The Battle: Me and "The Sound and the Fury" - I have been beaten...

[David]

I don't really have much to say, other than this is one of the of the most incredible books I've ever read. I mean, all ego-stroking aside, I didn't have much difficulty with getting through the text, regardless of whether I understood it fully or not - the way he inhabits each character's mindset makes it easy to just allow their streams-of-consciousness to flow over you, emerging not with something whole, but discrete colours and forms and sensations. I've never cried from a book, but by the end, I don't know ... the way he renders Dilsey with this quiet sense of grace and dignity :( and, those final lines: "The broken flower drooped over Ben's fist and his eyes were empty and blue and serene again as cornice and façade flowed smoothly once more from left to right, post and tree, window and doorway and signboard each in its ordered place"

I don't have access to the text now (I returned it today), but reading a quotes site, this was another one of my favourites:

"She had been a big woman once but now her skeleton rose, draped loosely in unpadded skin that tightened again upon a paunch almost dropsical, as though muscle and tissue had been courage or fortitude which the days or the years had consumed until only the indomitable skeleton was left rising like a ruin or a landmark above the somnolent and impervious guts"

[Arteum]

So what's the book and who is the author?

[den]

Probably means this William Faulkner book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679732241/002-8999755-7064825?v=glance

[David]

Yeh, I mean the Faulkner one.

[bige]

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this board and I decided to join because its looks like a great place to discuss great books. Alright, enough chit-chat, I've been reading the Sound and the Fury by Faulkner and am having trouble finding a passage about tone in the first section. If anyone could help me out that would be great. Thanks.

[Sancho]

That book is a tough read. I don't think that I totally caught on until I had completed it. The first chapter (The Binjy chapter) is where the novel gets its title: The Sound and the Fury -- a tale told by an idiot. Just sit back and enjoy a view of the world from the perspective of a highly autistic person. I don't know if that has anything to do with the tone. If I had to name a tone, I'd have to say it was one of loss. Binjy loses everything: his pasture, Caddy. Whooeee, that chapter was a real bummer. Anyhow, he keeps thinking, "She smells like trees, Caddy smells like trees!" I think that's his way of saying he loves her.

[LemonBoy]

Some time ago I decided to pick up a Faulkner novel, the first one by him I was going to read. I was full of motivation and passion... For some reason he just fascinated me even before reading a single line. I asked here for a recommendation, and wanted a 'hardcore' Faulkner... Well, I got it. I sure did.

First, I must say that this book is the most influencing book I've ever read. I haven't read that much books in fact, and when I read a book I read it rather slowly, but when I read one, I read it thoroughly. I really appreciate good literature. But I have only successfully finished reading 3 chapters out of the 4.

Those were confusing times. I was affected the most by Quentin's chapter. It was so intense, tantalizing, dazzling, and I can go on with this. And not to mention Benji's and Jason's. My everyday mood was literally changing with every chapter. I was enlightened by this book. Now I had the equivalent of an adrenaline fall... but I can't believe I'll ever read many books like it in the future.

But this 4th chapter. It had beaten me. I have given up after a few pages. Which is funny considering it had a somewhat "normal" structure, and your typical literary high language. But maybe that was it, considering the preceding 3 chapters.

I know that some day I'll go back to it and finish it. But please, in the meanwhile, don't post any spoilers... heh :rolleyes:

[Idril]

I feel your pain. I did manage to finish it but I was hopelessly lost the majority of the time, even missing one incredibly important plot point. The only reason I caught it was because I read through the book club thread about it on this site. There were all kinds of things I learned in there that went completely over my head while I was reading it. I too, feel defeated by Faulkner, I may have finished that book and Light In August but after Sound and Fury, I decided I'm not smart enough for him.

[bibliophile190]

I know how you feel. I haven't even been able to finish one of his books. I tried "As I Lay Dying" and "The Sound And The Fury" and was soundly demolished by both. I was so confused.

[Sally Slingshot]

Faulkner made a suggestion to the publisher, to print the thoughts of different characters in different colors, but nothing ever came of it.

