I gingerly approached reading William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying (1930, The Corrected Text 1987). Although I am committed to infusing my reading list with bona fide American lit classics, I had always heard that Faulkner is “difficult.” A vague memory of a torturous short story in eleventh-grade English class did not improve my outlook.
Although I can see where the tag of “difficult” is earned, Faulkner’s bitter story of a family burying its wife and mother thoroughly shines.
Driven by a fierce loyalty to honor a promise made to his wife to bury her body with her family in a nearby town, Anse Bundren and his family traverse fire, flood and more to get her body to the town of Jefferson.
Told from the varying viewpoints of the travelers – and those who assist them on the way – we soon learn that each member of the family has their own reasons for pushing through.
As I Lay Dying is a beautiful story written by a verified master of the English language. I know that the story is loaded with symbolism and imagery and all sorts of other deep elements. Faulkner’s use of language to tell the tale of his poor Southern family in the 1920’s is lyrical, even if it does take some getting used to.
Despite all of this deeper stuff, it is the story and the characters that shine in As I Lay Dying. Each one embarks on the journey for their own purpose, cloaked in undying adoration for the dead mother/wife. As each purpose is revealed, we learn a little more about the fragile balance between self and family.
Link to As I lay Dying on Powells.com
Link to Which Great Classics to Read and Why on this site
Posted by Drevil, 8/22/2012