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Violet wells's Reviews > The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
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This is one of those books that makes a gigantic claim. As if it’s either genius or it’s Emperor’s New Clothes. It won’t settle for anything in-between. On every page I felt Faulkner was straining at the bit to prove to me he’s a genius.
The title has always put me off reading this. The Sound and the Fury. It’s melodramatic, humourless, a bit pompous. It sounds like one of those American war films of the fifties starring John Wayne.
But what is it with southern writers that they only seem able to write books if they can believe they’re geniuses? Look Homeward Angel makes that claim too. Except Look Homeward Angel is probably the most overwritten novel in the history of literature. Wolfe maybe had some genius but he wasn’t in control of it. Faulkner unquestionably is different. Faulkner has genius and is in control of it. But…
Essentially to enjoy this you’ve got to also enjoy codebreaking. I don’t. I’ve never even done a crossword puzzle in my life. I doubt if I’ll ever try Finnegan’s Wake again after failing to make head or tail of it the first time. Also, you’ve probably got to be prepared to read it twice. It’s probably every English teacher’s dream book – a book that requires notes formulated by someone with a higher intelligence than your own. It’s not very flattering to realise your own intelligence isn’t up to the job. Should a novel require notes? Shakespeare might be enhanced by notes but he doesn’t need them. I needed to refer to notes to understand what was going on in part one. Okay, I’ve got it now but did you really need to be so wilfully obtuse? It’s not like you’re explaining particle physics. This is essentially a family melodrama, not a treatise on the meaning of life. If you strip away all the literary devices, that’s what it is - a family melodrama. Sure it has a broader social reach – but only bad novels don’t have that. It didn’t for me have the wide cultural reach of Gatsby. It felt parochial, claustrophobic.
But putting aside the decryption demands of the novel I also think it has some more obvious flaws like the character of Jason His villainy was somewhat coarse. He wouldn't even get in my top 100 best villains in literature!
I’d like to read another Faulkner – but one where he isn’t trying quite so hard to prove he’s a genius.
The title has always put me off reading this. The Sound and the Fury. It’s melodramatic, humourless, a bit pompous. It sounds like one of those American war films of the fifties starring John Wayne.
But what is it with southern writers that they only seem able to write books if they can believe they’re geniuses? Look Homeward Angel makes that claim too. Except Look Homeward Angel is probably the most overwritten novel in the history of literature. Wolfe maybe had some genius but he wasn’t in control of it. Faulkner unquestionably is different. Faulkner has genius and is in control of it. But…
Essentially to enjoy this you’ve got to also enjoy codebreaking. I don’t. I’ve never even done a crossword puzzle in my life. I doubt if I’ll ever try Finnegan’s Wake again after failing to make head or tail of it the first time. Also, you’ve probably got to be prepared to read it twice. It’s probably every English teacher’s dream book – a book that requires notes formulated by someone with a higher intelligence than your own. It’s not very flattering to realise your own intelligence isn’t up to the job. Should a novel require notes? Shakespeare might be enhanced by notes but he doesn’t need them. I needed to refer to notes to understand what was going on in part one. Okay, I’ve got it now but did you really need to be so wilfully obtuse? It’s not like you’re explaining particle physics. This is essentially a family melodrama, not a treatise on the meaning of life. If you strip away all the literary devices, that’s what it is - a family melodrama. Sure it has a broader social reach – but only bad novels don’t have that. It didn’t for me have the wide cultural reach of Gatsby. It felt parochial, claustrophobic.
But putting aside the decryption demands of the novel I also think it has some more obvious flaws like the character of Jason His villainy was somewhat coarse. He wouldn't even get in my top 100 best villains in literature!
I’d like to read another Faulkner – but one where he isn’t trying quite so hard to prove he’s a genius.
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Reading Progress
January 14, 2017
–
Started Reading
January 14, 2017
– Shelved
January 16, 2017
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0.0%
"Gosh, I'm having trouble following this! I always had Faulkner down as an over-writer, like Tom Woolf, but this is so underwritten it's going over my head at the moment."
