The Sound and the Fury

I have learned I really like books that make sense, well yeah.  Sometimes I read books that are “All-Time Best Books” and I just shake my head… William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury was one.  It has taken me seven days to finish this one.  I had the chance to speak to Elizabeth in my office (who loved this one) about the book.  She said you really need to listen to the language of this and how wonderful it is.  Well I tried to do so and it just wasn’t working.  The book is broken into four separate chapters (which are not altogether connected) as they come from the voices of 4 different characters.  The first section was difficult at best, a stream of consciousness which was hard to understand with so many characters all seemingly screaming and all over the place (well it is from the point of view of Benjy, a 33 year old man with mental handicap). Second section goes backwards through the voice of Quentin, Benjy’s brother (the Harvard boy) and leading up to his suicide.  Fast forward to the day before chapter 1 as Jason, Quentin’s brother, narrates; and finalizes the book in chapter 4 where Dilsey, the servant of the family is the narrator.  Each point of view shares the same thoughts as the family declines in stature financially, from a faith perspective and the various deaths that occur.  The style lost me, though chapter 3 was actually the most coherent for me.  While Faulkner is renowned for his writing style, I found the book either over my head, not engaging, or bad timing for this read.  Top 100???  Add this to the list of my –“unfavorites” such as Things Fall Apart, another from the Times All Timers.  Maybe I should have read this one in my English Honor’s seminar?  A pass for me.