Review: As I Lay Dying

 

★★★★

As I Lay Dying by the great William Faulkner was, surprisingly, the first Faulkner I've read. I should preface this review by saying that I had to read this novel for my American Literature class at school, so I might be slightly biased towards my teacher's interpretation of the novel. Nevertheless, I'll continue. 

As I Lay Dying follows the odyssey of the Bundren family as they travel 40 long, arduous miles to a graveyard to bury the dead matriarch of the family, Addie. The characters in the novel, mainly Addie's children and husband, each narrate chapters from their own perspective. Although the book ultimately seems short, the journey itself spans multiple days, and the reader really finds themselves enthralled by this odyssey. Although I personally didn't love the writing style, it is southern gothic at its finest, and I appreciate that. 

Honestly, in all probability, I would have never read this book on my own time. The writing is challenging and esoteric, and frequently I had absolutely no idea what was going on. But, in a way, isn't that the beauty of literature? With class discussion, I was able to understand the novel to a much greater degree. Reading is a very solitary activity, but discussing books can connect people across divisions.