Rating: 
Summary: Magnificient Masterpiece
Review: A rather simple plot of a southern family that has lost status is turned into a commentary on human nature and the individual both as part of society as well as an antagonist. Rather than glorifying unusual occurrences, everyday events are presented with their deserved importance. The diction which at more than one occasion is difficult to follow, ranges from simple to in occasions beautifully poetic.I have been most impacted by books whose characters are not stereotyped or idealized, but contain human virtues as well as flaws. After finishing each section of The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, I felt sorrow in abandoning the minds characters I had grown to care for, or grown to dislike. The words jumped out of the pages and embodied a friend, relative, acquaintance or enemy. Told from the point of view of a 33-year-old mentally handicapped man, at first I dreaded the "Benjy" section. As I became accustomed to the "stream-of consciousness" point of view, the world and every day experience where revealed to me from an entirely different perspective. This perspective used only description of sensory perception as a tool of understanding. I had, for the first time, the opportunity to step into the shoes of someone whose actions I could have never comprehended. The second section is written from the point of view of a brilliant 18-year-old college student named Quentin Compson. He loses himself in elaborate prose and imaginary conversations; his main concerns are those he cannot control: the passage of time, the changing and growing up of those around him and a contradictory society. Quentin holds on to his idealistic views but soon loses all hope as he replays in his mind his father's cynical arguments and faces a society where he feels he is misunderstood. While in the previous section his brother Benjy was unable to comprehend change, Quentin's flaw is his devotion to the past and unwillingness to change. The third section is told from the point of view of Jason, the eldest brother who is left to care for Caddy's daughter. He is by all definiton san "unlovable character" who seems to have inherited his father's nihilistic and cynical nature, but with less intellectual pomposity and more practicality. However, a reader might be torn between hating this character and feeling pity for the life he is given. His parents sent Quentin to Harvard, while Jason must stay a simple businessman in his home town. The fourth section is told from the servant's (Dilsey) point of view. This section is written differently than the others, marked by it's lack of stream-of-consciousness by adapting a more omnicient point of view. Dilsey is not stuck in the past like Benjy, or fears the future like Quentin...but she adjusts to living in the present and seems to be in complete control of her life.
Rating:
Summary: one of the greatest novels ever written
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Depressing
Review: Aren't there enough bad things in life? Why read about it in a depressing, confusing manner. I read a lot and if this is indicitive of Falkner's style, then consider him checked off my list of authors to read.
Rating:
Summary: everything you need to know about modern lit
Review: Faulkner is often regarded as a "difficult" novelist, and this book is indeed a densely dilineated, complex tome. It is also, however, incredibly straighforward. It is one of those texts that you just have to go with. Turn loose of your preconceptions about fiction and about narrative, and you will be amply rewarded. Faulkner, along with Joyce, was a master of stream-of-consciousness narrative, and this is his masterpiece in that regard. To appreciate such a technique, you must as the Beatles exhorted, "turn off your mind, relax, go downstream." Go with the flow, no matter you noxious that sounds these days. If you let yourself think for a while as Benjie does, the whole patchwork makes perfect sense. This is a family novel, more than anything else, but it is obviously not about the Waltons. Faulkner made a career out of delineating the disfunction of not only Southern families, but of the South in the era following the ignominious defeat (at least in the minds of many participants) of the local inhabitants. The whole social structure broke down from within, and though no apologist, Faulkner was enough of a realist to depict the society in all its infirm decline. Southern revisionists can come along and deny its accuracy, but for a true picture of ther region in the first half of the 20th century, Faulkner is more accurate than any social historian.
Rating:
Summary: a very misunderstood book
Review: after reading several of the customer reviews, i was interested to find that very few people are aware of the fact that the first two sections of the book are in a form of a stream of consciousness that consists of MULTIPLE changes. that is, especially in quentin's section, benjy and quentin tell the compson story through various events in the past, ranging from 1898 to 1928. the events benjy and quentin refer to can change from one word to the next. also, there is little or no punctuation. for example, benjy, the "man-child," will refer to "damuddy's death in one phrase, and the moment of his castration the next. although this is an excellent book, it is definitely NOT for everyone. to truly appreciate the sound and the fury, one must read it fairly slowly, deliberately, and with literary consideration. much like a clockwork orange, it takes a while to adjust to the style and technique, but it is well worth it, if you can stand it.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking American Novel of the Century
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: If I like this book, anyone will love it!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: One of the few books I've read twice, this novel of Faulkner's is one of the most amazing masterpieces of modernism, not to say that this is Faulkner's only great novel. No one but him can develop ideas so complex in such simple language (through Benjy), such simple desires and hopes through such exact and complex language (Quentin), and such dark humor from such a serious and shallow character (Jason). Amazing. You understand more and get more of the Compson fam w/ each time you read it.
Rating:
Summary: Greatness in a cover
Review: "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!
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully tragic..
Review: I pretty much picked "The Sound and the Fury" on a whim and I'm glad I did. As the reviewer before me, William, stated this book has so much depth. Beauty that is revealed as the story progresses. Yes, I found it difficult at the beginning. Benjy's narrative flings itself far and wide, twisting and turning. You may get lost, but keep reading! Next you'll come to Quentin's tragic narrative, which takes place some 18 years earlier. The pieces of the Compson family puzzle began to finally come together. Jason, the cynical brother, is next. All three brothers recall extensively their feelings and thoughts on their sister Caddy, who has no narrative, but is profoundly present the whole time. Finally Dilsey, the black servant, has the final chapter. Through each narrative the story and writing become more coherent. A truly worthwhile read to savor and enjoy. If all else fails, I've found a few Faulker study guides on the net. Great resources to help you get more out of his rich and satisfying novels.
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