As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
I picked up As I Lay Dying from Standard Ebooks — a great free source for public domain classics — loaded it on my Kindle, and dove in.
I’ll be upfront: I don’t fully understand what’s going on yet. And I don’t mean that as a knock on the book. That’s just Faulkner. It’s the kind of novel that’s going to require at least two passes to actually absorb.
What I can say after the first read is that the writing is deeply memorable. The stream-of-consciousness style — jumping between so many distinct minds, all anchored in a specific time and place — is unlike anything I’ve read recently. When it works, it really works.
It also got me thinking more about Southern Gothic as a genre. The way beauty and the grotesque live right next to each other — and how that contrast shifts depending not just on what a character does, but the world they’re trapped inside — is something Faulkner handles better than almost anyone.
What I didn’t like: The confusion. But I’m not sure “didn’t like” is even fair, because the confusion is the point. It’s baked into the structure.
I’m going to re-read this one and update the review properly. Consider this a placeholder from someone who knows he hasn’t earned an opinion yet.
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is a challenging, stream-of-consciousness novel that rewards patience — and probably multiple reads. The writing is distinctive and memorable, and it's a strong example of Southern Gothic at its best: beautiful and grotesque in equal measure. First impressions are strong, but a full verdict requires another pass.
- Stream-of-consciousness style is genuinely unlike anything else
- Southern Gothic atmosphere handled masterfully
- Deliberately confusing structure requires real effort
- Hard to recommend confidently after only one read
