William FaulknÂer’s As I Lay Dying is wideÂly conÂsidÂered one of the great AmerÂiÂcan novÂels. Quite an accomÂplishÂment, espeÂcialÂly conÂsidÂerÂing that FaulknÂer wrote the novÂel in six weeks while workÂing at a powÂer plant in 1929–30. Read more about his day jobs here.
Thanks to HarperÂCollins, you can now lisÂten to FaulknÂer, himÂself, readÂing from his masÂterÂpiece: .au file (4.4 Mb), .gsm file (0.9 Mb), .ra file (0.5 Mb). The audio can be a litÂtle difÂfiÂcult to make out at times. But you can read right along with the text in Google Books. Enjoy. Thanks MS.
For more audio clasÂsics, check out our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books.
MS? as in M$ ?
:-)
As I Lay Dying was always my favorite of all his books. SomeÂthing about the stoÂicism of those peoÂple reminds me of simÂiÂlar surÂvivors in Texas. The diverÂsiÂty of what he wrote is amazÂing.
Thanks for postÂing this. I’ll admit that I haven’t read As I Lay Dying, but I’ve always loved FaulknÂer’s short stoÂries. DefÂiÂniteÂly going to give this a lisÂten.
So is this a good choise to read for school or should I pick anothÂer one instead?
Machelle, I’ve taught FaulknÂer’s ficÂtion all my adult life, and I sugÂgest you start with anothÂer of his books. I don’t know your age and readÂing expeÂriÂence, but if you realÂly love books and have read a lot, you might start with his greatÂest, “AbsaÂlom, AbsaÂlom!” (It will take a while to get into it,but oh my, it’s worth it). “The Reivers” is FaulknÂer’s last book and comÂic and fun. “Light in August” is a book I nevÂer can put down. I’ve nevÂer underÂstood why “As I Lay Dying” is the FaulknÂer novÂel taught in high schools.
THIS BOOK YOU HAVE TO READ OVER AND OVER TO UNDERSTAND IT BUT IT HAS TRAGIC AND COMIC IN IT…
Machelle, I teach this to my senior Advanced PlaceÂment classÂes and love it for its dark humor. FaulknÂer knew what that was all about long before HolÂlyÂwood exploitÂed the humor in pathos.
Love this book, which has the same effect on me as WaitÂing for Godot…sometimes laugh out loud, someÂtimes tears streamÂing. Thank you for allowÂing me to hear FaulknÂer’s words in FaulknÂer’s voice.
My God! FaulknÂer realÂly was a SouthÂernÂer. I can bareÂly underÂstand him. His accent is thickÂer than BarÂry HanÂnah’s or FlanÂnery O’ConÂnor’s.
It’s easÂiÂer to underÂstand Cash or Darl or Anse on the writÂten page. A British critÂic called “As I Lay Dying” a black comÂeÂdy, and I’m glad to read shashinyc re: its comedic and tragÂic aspects, both. It occurred to me that it anteÂdates “Godot” by 30 years. I think FaulknÂer played it both ways, as both comÂeÂdy and tragedy. You care too much mereÂly to laugh, but the stuÂpidÂiÂty forces that, too. FinalÂly, like BeckÂetÂt’s work, it addressÂes the human conÂdiÂtion in all its schizÂoÂphreÂnia.
I found “Light in August” very movÂing. Not overÂwhelmÂing at all, by which I mean that unconÂvenÂtionÂal 20th cenÂtuÂry litÂerÂaÂture can someÂtimes be rather weighty and difÂfiÂcult to comÂpreÂhend. Does this webÂsite still have the recordÂing of FaulknÂer’s Nobel Prize speech?
PreÂvisÂiÂble. He has a voice 4 readÂing very dinamÂic, very poetÂic. DiameÂtralÂly opposed as the voice that I’ve whenÂevÂer I read him
I have read all of his books, some were very hard to underÂstand but I would usuÂalÂly read them over again.
We studing “Light in August” in high school. It was excelÂlent!