Rating: 
Summary: You should be dying to read it
Review: I've been attempting to read at least a couple of books by each of the world's great writers. It is a fantastic process discovering new and varied genius. This book was my first Faulkner and it will be my last. It is one of the few "great books" which completely escapes me.Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I think good writing should have clarity. I just do not enjoy reading a passage and wondering what is being said or what just happened. This book is so abstract and filled with so much hillbilly jargon that I only have the vaguest notion as to what is going on. I can't visualize the action with any exactingness. Some might say it is with artistic intention that this vagueness is created, for "montage" or impressionistic effect. I'm surprised many people find that sufficiently satisfying. To me it is frustratingly confusing. The subject matter of the story is, of course, very dismal. This adds to the depressing experience. "Grapes of Wrath" likewise dealt with an impoverished and arduous journey, but the strength and merit of the characters was revealed through clarity of writing and dimension in the story line. Here, character development is minimal. By the end of the book I don't know these people, and furthermore I don't find myself liking them all that much. I do appreciate the different character first-person perspectives of each chapter, that is the only aspect of the book which I find myself admiring. But it is not redeeming. I do give it an extra star, for that reason only. Normally when I finish a paperback book the pages are filled with my markings which highlight the passages or phrases or ideas which I want to return to some day. I finished this book without a single mark. Hopefully I'll have better luck with Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5, the next book at the top of my stack.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be scared to pick this book up
Review: I had only heard bad things about William Faulkner's writing, so I was a little leery of this book. However, once I got into it, it wasn't that bad. I liked how Faulkner was able to construct a plot without having the reader even noticing it. As I Lay Dying is a very good representative of stream of consciousness writing. I also like how Faulkner develops his characters through what the other characters in the book think about each other. Not only do you get to learn what each character thinks of the other characters, but it allows you to form your own opinion on the characters, which would otherwise be hard to do if you only had one point of view to go by. The story is about the Bundren family who find themselves having a hard time trying to fulfill their mother's last wish, to be buried with her family. Through these experiences, Faulkner explores many themes including the importance of family and religion. Faulkner also explores other social issues that arise from being a poor country family living in the South. This book should be read in literature classes at the high school and college level. It is a good introduction to stream of consciousness writing and brings up a lot of good topics that can be discussed.
Rating:
Summary: Intro to William Faulkner
Review: I've read three of Faulkner's great novels, "Absalom, Absalom!" "The Sound and the Fury," and this one. Of the three, "As I Lay Dying" is the easiest and perhaps the most fun. Actually, after about the first 10 pages or so, the storyline is pretty easy to figure out. The only thing difficult is differentiating and remembering all the character names and associating the characters with their actions. Taking notes might actually be helpful. A family tree in the beginning would have been helpful too, but I'm sure Faulkner would have objected. Faulkner forces you to figure out simple things like gender, relative age, and familial relationships without giving you too many clues, but things soon become clear. Of the three Faulkner novels I've read, this is by far the funniest, and has a great punchline at the end. A must read for Faulkner fans, and if you're going to dive in to his works, this is a great place to start.
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