**Title: An In-depth Look at "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner**

Life is often described in various ways, and in the words of Shakespeare, "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing." This sentiment seems to echo through Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury."

The novel is a complex and paradoxical work. Understanding it is not easy, especially for the average reader like myself. The first two parts are quite difficult to read, while the last two are relatively easier and more flowing. This change in pace makes it both challenging and engaging. The use of the stream of consciousness form, which is not confined to a specific time, adds to the complexity of the story. Each of the three sons of the Compson family tells their part of the story in a different way, with Benjy being the crazy one, Quentin being the restless one, and Jason being the mean-spirited one. The last part is told by Dilsey, and it is no longer in the stream of consciousness form.

To fully appreciate the novel, it is essential to understand the relationships between the characters and their family tree. I would highly recommend looking up the Compson family tree and reading about the characters before starting the book. The story itself is about the gradual decline of the Compson family in the American South during the post-Civil War era. The characters are all in pain and cause pain to others, and none of them seem to find any happiness in the time period covered by the story. The religious and literary references, the unique concept of time, and the symbolic and meaningful metaphors are some of the features that make this book so rich and rewarding.

In conclusion, "The Sound and the Fury" is a masterpiece that requires careful reading and reflection. It is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

Whew. This is truly a devastating book. It is probably one of the most depressing stories I have ever read. Incest, castration, suicide, racism, misogyny - this one has it all. Even at the very beginning, when it is only possible to make out fragments of the events, a nauseating sense of dread permeates Benji's narrative, thanks to Faulkner's pungent writing style. And this feeling never really goes away.

Jumping into The Sound and the Fury without any prior introduction is like driving through an impenetrable fog or into a blinding glare. You can't quite tell who is who; whether they are male or female; black or white; first, second, or third generation; relative or friend or stranger. But gradually, before frustration has a chance to set in, the fog begins to lift and the glare becomes less intense. By the time the omniscient narrator closes things out in part four, the scales have been fully removed and you are left with a crystal clear vision in which you can smell the sweet southern honeysuckle and feel the rotting wood of the old barn.

It's interesting to encounter another modernist's take on the human experience of time while simultaneously reading In Search of Lost Time. While Proust gently but thoroughly leads us through the inner workings of our past, present, and future, Faulkner attempts to capture the continuous and forceful struggle of these elements within the mind - at the deliberate cost of a coherent linear narrative. The results are disorienting, yet powerfully emotive. Adding subtly to this effect, Faulkner often relays visual experience from an egocentric perspective, particularly in the case of Benji, for whom objects and views disappear before his eyes when he simply shifts or is turned by Luster or Caddy.

Because the first section takes place on the day between the third and fourth sections, I skimmed through some of it again before reading the final part. I was amazed by what I could gather from snippets that had initially seemed incomprehensible and incomplete. This is a book that is meant to be reread; an American masterpiece, without a doubt.

Blech!!!

When the only character who is decipherable is the autistic mute, we truly have a significant problem.

This particular book has indeed inspired me to commence a list of what I consider to be utter crap that is inexplicably admired, solely because no one has the courage to admit that they have no earthly idea what the hell is actually going on.

Although, technically speaking, it falls into this rather dubious category, I am willing to give James Joyce the benefit of the doubt. The simple reason for this is that I find it extremely difficult to understand anyone from Ireland anyway.

Perhaps there is some hidden depth or complexity in his works that eludes my comprehension due to my own limitations in understanding the Irish accent and culture.

Nonetheless, this experience with the book has made me more aware of the phenomenon of overrated literature that seems to be revered simply because it is difficult to understand.

I will continue to explore and analyze such works, hoping to gain a better understanding of why they are held in such high regard.

For the Celebrity Death Match Review Tournament, The Divine Comedy (26) versus The Sound and the Fury (23)

This is an interesting matchup between two classic works. The Divine Comedy has a score of 26, while The Sound and the Fury has a score of 23.