My dad had a set of books called Masterplots (kinda like Cliffs notes). I would not have finished this novel without it.

[LemonBoy]

Thanks for all the support, I feel like I'm in a Faulkner support group :D

Anyhow, regarding the understanding of the plot - I knew the book was going to be some sort of a big riddle before starting to read it, but decided not to use the assistance of any 'explanation' books. I actually think I did quite well on my own on Quentin's and Jason's chapter. In Benji's I was overwhelmed from the beginning. It took me about half a chapter to know what's going on time-wise, and to get acquainted with the in-between paragraphs. But I'm afraid I didn't actually "understand" what Faulkner was trying to say on that chapter.

I think I'm going to continue reading The Great Gatsby now... I stopped reading it in the middle in favor of "The Sound." Time for an... "easy read" ;)
But like I said, I will be back to it some time.

Oh, and Sally - I'm sure any book of his would have been more "complete" if any of those publishers had accepted his idea.

[Aztlan]

It really helped to read some internet sites about Sound and the Fury. Otherwise would never have finished it or partially understood it. I wish I could have gotten into it to the degree that Lemonboy did. As it is my favorite author is rather shallow - Michael Connely.

[rgdmalaysia]

LOL...That's a great title for this thread.

Somebody once told me that they didn't like Bob Dylan's music but they appreciated him and that is kind of how I feel about Faulkner.

Structurally and conceptually, I think he was brilliant but his books are unreadable IMO. I respect him but I am just not into what he does.

He never mastered James Joyce's ability to experiment and still make it understandable.

[mayneverhave]

I may be a bit biased, as The Sound and The Fury is one of my favorite novels, but I have some advice that could be helpful.

1. The plot (or what exists of it) is not particularly important, in comparison to the way it is told. There is very little story in the present of the novel, and most of it exists in the various intertwined memories of the characters. When reading the novel, try to focus less on what exactly is going on, and instead absorb the style of narration; the way one memory or one physical action inspires a pyscological response from the character (which is particularly evident in Quentin's section).

2. If you want to understand the plot, try using this link of the novel in hypertext:
http://www.usask.ca/english/faulkner/
The site provides the entire novel, and the first two sections in hypertext. Whenever the narration shifts to a different time period, the color of the type changes, allowing you to follow exactly what period is being narrated. Links are also included to references in the work, tying in various other works to provide the reader with greater understanding


3. Benjy's section (the 1st one) is not particularly hard once you figure out what memory he is drawing upon. Pay attention to who is taking care of him (T.P., Versh, and Luster), in order to discern what time period is being narrated. Benjy's section is essentially an objective view of the main plot of the novel, as critical analysis or thought is beyond his capability. Benjy's section is an overview of the rest of the novel.

2. Understand in Quentin's how memories and the narration of external events are seperated. Often times Quentin will begin narrating an actual event and suddenly will enter the stream of consciousness and a memory will be recollected. Usually memories are intertwined mid sentence, so the reader is left with a disorientated feeling which is intended. You are reading the mental processes of a mentally spiraling and suicidal young man; you should be confused.

3. As for Jason's section and the final section (narrated in 3rd person). Neither is particularly difficult, and I found Jason's to be rather funny. The final chapter was suprising in its adrupt change in style, though I admit its dense and extremely descriptive style was difficult at first.

What I love about The Sound and the Fury is that it provides for endless interpretation (though perhaps not on the level of Ulysses or Finnegans Wake). Every reading of the novel provides a new level of insight and illuminates a shade of the novel I was not previously aware of.

Personally, I sensed a strong correlation between Hamlet and Quentin, in their over analysis of events and their ability to put everything into words and thought.

I even could consider a connection between The Sound and the Fury and The Gospels. Faulkner had said that the novel was a failure as it attempted to tell Caddy's story 4 times from 4 different points of view. Obviously, the gospels were the same story told 4 times with radically different tones and emphasises.

[Scheherazade]

For those who are interested, The Book Club's The Sound and The Fury discussion thread:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16592

[chasestalling]

i'm glad david.

eric