As I Lay Dying

Addie Bundren, a gravely ill mother of five--Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman--voices her wish to be laid to rest with her birth family in Jefferson, the capital of Yoknapatawpha County. William Faulkner examines the complexities of grief and ingeniously portrays the emotional turmoil of multiple narrators through the monologues of her children and neighbors after her passing. From the building of the coffin to the transport of the body, Faulkner's profound exploration of mortality offers a unique and compelling perspective on loss and existence in a richly woven tale highlighting the absurdities and hardships of life in rural Mississippi. This classic read encourages us to reflect on the intricate dynamics between personal desires and shared goals and raises the fundamental question of what it truly means to live.

Addie Bundren, a gravely ill mother of five--Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman--voices her wish to be laid to rest with her birth family in Jefferson, the capital of Yoknapatawpha County. William Faulkner examines the complexities of grief and ingeniously portrays the emotional turmoil of multiple narrators through the monologues of her children and neighbors after her passing. From the building of the coffin to the transport of the body, Faulkner's profound exploration of mortality offers a unique and compelling perspective on loss and existence in a richly woven tale highlighting the absurdities and hardships of life in rural Mississippi. This classic read encourages us to reflect on the intricate dynamics between personal desires and shared goals and raises the fundamental question of what it truly means to live.

The death and burial of Addie Bundren is told by members of her family, as they cart the coffin to Jefferson, Mississippi, to bury her among her people. And as the intense desires, fears and rivalries of the family are revealed in the vernacular of the Deep South, Faulkner presents a portrait of extraordinary power - as epic as the Old Testament, as American as Huckleberry Finn.

The death and burial of Addie Bundren is told by members of her family, as they cart the coffin to Jefferson, Mississippi, to bury her among her people. And as the intense desires, fears and rivalries of the family are revealed in the vernacular of the Deep South, Faulkner presents a portrait of extraordinary power - as epic as the Old Testament, as American as Huckleberry Finn.

"I set out deliberately to write a tour-de-force. Before I ever put pen to paper and set down the first word I knew what the last word would be and almost where the last period would fall." -William Faulkner on As I Lay Dying As I Lay Dying is Faulkner's harrowing account of the Bundren family's odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Narrated in turn by each of the family members-including Addie herself-as well as others the novel ranges in mood, from dark comedy to the deepest pathos. Considered one of the most influential novels in American fiction in structure, style, and drama, As I Lay Dying is a true 20th-century classic. This edition reproduces the corrected text of As I Lay Dying as established in 1985 by Noel Polk.

"I set out deliberately to write a tour-de-force. Before I ever put pen to paper and set down the first word I knew what the last word would be and almost where the last period would fall." -William Faulkner on As I Lay Dying As I Lay Dying is Faulkner's harrowing account of the Bundren family's odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Narrated in turn by each of the family members-including Addie herself-as well as others the novel ranges in mood, from dark comedy to the deepest pathos. Considered one of the most influential novels in American fiction in structure, style, and drama, As I Lay Dying is a true 20th-century classic. This edition reproduces the corrected text of As I Lay Dying as established in 1985 by Noel Polk.

“Michael Gorra approaches his second edition of As I Lay Dying with the scholarly care, attention, and intellectual suppleness typical of all his work. Not only does his introduction sparkle—navigating us with ease and fluency through the history and significance of a novel that precisely because of what Gorra rightly calls its formal “perfect[ion]” is often admired less than Faulkner’s other, more “monumental” and “difficult” texts. But Gorra’s choice of supplementary materials also reflects his commitment to presenting his readers with a full and unflinching view of Faulkner as an American writer with an increasingly contentious position within the very canon he helped to shape.” —Pardis Dabashi, Bryn Mawr College “Place and time play a significant role in the literature of the American South, yet this Critical Edition of As I Lay Dying offers a way of engaging with the work of William Faulkner beyond the traditional boundaries of Southern literature. The accessible readings and criticism that are part of this book allow readers to recognize the ways As I Lay Dying —and all of Faulkner’s literary work—captured an idea of the American South while at the same time uncovering something universal and profound about the human condition.” —W. Ralph Eubanks, University of Mississippi