Ceci n'est pas une critique. It seems that this isn't a traditional review.

Win for The Sound and the Fury

The Sound and the Fury has emerged victorious in this tournament. But what makes it stand out? Maybe it's the unique narrative structure or the profound exploration of human nature.

__________________________________

[Update, Jan 26 2018]

Et ça non plus. This might suggest that there's more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps there are hidden aspects or interpretations that haven't been fully explored yet.

A Tale of Two Books...

At times, this book appears to be a 1-star book. The incoherent ramblings, which some might praise as the essence of stream of consciousness, can be quite confusing. The random time jumps make it difficult to follow the story. In fact, they even released a special edition with the dialogue from each timeframe color coded to assist the reader. The missing punctuation, especially in back and forth dialogues without any indication of who is speaking, adds to the chaos. Additionally, there are people with the same name and name changes in the middle of the story. All these elements have been studied and praised by critics, but for me, they are a big no.

However, at other times, this book展现出 a 5-star quality. The interesting characters are troubled and imperfect souls, dealing with life and the changing tide of the South. Each chapter is told from a different person's perspective, capturing their dynamic personalities. The exploration of race relations is also quite thought-provoking, reflecting on how black people were viewed differently in the North and South in 1920s America. The colorful anecdotes, although I'm not entirely sure about the overall point of the story, are lively, sometimes humorous, frequently dark, and often heart-wrenching. There is definitely a lot to like about this book.

So, I've decided to give it a 3-star rating. After the first hundred pages or so, I was certain it would be a 1-star read, but then I started to get into it and experience those 5-star moments. If you're the type of person who needs to be engaged from the beginning, you'll either need to have extra patience with this one or simply pass on it. Many people give it a 5-star rating, so it might truly resonate with you as a classic. Personally, I started with a fence-sitting opinion.

After this reading, four things will stay with me for a longer time:

I. As I was reading, the voice of each of the three siblings was so clearly heard that every other sound around me had fallen silent. There was only the world of Faulkner, his text, which drew me into its own dimension.

II. The farewell, fateful, and resigned nature of each of the three women in the family is imprinted like an indeterminate whisper. They are not at all unknown to you - you have met them - but you don't know when, how, and where. Yes, it is Faulkner who is writing here, the embodiment of "show, don't tell."

III. The presence of the servant Dilsey, the protectress-mother of all, provides the little light needed for the shadowy portraits. A concession by the author, so that you can endure the test of reading in the first three-quarters.

IV. The understated description of the landscapes of Mississippi. The dusty roads, the large shadows of the trees, the morning mist. And the river, with its deep waters waiting for the sinners.

From the moment I turned the last page, what I think about the most is when I will start it again. I feel that even in this second reading, the text, like a slippery fish, managed to surprise me and slip back into the water - through my hands.

It was an extremely decent and highly insightful book. The degrading family relationships were vividly and masterfully depicted. However, the only snag is that, especially in the beginnings, it can be somewhat arduous to follow. The postmodernism factor looms large in the first two chapters, which present Benjy's and neurotic Quentin's points of view. But gradually, the overall story unfolds before us. Overall, I would say it's a well-paced story, although one must be cognizant that it leans more towards being a psychological study of a family. There isn't really a great deal happening in the book, and there's scarcely any mystery to uncover, unless one were to consider the full family picture slowly emerging as one.

To be fair, this is a rather depressing book. The characters, especially the mother and Jason in chapter 3, are quite unappealing to read about. But as repulsive as they are, they are also quite fascinating. The reader becomes engaged in a sort of voyeuristic perversion, unable to tear oneself away. It's a low-key story of family psychological abuse, prejudice, early 20th-century patriarchy, abuse of power and powerlessness, slave trade, and overall rather disgusting character traits.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is definitely a very well-written and thoughtfully crafted book, and as such, it is highly recommendable.

I rate this book one star and give five stars to the interesting points that I read here and in other sources about it!

