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The Sound and the Fury

William Faulkner

Start date: March 1, 2014

Finish date: March 31, 2014

Discussion: March 2014- Sound and the Fury

Discussion leader: Beth

Why we're reading this: The Sound and the Fury re-creates thoughts and language in all their glorious, frustrating, incredibly ha…more
[close] The Sound and the Fury re-creates thoughts and language in all their glorious, frustrating, incredibly haunting potential. Even when you can’t say what you want to say, you can still say some pretty breath-taking things. At least, that’s Faulkner’s style. Sit back and enjoy the ride. (shmoops.com)

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Showing 2 of 7 topics — 95 comments total

March 2014- Sound and the Fury

THUG NOTES -
By Karena · 3 posts · 53 views

last updated Apr 09, 2014 03:14PM

Final Impressions
By Beth · 15 posts · 58 views

last updated Apr 03, 2014 08:07AM

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What Members Thought

Mar 26, 2012 SarahC rated it it was amazing

Shelves: early-20th-century

This is a beautiful, gripping, heartbreaking novel. It is everything you have probably already read that it is. I know so much is said about Faulkner's writing. He certainly uses a language that is unique and complex. However, if you hesitate to give this novel a try, please do try it. If you have read much literature of recent years especially, Faulkner's language and rhythm is no more difficult than that of many authors today. I know for me personally that Faulkner now means more to me than Fa ...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Anthea Carson rated it it was amazing

Benjy, the mentally retarded brother of Caddy wanders up and down the fence crying every time he hears one of the golfers on the golf course yell "Caddy." Then his servant smacks him on the head and says "Stop that moanin," That's an image that not only will stay with me forever, but hangs in the ether.

The old South leaves vestiges of it's glory behind but mainly in the form of decadence and rot. The plantation has been sold to make way for a golf course by the mother, who wanted to pay for her Benjy, the mentally retarded brother of Caddy wanders up and down the fence crying every time he hears one of the golfers on the golf course yell "Caddy." Then his servant smacks him on the head and says "Stop that moanin," That's an image that not only will stay with me forever, but hangs in the ether.

The old South leaves vestiges of it's glory behind but mainly in the form of decadence and rot. The plantation has been sold to make way for a golf course by the mother, who wanted to pay for her other son Quentin to go to Harvard. Quentin, in his long winded narratives that say eloquent nothings and ramble his thoughts endlessly interrupts himself to say "must go to Harvard, mustn't disappoint Mother." I think he obtained his degree successfully before committing suicide by jumping in the river.

And Benjy? It says he loved three things: fire, that plantation field that was sold to a golf course, and his sister Caddy.

Caddy's long gone though. When I hear her described as beautiful and rebellious my first thought is that line that Marlena Detriech said in the movie "A touch of Evil" when they ask her about the sheriff played by Orson Wells. She says, "What do you say about people?"

How can other reviewers summarize Caddy with two such meaningless words as "beautiful" and "rebellious?" See, this is why I can't stand professional reviews. They say things like that.

"Caddy..."
"Stop that moanin'"

Was she beautiful? I suppose so although when I read that word applied to her by a reviewer it was the first time I'd ever thought of it. I guess it would explain the way everyone else acted towards her. I guess she must have been something. And then when she finally got away from the South her beauty belonged to the world. The metropolitan world might have looked back at where she came from in dismay. I guess she belongs to all of us now, and we all look back at where she came from in dismay.

I bet she was a real person too. I'm sure of it. Nobody could make up Cadance Compson. Not even Faulkner.

And was she rebellious? No, she was in a psychotic rage. She finally saw through her mother's manipulation. Her mother wasn't sick. She just didn't want to take care of Benjy.

...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Kayla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, 1001-read, classics-read, school

Finished Chapter 1 (06/03/11):

I actually really enjoyed the first chapter and was able to read through Ben's narration with no problems. The key to that is to not think too hard about what's happening and to just go with the flow. Whenever the time and place suddenly changed, I just settled into the new story. I had a bit of fun with it.

That said, my reason for setting the book aside for now is not because I wasn't enjoying it but because I just wasn't in the mood for any kind of serious litera ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 K. G. Whitehurst rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant book, masterfully written, but a tough read about a decomposing Southern family. Faulkner never explains anything and uses stream of consciousness--to brilliant end--but it demands absolute attention to every word on the page. It is exhausting. None of the characters is at all likeable, with with the exception of Dilsey. Compelling and disturbing all at the same time.

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Dec 01, 2010 Kosh Koshover rated it really liked it

An amazing book of sadness and failure, and while I enjoyed the story this has to be one of the harder books to read that I've come across. The first part alone was all but illegible to me until I went through again. Still, a terrific book. ...more

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Apr 07, 2009 Anita rated it it was ok

Shelves: youre-not-all-that, 2009

This is difficult going. Stream of consciousness is such a bother. Well, not that sure what rates this particularly high on reading list. The second half of the book is thankfully void of stream of consciousness, and the ending has me puzzled.

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May 07, 2010 Marion Ette rated it did not like it

I couldn't get through this book at all. Totally unreadable. there's no naration or explanation, the vernacular is really difficult to understand. I hated every second and gave up after about 30 pages. ...more

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