“Michael Gorra approaches his second edition of As I Lay Dying with the scholarly care, attention, and intellectual suppleness typical of all his work. Not only does his introduction sparkle—navigating us with ease and fluency through the history and significance of a novel that precisely because of what Gorra rightly calls its formal “perfect[ion]” is often admired less than Faulkner’s other, more “monumental” and “difficult” texts. But Gorra’s choice of supplementary materials also reflects his commitment to presenting his readers with a full and unflinching view of Faulkner as an American writer with an increasingly contentious position within the very canon he helped to shape.” —Pardis Dabashi, Bryn Mawr College “Place and time play a significant role in the literature of the American South, yet this Critical Edition of As I Lay Dying offers a way of engaging with the work of William Faulkner beyond the traditional boundaries of Southern literature. The accessible readings and criticism that are part of this book allow readers to recognize the ways As I Lay Dying —and all of Faulkner’s literary work—captured an idea of the American South while at the same time uncovering something universal and profound about the human condition.” —W. Ralph Eubanks, University of Mississippi

As I Lay Dying is one of the most influential novels in American modernist literature, a groundbreaking work in which William Faulkner reshaped the possibilities of the novel through stream-of-consciousness narration, fractured perspectives, and stark emotional power. Set in Faulkner's mythic Yoknapatawpha County, this Southern Gothic novel follows the Bundren family as they undertake a harrowing journey across Mississippi to bury their matriarch. Told through the voices of multiple narrators, each chapter reveals the inner lives, obsessions, and private griefs of a family bound together by duty, resentment, love, and loss. The result is an experimental narrative that is at once intimate, unsettling, and profoundly human. A cornerstone of 20th-century American fiction, As I Lay Dying is widely taught in colleges and universities for its radical narrative technique and psychological depth. Readers encounter the defining features of modernist fiction-nonlinear storytelling, interior monologue, symbolic imagery, and moral ambiguity-rendered with Faulkner's unmatched intensity and precision. At once a classic American novel, a Southern literature landmark, and a bold exploration of family, mortality, and identity, As I Lay Dying stands alongside The Sound and the Fury as one of Faulkner's most enduring achievements. Challenging, haunting, and unforgettable, it remains essential reading for students, scholars, and lovers of serious literary fiction

"As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner is a haunting and profoundly introspective masterpiece that delves into the complex depths of the human psyche. Set in the impoverished and rural American South during the early 20th century, this novel follows the Bundren family as they embark on a harrowing journey to fulfill their deceased mother's final wish: to be buried in her hometown. As the family members navigate a treacherous landscape filled with obstacles, both physical and emotional, Faulkner weaves a rich tapestry of voices and perspectives, each revealing the inner turmoil and secrets that haunt them. Through a narrative style that is as innovative as it is evocative, Faulkner employs stream-of-consciousness monologues and shifting perspectives to provide an intimate glimpse into the minds of his characters. As the Bundrens grapple with death, love, and despair, the reader is drawn into their tumultuous world, where the boundaries between sanity and madness blur, and where the weight of the past looms large. "As I Lay Dying" is a timeless exploration of the human condition, a haunting meditation on the nature of grief and endurance, and a testament to Faulkner's unmatched storytelling prowess. This classic work continues to captivate readers, inviting them to journey alongside the Bundrens as they confront their own inner demons amidst the unforgiving landscape of the American South.

"As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner is a haunting and profoundly introspective masterpiece that delves into the complex depths of the human psyche. Set in the impoverished and rural American South during the early 20th century, this novel follows the Bundren family as they embark on a harrowing journey to fulfill their deceased mother's final wish: to be buried in her hometown. As the family members navigate a treacherous landscape filled with obstacles, both physical and emotional, Faulkner weaves a rich tapestry of voices and perspectives, each revealing the inner turmoil and secrets that haunt them. Through a narrative style that is as innovative as it is evocative, Faulkner employs stream-of-consciousness monologues and shifting perspectives to provide an intimate glimpse into the minds of his characters. As the Bundrens grapple with death, love, and despair, the reader is drawn into their tumultuous world, where the boundaries between sanity and madness blur, and where the weight of the past looms large. "As I Lay Dying" is a timeless exploration of the human condition, a haunting meditation on the nature of grief and endurance, and a testament to Faulkner's unmatched storytelling prowess. This classic work continues to captivate readers, inviting them to journey alongside the Bundrens as they confront their own inner demons amidst the unforgiving landscape of the American South.