It's really amazing that you can present such beautiful analyses from a messy, confused, and jumbled pile of junk, which are the result of your own beautiful and creative mind, not the art of Fakoner...

Is this a novel or a mess?

The stream-of-consciousness narrative style, which is of course a popular style for me, is a bit confusing because of its jumps in time... Then the story, with this type of narrative, is told in two chapters from the perspective of two people who are left behind mentally and spiritually. Add to this that the tiniest effort to introduce the multiple characters in the book is not made, and among all of this, several of the characters have similar names, and some characters are also multi-named and are called by one of their names each time!!! Well, what's the point?

It seems that these external complexities are supposed to be a cover for the lack of content... Believe me, if you have good and great thoughts in your criticisms and throw them out of your heart with a whoosh among these words and give them to Fakoner, you are the good ones, not Fakoner!

The puzzle that is completed at the end of the story is not so amazing that it has the value of all these efforts to understand it... The value of time and life is much higher than these words...

I'm not a person with much patience. I finished the book with all its difficulties, and I also studied the criticisms that I had access to, and many of the ambiguities were resolved, and the symbols became clear to me. Nevertheless, in my opinion, a novel should create an attraction in the first moment, not later, and it should be able to express its meaning and purpose on its own, not that the critics and the analyses of thinkers should do most of the work...

And

it is said that Mahmoud Darwish's famous "Symphony of the Men" was written inspired by this work. I must say that even if this is true, Mahmoud Darwish's execution is much better than Fakoner's... Compare for yourselves the passage that is written in the language of Aiden in "Symphony" with the passage that is written in the language of Banj in this book...

Now that the market for interpretations is hot, let me also do an interpretation for you;

In my opinion (and I'm not an opinionated person at all!), the readers of this book are divided into two groups:

The first group gets angry (like me) when they read it... But the second group (heehoo) goes a long way and their language gushes with praise and glorification, and a large number of people are misled by this fruitless thing

First off, I simply couldn't bring myself to finish this book. It has to be hands down the most excruciating and pointless piece of literature I have come across since reading "The Sun Also Rises". (I'm well aware that I'm treading on rather hallowed ground here.)

I've gone through numerous reviews and SparkNotes related to the book, so I have a basic understanding of its premise and format. However, what's the point of having endless, nebulous, and overly flowery dialogue without any proper background? How am I supposed to gain insights into the downfall of an important Southern family when all I'm presented with are fragmented sentences from various people who haven't even been properly introduced?

When I read reviews of books like this, I can only arrive at two possible conclusions. One, I'm an absolute idiot who just doesn't get it. Or two, it's a classic case of the Emperor's New Clothes. No one wants to admit that they can't fathom what on earth this author is attempting to convey, so they all pretend that it's some sort of brilliant masterpiece.

Based on all the reviews I've read, it unfortunately seems that the answer is most likely number one.

William Faulkner's 1929 novel, often described as about the "rotting family in the rotting house," is a profound and complex work.

It tells the story of the tragically dysfunctional Compson family with great insight and remarkable talent. Set mostly in 1928 in the US south during segregation and prejudice, "The Sound and the Fury" consists of four sections and an appendix.

The first section is narrated by Benjy, the 33-year-old severely mentally handicapped brother. Despite his inability to speak, his moans and wails give us a disjointed view of the Compson household and their troubles. His lack of a sense of time makes the narrative often skip between the present and flashbacks, which can be quite confusing.

Section 2 is told by Quentin, the brother who is about to commit suicide on the last day of his life in 1910. His depression and neurosis make his narrative difficult to follow, but the last ten pages offer a fascinating look into his unhealthy obsession with his sister Caddy and concepts of purity and honor.

Section 3 jumps to 1928 and follows Jason, the most venal and unpleasant of the brothers. He mistreats his niece Quentin and steals the money sent by her mother Caddy. Jason's need for control and his justifications for his actions make his inner world an ugly place.

