better -- and they exist for many other great novels too). Like Wallace Stephens, Faulkner gives us four different version of the kernel of his story which in his words was our view of Caddie, the little girl who muddied her drawers, climbing up the pear tree. Faulkner gives Benjy, the 33 year old retard, the greatest gift of all -- speech! Though this first section, seen through Benjy's eyes, is confusing, Faulkner limits his vocabulary to just over a 100 or so words. My high school students this year in AP English voted this their favorite book of the year of the 11 or so novels we read. With a bit of background information, the reader's comprehension will be greatly aided. I'm going on my 15th reading and I'm happy to say the text yields up new insights every time. One of my all time favorite novels by anyone. I envy the first time reader experiencing sections I and II for the first time -- savor the experience.

"The Sound and the Fury" is one of the most satisfying novels I have ever read and by far Faulkner's greatest achievement. William Faulkner has always claimed that the book was a simple story mainly about Caddy. This may strike as somewhat odd since she has no designated chapter for her narration. Without having a chapter of her own to share her own thoughts, the author has used the opinions and thoughts of the other characters, her brothers Benjy, Quentin, and Jason, to reveal her personality and integrity to the reader. With Benjy's section coming first in the book and his objective nature, we see first hand that Caddy is a good person at heart, for she is the only family member who shows compassion toward Benjy in their youths and she is who Benjy cries for later on in their lives. Quentin is solely obsessed with Caddy and her loss of innocence. He dreads the day when the memory of her sins no longer impact his life. For, to Quentin, when the past is meaningless, so is life, and in the end he commits suicide. Through Jason's treatment of Caddy, the reader sees how self-centered and childish Jason really is. He is the only Compson child who recieves love from their mother, but is the only one who does not need it. Caddy's promiscuity is simply a rebellious act against the loveless parents that she had growing up. Dilsey seems to be the only bit of glue holding the family together, but even she can't keep the family in the order it needs. She says she's seen the beginning and she's seen the end, signifying the family's final tragic crumble. This novel is a beautiful portrayal of the Compson family and their tragic fall. It shows what family life needs to survive and what happens when those elements are not present. A MUST READ!

"The Sound and the Fury" is regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of 20th century literature, and Faulkner's work duly deserves such veneration. He has brilliantly crafted a novel illustrating the breakdown of the once eminent Compson family through the revolutionary stream-of-conscious technique. "Sound"'s inherent commentary on not just Southern tradition but the overall human experience resulted in its universal appeal. Yet, Faulkner's work is notoriously difficult to read, especially since the narration is complex and the passage of time is convuluted.

The novel is divided into four sections, three of which are narrated by the three Compson brothers - Benjy, Quentin, and Jason. One common factor between the Compson brothers is their obsession for their sister, Candance (Caddy), and the changes she undergoes. The last section of the novel is narrated by an omnipresent narrator, though Dilsey, the Compson's dedicated African-American servant, is the center of focus. Each of the four sections contain a unique time passage and an overall tone that contribute to illustrating the downfall of the Compsons.

The first section is told through the perspective of Benjy, an "idiot" or an adult with mental disablities. Due to the simple language and lack of time sequence, Benjy's section is regarded by many as the novel's most difficult section. Benjy's recollection of past and present events are initiated by abstract references. For example, a golf caddie reminds him of his sister "Caddy" and incidents involing her. Trying to piece together Benjy's random recollections with an appropriate time period can be quite an accomplishment. My advice to overcome this troublesome section is to read it over twice carefully.

Although Quentin's section is not quite as chaotic as Benjy, it is still as difficult. Quentin's thoughts are filled with complex ideas, allusions, and symbols that are a reflection of his academic acheivement as a freshman at Harvard. Despite his success, Quentin's overall tone in the section is one of despair and failure. His obsession for Caddy's changed ways ultimately lead to his ultimate demise. My advice is to read it once for clarity of understanding his thoughts and the events he recalls. Read it again in order to understand the signficance of the allusions and symbolism.

Jason's section is a relief from the first two sections of the novel because it is swift-moving and easier to understand. The main overtones of the section are Jason's hypocrisy and cruelty, which in combination together are the root of the Compsons' ultimate downfall. This section can be read carefully once in order to grasp all the significant aspects.

Faulkner finally gives us some relief by narrating the last section through an outsider perspective. We finally can piece together the causes of the Compson downfall, the implications of the characters, and a greater understanding of the themes that Faulkner intends to instill in us. Dilsey is the subject of the passage as a pillar of strength during adverse conditions. This is perhaps the easiest section to read and can be fully understood in one round.

Although the novel is extremely difficult and cumbersome to read, the profound message that Faulkner conveys about the human experience is a greater compensation for the misery "Sound" may put you through. No other novel has had such a deep impact on so many people. "The Sound and the Fury" will surely continue to be an influential work for times to come.