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0
January 16, 2017
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19.13%
"The first 50 pages made me feel i was at Bletchley Park, trying to crack a code. Then you realise the narrator is backward and he's mixing up several time frames. Further confusion is added by the wealth of names, some of which are animals though often there's no distinguishing animals from people. And even more confusion is added by the fact that the narrator's name changes. I've got the hang of it now."
page
70
January 22, 2017
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40.98%
"You probably have to enjoy code breaking to love this novel. It’s interesting that whenever someone writes without punctuation they’re hailed as a genius. Happened with Eimear McBride. I enjoyed her novel but genius is stretching it. Were I a commissioning editor and Faulkner’s novel and the Great Gatsby arrived on my desk and I could only publish one I’m afraid I’d go with Fitzgerald without any hesitation."
page
150
January 26, 2017
– Shelved as:
pulitzer
February 3, 2017
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Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 81 (81 new)
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Perry
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Jan 24, 2017 01:10PM
Violet, I always admit when things are over my head. I started this novel at least 10 times over 20 years, each time throwing it back on the shelf after the first 15 pages. But I really wanted to read this because Faulkner is from my home state so I bought a companion that explained things. And from that I recognized the sheer genius of this novel. The first part is hardly readable, the second part is difficult but readable (and the most brilliant) and the third part is accessible but did not inspire the awe i have for the first 2/3. I'm unsure if this is your first time reading this, but if so, I'll say that you might follow the advice you gave me re the first 50 pages of The Waves, and withhold making an early call that prejudices you on the last 176 pages. I agree that this is something that no way would have been published if Faulkner didn't have some cred already, and yet....
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PS: I just re-read this, and I should clarify that I'm in no way implying that this novel is beyond your cognitive abilities.
I'm on part three now, Perry and am beginning to get the hang of it. (Part one though was beyond my cognitive abilities!) My take so far is that it contains moments of genius but also contains emperor's new clothes moments. Also, it's so quintessentially middle America that it's a little difficult for me to connect. I guess one question it begs is if you should need companion notes to understand a novel. My feeling is, it shouldn't.
"Sound and fury" reference to Macbeth soliloquy
Christopher wrote: ""Sound and fury" reference to Macbeth soliloquy"Yep, I got that and the connecting theme of an overreaching family collapsing into ignominy but I still don't like the title!
Agree about it's title, sounds like the memoirs of a British punk band, or maybe a badly dubbed martial arts flick!
Steven wrote: "Agree about it's title, sounds like the memoirs of a British punk band, or maybe a badly dubbed martial arts flick!"Yep, it's overblown which is actually a pretty good word to describe Faulkner's prose in this novel.
I tried to read this a few years back, Violet, but abandoned it after about a hundred pages. So, it was great to see I wasn't alone in my difficulty. I even have in my to-read list again, but now I can give it up without any guilt. Great review, my friend. Thanks. L.
There's nothing better than honest Reviews of Classics.
Mi consolo di essere in buona compagnia, l'ho iniziato due volte e mi ha sempre respinto....
Lizzy wrote: "I tried to read this a few years back, Violet, but abandoned it after about a hundred pages. So, it was great to see I wasn't alone in my difficulty. I even have in my to-read list again, but now I..."Thanks Lizzy. I was tempted to give up on it too. The first part really irritated me. It does eventually come good but ultimately seemed like a very overwrought way to write what's essentially a family melodrama. I suspect I might enjoy his other novels a lot more.
Violet , I read this is college and loved it. Perhaps it was the guidance of a wonderful professor that helped me. But I agree , I don't want to have to read notes to get through a book . I felt that way about Joyce's Ulysses. A brilliant novel but I would not have gotten through it without the support of a group I read it with and definitely not without notes in it .
Armin wrote: "There's nothing better than honest Reviews of Classics."Thanks Armin. I did ask myself how I'd review this if I was the first person ever to talk about it and tried to adhere to that challenge to some extent.
Paolo wrote: "Mi consolo di essere in buona compagnia, l'ho iniziato due volte e mi ha sempre respinto...."Questo romanzo doveva essere stato un incubo da tradurre. Se non si capisce il testo, come succede spesso, come si fa? Mi sa che mi sarei suicidato se fosse capitasse a me!
Melanie wrote: "Love your review Violet!"Thanks Melanie.
Angela M wrote: "Violet , I read this is college and loved it. Perhaps it was the guidance of a wonderful professor that helped me. But I agree , I don't want to have to read notes to get through a book . I felt th..."I get that, Angela. This is a book that could easily bring out the best in a professor. If you read it alone, on the other hand, it can make you feel a bit stupid!
Try a few juleps or several before and after, get yer head un-situated and into a souther goth twist, then puff on through. You vent well V!
Simon wrote: "Try a few juleps or several before and after, get yer head un-situated and into a souther goth twist, then puff on through. You vent well V!"Ha ha! Several times I thought what a nightmare this novel would be to translate.