The final section, narrated by an omniscient narrator mostly from the perspective of the old family servant Dilsey, offers a glimmer of hope as she tries to keep the family together. The conflict between Miss Quentin and Jason comes to a head, and the section begins with a bleak description that serves as an apt metaphor for the family's disintegration.

The title of the book comes from a Macbeth quote, which references Benjy's meaningless sound and fury but also has a broader significance for the Compson family as a whole. Faulkner's use of stream-of-consciousness and non-linear storytelling makes the book a challenging read, but the sense of achievement when the puzzle pieces come together is great.

Overall, "The Sound and the Fury" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that requires careful attention and multiple readings to fully appreciate.

A review paying homage to BENJY COMPSON'S uniquely disorienting narration:

The story unfolds in a disjointed manner, with BENJY, the narrator, lacking a sense of time. The past and present merge, creating a state of disorientation. In 1928, on Easter in Mississippi, the Compsons, an aristocrat family facing hard times, are at the center of the narrative. Benjy, who is mentally handicapped, is on his 33rd birthday. His guardian, Luster, loses a quarter, leading them on a journey that includes a minstrel show and a golf course, with golf balls serving as memory cues that trigger numerous flashbacks.

We are taken back to various moments in time, such as 1902, where there is an argument, an affair with a neighbor at a Christmas Party, and Mrs. Compson's moaning and annoying behavior. The story continues to jump around, with events like Quentin's presence in a graveyard in 1912, and Benjy crying in a barn in 1928. There are also secrets of lovers, intercepted notes, and a host of other complex and often disturbing events.

The characters are vividly portrayed, each with their own flaws and tragedies. Caddy is a tragic hero, while Miss Quentin is rebellious with low self-esteem. Mrs. Compson is despised, and Mr. Compson has a nihilistic view of life. The different narrators, including QUENTIN and JASON, add depth to the story, with Quentin's thoughts on Harvard, time, and his family, and Jason's bitter and mean-spirited nature.

Overall, the story is a complex and challenging read, but one that rewards the patient reader with a deep understanding of the Compson family and their struggles. WILLIAM FAULKNER truly shows himself to be a Maaaaaaaad genius with this masterpiece.

This book, written in 1929, presented great difficulties for me to understand it.

In the narrative, there is no separation between what is happening in the present or the past. The events are not in chronological order, and often the sentences are incomplete.

You end up having to put together a big puzzle to understand and appreciate the book.

The book dramatically tells the story of the decline of the Compson family from four different narrators: three brothers (Benjy, Quentin, Jason) and an omniscient narrator.

The first part is narrated by Benjy, who is 33 years old, mute, and mentally deficient, and is the source of shame for the family. He describes the world around him in his own way, but as I already said, the narrative has no sense of time. At the same moment that Benjy is picking a flower in the field, the narrative already returns to an event from years ago.

The second part is narrated by Quentin Compson, the eldest son of the family, who sold a piece of Benjy's land to finance his studies at Harvard. This part of the narrative, in my opinion, is the most complex and revealing of the book. Quentin loves his sister Caddy, who was exiled from the family because of a pregnancy and a failed marriage. This love and the guilt that Quentin carries will lead him to suicide. The situation worsened when Quentin learned that his father had sold the last piece of land to pay for Caddy's marriage and his first year of study at Harvard.

The third part is narrated by Jason. In this part, the language is much more understandable. Jason is a cold, calculating, racist man, angry at everything and everyone, but he is not at all stupid. He knows what he wants: money, and he will do anything to get it.

The fourth part is the only one that is not narrated by a member of the Compson family. It is narrated in the third person and focuses more on Dilsey, the black servant of the family, and on Quentin, Caddy's daughter.

It is a phenomenal book, with an unprecedented, innovative format, but also very difficult. For me, it is comparable to "Pedro Paramo" by Juan Rulfo in terms of difficulties.