As I Lay Dying Review

I bought this book a long time ago (around a year) after seeing it on so many lists and reading so much about Faulkner. So I finally read it. The first half was not fun, I sort of willed my way through it, not really enjoying it. The writing itself was good, especially the Darl parts, but the story was too hard for me to follow. I didn't know what was happening. Granted, some of it was the fractured narrative, but some of it had to do with the setting. It's in the south and it's in farm country and it was a while ago.

But, honestly, I was having the most trouble with the different narrators in the story. I just wasn't getting into it, it felt like a cliché, "Yeah I've seen this a million times, let's move on." So I almost ignored it, focusing instead on the story.

Instead of plowing through the rest of the book in such a joyless way, I decided to read up on the book and see it I could figure anything out that would make it more enjoyable (á la Ulysses).

Turns out Faulkner was something of a pioneer with this book and it's unique narrative elements. Which helped. Also, I started focusing, and noticing, each characters nuances when they spoke. Honestly, I started reading it a lot slower. Instead of focusing on getting to the end of it, I focused on reading it.

I liked it. Maybe one day I'll reread it again, much slower, the whole way through.

But that's not for a while. I have many new books in line, and they have been patiently waiting.


UP NEXT: I'm reading The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (Moneyball) and it's awesome. This one covers football and one particular player, but the amount of other topics in this book is great. I'll finish this one by tomorrow I think. Awesome.