THE SOUND AND THE FURY, APRIL 7, 1928
William Faulkner

The title of the novel is taken from Macbeth's soliloquy in act 5, scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth:

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
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."

I've started reading the first section of "The Sound and the Fury". The time period changes quickly in this section, it is making me a bit dizzy. I have noticed that there are some hints as to the switching between the years. It is narrated by Benji, who is mentally disabled. He has a great sent memory, and sents will trigger memories from the past. I really like how his sister Caddy's smell is very important to him. When she smells like trees he is happy, but when she smells of perfume, he cries.

Are you going to set up the chapters, Suzanne?

If you haven't time, would you like me to make the chapter threads for you?

Carly

So far, I have this link . . .

http://www.searchlit.org/novels/chapters/520.php

This gives you online text.

I don't know about audio though - haven't seen it online yet and can't get one through our library.

Thanks Carly for your interest. Wow! I can't believe you found the entire text on line. I am enjoying this one, it certainly is a puzzle.

I included the appendix in a separate thread. I don't consider it a spoiler because this appendix has been added to a few editions of the book.

This first chapter is very strange. I really liked the title, so I was really interested in this book. Little did I know that the title was from Shakespeare. That you, Suzanne for that information.

The online Cliff notes do a really good job of showing the timeline for Benji's section.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Lit ... d-125.html

A good tip to understanding the time line in the first section is to observe who is with Benjy. For instance, Versh, Dilsey’s son is with Benjy as a child. T.P., also Dilsey’s son is with him during adolescence and Luster, Dilsesy’s grandson is with Benjy as an adult. The events from the first section do become clearer in subsequent sections.

I found I had to read the first section twice. Typical for a Faulkner novel. I posted the Compson appendix, this also may be helpful in understanding the time line. This appendix has been added to a few edditions of not only "The Sound and the Fury", but "As I Lay Dying" as well.

I have to say I'm really enjoying this book.

I'm glad to hear it will become clearer. Without a solid setting and definite action, I was finding myself a bit lost. But then again, I'm not that far into it yet.

Ritzy wrote:

"I'm glad to hear it will become clearer. Without a solid setting and definite action, I was finding myself a bit lost."

Perhaps we are not to make perfect sense of this section but rather to be lost, as this takes us inside Benjy's head, I think, so we experience his confusion, bewilderment, lack of sequence and logic. Perhaps the other characters, as they interact with Benjy feel similarly and struggle with that uncertainty. I'm struck by the number of times in this first section that the characters 'hush' each other, quite strange. Also, many interesting perspectives from Benjy, perspectives that are alternative to most people's worldview, for example, views of presence and absence. He is going outside with TP and says "We went down the steps, where our shadows were".

I also took note of all the hushing.

One of my favorite english professors once told me, when I would say, "I don't get it!", he would say, you don't need to get it. Let the words, and the language flow over you, take it all in. Appreciate the writing, then go back a second time, and you will find you have gotten it all along.

I like that!

Good advice for the second section, yes?

Definitely. And the first.