I loved reading your review, Violet. I remember reading Faulkner in high school and dissecting it to bits. Then I tried again as an adult and came to the same conclusion - it seems a book should not have to require notes to get through it. It somehow takes the joy out of reading. I like to be challenged, but not looked down on from some higher perch!
Candi wrote: "I loved reading your review, Violet. I remember reading Faulkner in high school and dissecting it to bits. Then I tried again as an adult and came to the same conclusion - it seems a book should no..."Thanks Candi. I guess writers like Joyce and Nabokov also write from that high perch but, unlike Faulkner, they're playful and mischievous so it's easier to forgive them for making one feel one is a bit stupid!
Violet wrote: "..I guess one question it begs is if you should need companion notes to understand a novel.."I'm with you on that, Violet. I rarely read anything that requires companion notes though I enjoy footnotes when they give extra background/historical context.
I have to admit that I do enjoy books that require a bit of code breaking as long as I can have a go at working the codes out myself. I probably don't work them out anywhere near perfectly but as long as I'm enjoying the process, I keep reading. The only book that defeated my codebreaking and didn't offer enough rewards to keep going regardless was John the Posthumous. I abandoned it - though I recognised that it was probably splendid in its own obscure way.
It's years since I read The Sound and the Fury but in contrast to your experience it is the first part, Benjy's part, that has stayed with me, and very powerfully - I don't remember the last part at all.
So I'm glad you weren't Faulkner's commissioning editor ;-)
That's interesting that only Benjy's narrative has stayed with you, Fi. It might actually turn out to be the same for me. The best bits reminded me of Woolf in The Waves - going for a more direct way of dramatising consciousness. But whereas The Waves, for all its inwards looking, eventually shines forth a universal light, this always felt inwards looking and parochial to me. Also, all the experimental writing was eventually subsumed by a conventional ending. Imagine if Woolf had written the final part of The Waves in the form of The Voyage out! Flawed genius for me!
Mestiere ingrato quello del traduttore, e pensare che noi leggiamo sempre i traduttori e mai gli scrittori !Voi traduttori (visto che tu lo sei) avete una responsabilità immensa (che non viene sufficientemente riconosciuta, mi risulta) ed un grande potere......
Chissà se un giorno ci saranno e.book con l'originale ed un'applicazione con la traduzione simultanea come i sottotitoli per i film (che anche se in turco non posso più ascoltare doppiati...)
Paolo wrote: "Mestiere ingrato quello del traduttore, e pensare che noi leggiamo sempre i traduttori e mai gli scrittori !Voi traduttori (visto che tu lo sei) avete una responsabilità immensa (che non viene suf..."
Purtroppo io traduco schiochezze di solito – guide turistiche e cose gel genere! Ma hai ragione. Una bella traduzione e un'opera d'arte in se.
I line up with Fionnuala on liking puzzles in lit when they have a bit more playful approach. At first it did feel playful to see all the problems of the adult world through Benji's eyes. But figuring out where Quenten was coming from felt more like a chore when we come to see he is well capable of laying out his troubles with more clarity.
Michael wrote: "I line up with Fionnuala on liking puzzles in lit when they have a bit more playful approach. At first it did feel playful to see all the problems of the adult world through Benji's eyes. But figur..."Yep, the Quentin section drove me a bit bonkers.
Love your honest review, Violet. I feel lucky to have studied this book in an American lit class in university, under a brilliant professor. Had I not, I would have surely been frustrated and floating aimlessly. I also hate feeling like I'm not smart enough to understand what's going on!
In case you want to give Faulkner another try, why not check out "The Reivers" his last published novel (turned into a comedy movie with Steve McQueen). Not so many puzzles there, just a coming of age story infused with nostalgia for Yoknapatawna County.
Robin wrote: "Love your honest review, Violet. I feel lucky to have studied this book in an American lit class in university, under a brilliant professor. Had I not, I would have surely been frustrated and float..."Thanks Robin. Like I said to Angela I completely get that. It's a professor's dream book.
Algernon wrote: "In case you want to give Faulkner another try, why not check out "The Reivers" his last published novel (turned into a comedy movie with Steve McQueen). Not so many puzzles there, just a coming of ..."I'm definitely going to read more Faulkner, Algernon. I'll probably read them all in fact!
I imagine that if I didn't read it in college I would not have gotten this book .
