BOOK REVIEW:- SOUND AND FURY

   

Date: Feb 1, 2020

Review on Novel;
                               SOUND AND FURY

"If you read books that everyone else is reading you can only think what everyone else is thinking. Change books, change your thoughts."
#HarukiMurakmi


Sound And Fury is a psychological novel by William Faulkner. It is world-famous novel, because of amazing techniques in it. Especially the technique Stream of Consciousness. (A technique in which writer used stream of thoughts or unconsciousness without order/sequence). Novel was published in 1929. A modern, psychological, romantic novel. Full of modern elements and techniques. For me, it was extremely exceptional experience of all the books I have done reading before.

When I read novel of Virginia Woolf on the same topic of Stream of consciousness, I was so happy that it was so easy to understand, I love that book. But, the day I started reading William Faulkner, I was just amazed that how could he write like such nice and mind boggling piece! Whereas a reader I was feeling that I was reading the minds of characters, even their physical health was not good or even the character who was no more alive. Alas! It was a different and new experience.

Most importantly, the techniques, Stream of Consciousness, priory mentioned, was all over in the novel. At first, I felt little confuse but when I really was in it, understanding what was it all about, when the events happened  that very moments, I was deeply attached with novel.

But, again let me clear one thing that, this novel is not for beginners, even I would say, it is not a cup of tea for everyone, only those who read and love stream of consciousness can only taste the real flavor of it.

Someone asked Faulkner that Sound and fury was very difficult for people to understand even they were reading twice or thrice, and then he replied that read it four times. When I was feeling that this paragraph was hard to understand or interpret, believe me I read it more than three time and after that getting, then I moved forward. But if I could read such a work, I can read any new or hard work by any writer, I was assured of this.

Let’s focus on some interesting points about novel;
1. Title; The original or old title of novel was #Twilight. But then they named it Sound and fury, which is taken from Shakespeare’s drama #Macbeth.
“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
In novel, Benji was idiot who told his story, as he was mentally abnormal. While, the story based on nothingness philosophy.

2. PLOT; Plot of novel was non-linear. Complicated, where events are not in sequence. As Stream of consciousness was there.

3. Themes;
1. Stream of consciousness
2. Nothingness
3. Love
4. Lust
5. Corrupt Family
6. Time
7. Order
8. Salvation
9. Racism.

4. Overview of Novel;
Novel was distributed into 4 chapters;
I. Chapter1; 7 April 1928
In which story was narrated by Benjamin (Benji), a grown man with his 33 years birthday but like child from behavior. At present day was it, while he recalled his all old memories and I read and thinking like I knew him from his childhood and his health. He was last child of Compson family.

II. Chapter2; June 2nd 1910
The second chapter was story about ten years before happened events. Story of Compsons’ eldest child, narrated by Quentin. Who committed suicide on that day. And he himself told his story of that day, from morning to the time he committed suicide. I cried a lot, when he died, because through reading his story I kind of emotionally went into it. He who loved his sister much and cared for Benjamin a lot into his young age. So much concerned about her romance and love with men.

III. Chapter3; 6 April 1928
The day before Benji’s birthday, in this the story narrated by another Compson family member, Jason. His part was so clear and easier than first two chapters. But, in his part language was not so good, like it started as; “Once a bitch is always a bitch.”

IV. Chapter4; 8 April 1928
That part I loved most, because of Dilsey. That part of novel was narrated by third person point of view (means writer). In that part, mostly the dear character to me was Dilsey. She was powerful, strong, and black servant of Compson family. She and her family all worked there from many years. Her grandchild luster was rebellious, naughty and I liked him even he became so happy to Benjamin cry.
Racism through Dilsey and her family was highly shown in novel. Dilsey said; “I seed de beginnin, en now I sees de endin.” She who  represented hope, salvation and redemption.

Hemingway once said; “You have to wade through a lot of crap to get to Faulkner’s gold.” Sound and Fury novel was requiring time, full concentration, like a philosophical book. I took a complete month to finish it. I just loved this book after went into it’s world of reading minds of characters, where there was no order of events, thoughts, things. Like adventure for a literary person (to me). I was so much happy that I read this book to taste a different or something change than before whatever l read.

*Note: Dear reader, maybe it sounds difficult or hard to understand from my review or reading it from surface just, but no, I am telling you at least give it some time then you will enjoy it and love it too as l do.



#MyLifeMychoice

#Mehrreads.