As I Lay Dying and The Sound & The Fury

Faulkners famous tragic narrative of the Bundren familys trek across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie their wife and mother is a true 20th-century masterpiece. In terms of organisation language and drama As I Lay Dying is one of the most important works in American fiction. The novel which is told in turn by each member of the family including Addie and others fluctuates in mood from dark humour to deep pathos. The Sound and the Fury a provocative and perplexing novel by William Faulkner published in 1929 is largely regarded as one of the most important English-language novels of the twentieth century. This new Norton Critical Edition builds on the merits of its predecessors while paying special attention to the novels contemporary reception as well as its diverse cultural and historical surroundings. The text for the Third Edition is based on Noel Polks meticulously produced corrected text which is preceded by a textual note. The annotations by David Minter which were aimed to help readers understand complex phrases and allusions have been kept.