Angela M wrote: "I imagine that if I didn't read it in college I would not have gotten this book ."English professors thrive on books that have a code which requires cracking so that in itself counters my complaint that this is too obtuse, Angela. Also, as evident from the comments, some people enjoy solving puzzles and some don't. I can imagine loving it had I been taught it by a fabulous English teacher.
Ouch... I have this one on my shelves and you just perfectly articulated why I keep postponing reading it.I have only read some of Faulkner's short stories and Light in August, which I dare say would be far more approachable...
I love your review, Violet, and realise at the same time that I do not remember a single thing from the book. How come? I remember READING it, though. I have a memory of a question mark on my forehead!
Dolors wrote: "Ouch... I have this one on my shelves and you just perfectly articulated why I keep postponing reading it.I have only read some of Faulkner's short stories and Light in August, which ..."
Yep, it's a tough read, Dolors!
Lisa wrote: "I love your review, Violet, and realise at the same time that I do not remember a single thing from the book. How come? I remember READING it, though. I have a memory of a question mark on my foreh..."I can sense it’s going to fade from my memory too, Lisa. This is why I’d publish Gatsby over this. You don’t forget Gatsby. And Tom for me was much more subtle villain than Jason who’s maybe a bit too bad to be true, essentially a pantomime villain. For all its daring and groundbreaking technique the canvas of Faulkner’s novel is actually quite small. I don’t think anyone would claim this is one of the great stories in the history of literature. And even the bold attempts at dramatizing consciousness in a more authentic and immediate fashion are very hit and miss. For every brilliant passage in the Benjy part there’s a stilted huff and puff one. You don't hear any grunting and straining in Woolf's voice in The Waves the way you do here.
Great review! I've had this one on my list for years, but have been a bit intimidated by it. Have you read As I Lay Dying? It's also in code, but I found that I could crack into it fairly easily. I loved that book! I thought the coded writing was not only beautiful, but also organic to the plot, characters, and overarching themes.
Violet wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I love your review, Violet, and realise at the same time that I do not remember a single thing from the book. How come? I remember READING it, though. I have a memory of a question mar..."'For every brilliant passage in the Benjy part there’s a stilted huff and puff one. You don't hear any grunting and straining in Woolf's voice in The Waves the way you do here.'
Good one!
Erika wrote: "Great review! I've had this one on my list for years, but have been a bit intimidated by it. Have you read As I Lay Dying? It's also in code, but I found that I could crack into it fai..."Thanks Erika. This was my first Faulkner. I'm going to try a couple more - As i Lay Dying will be one of them.
Violet wrote: "Erika wrote: "Great review! I've had this one on my list for years, but have been a bit intimidated by it. Have you read As I Lay Dying? It's also in code, but I found that I could cra..."Excellent recommendation ("AILD") along w/Absalom !
Remembering all too well wrestling through a copy of this without any notes, I second Erika and Simon, Violet, having thoroughly enjoyed AILD. Great review, as ever.
Simon wrote: "Violet wrote: "Erika wrote: "Great review! I've had this one on my list for years, but have been a bit intimidated by it. Have you read As I Lay Dying? It's also in code, but I found t..."Thanks Simon.
Ilse wrote: "Remembering all too well wrestling through a copy of this without any notes, I second Erika and Simon, Violet, having thoroughly enjoyed AILD. Great review, as ever."Thanks Ilse. I'll try that next.
Violet, is this a feeling you have for all Faulkner or just this one? have only memories of Light in August but thought even there he goes for out of the park home runs every time...
the gift wrote: "Violet, is this a feeling you have for all Faulkner or just this one? have only memories of Light in August but thought even there he goes for out of the park home runs every time..."This is the only Faulkner I've read. I'm going to give him another shot.
Great honest review, Violet. I remember struggling through this one in university but at that age I would have tended to blame myself for not understanding. As adults, it's great to be able to spell out confidently why a book didn't work for us.
Violet wrote: "…Also, all the experimental writing was eventually subsumed by a conventional ending. Imagine if Woolf had written the final part of The Waves in the form of The Voyage out! Flawed genius for me!"I suspect you're right, Violet - since I can't remember enough of the ending of this one to agree outright.
A very good, honest review, Violet (even though you are denigrating one of my favourite books!). I agree with the "codebreaking" aspect of the book - this was something I really enjoyed about it. The story is very clear by the end, but Faulkner's decision to begin the book with the most difficult chapter probably alienates many readers.
So relieved to read your review. I thought my English was really bad because I had such time to understand what was happening!
