The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner 

Review of The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

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       The above review is acurate except that the forth part of the novel is told through Dilsey, the family servant.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner was reviewed by Jay P

       The story is told in four different viewpoints: Benji, the mentally handicapped Compson boy; Quentin, the sensitive, intellectual Compson boy; Jason, the cruel and wordly Compson boy; and finally 3rd person viewpoint. The novel is set in Mississippi and is centered around the downfall of a once proud Southern family. The boys each have contrasting viewpoints of their promiscuous sister Caddy and their relationship with their sister is the central focus. 

      Told in four different viewpoints The Sound and The Fury is a difficult read. The most difficult section in all the novel is in Benji's section. It is mostly confusing since you are basically reading the unclear thoughts of someone with a mental disability. Quentin's section is also difficult because he is overly verbose and his thoughts are so scattered. In Quentin's section he continues to question those around them by asking the question: "Did you ever have a sister?" He is tortured by his sister's promiscuity and his weakness to prevent it leads him it to suicide. Jason's section on the otherhand is the most fluid, focused and entertaining. Jason's character might be the most interesting in the entire novel. He is a rotten, racist, money-hungry, chauvinistic scoundrel who, unlike Quentin, manipulates his sister's promiscuity for his own gain. The final 3rd person viewpoint is an outside look at the family coming apart at the seems. 

       I would recommend the novel because it is well written and original but it is not very enjoyable. This book is more for those that could appreciate great writing and well drawn characters but there are pages that are so difficult to follow the average reader would just give up. I would give The Sound and The Fury a 7 out of 10 because I do appreciate great writing.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner was reviewed by Frank Manner

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