A review by alreadyemily
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

2.0

What an awkward, uncomfortable book about awkward, uncomfortable things presented in an awkward, uncomfortable style. I can see why so many people ascribe so much importance to this work. It has many elements that make it seem monumental; it's written in a way that feels important, the repetition of words is reminiscent of chanting prayer, the language shifts in unpredictable ways, there are hints of magical realism, and the powerful subjects of life, death, the body, family, religion, etc.

William Faulkner claimed to have written this work from midnight to 4:00am over the course of six weeks and to not have changed a word afterward, and I believe it. Glad I read it, but I won't be revisiting this one.