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The Sound and the Fury
First published in 1929, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury stands as a landmark of Modernist literature. Renowned for its daring narrative style, the novel immerses readers in the inner worlds of the Compson family through Faulkner’s masterful use of stream-of-consciousness. Each section unfolds from the unique perspective of a different sibling—Benjy, Quentin, and Jason—culminating in a final part told by an omniscient narrator. At the heart of their fractured memories and voices is Caddy, the sister whose presence haunts the novel, shaping the destinies of her brothers even in her absence. Faulkner’s bold experimentation with structure and voice, inspired by literary giants such as Henry James and James Joyce, challenges and rewards the reader in equal measure. Once its complexities are unraveled, The Sound and the Fury reveals a story of profound emotional power.
This Warbler Classics edition faithfully reproduces the original 1929 edition and features an introduction to the book written by Faulkner in 1933. It also includes a description of the “Compson Appendix,” a character key, and a detailed biographical timeline.
William Faulkner (1897–1962) was an American novelist and short story writer renowned for his profound influence on modernist literature and his creation of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, a richly detailed setting based on Lafayette County, Mississippi. Faulkner’s work often explored themes of the decay of the South, racial tensions, and complex family dynamics, as depicted in novels like The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), and Absalom, Absalom! (1936). Faulkner earned the Nobel Prize in Literature, two Pulitzer Prizes, and the National Book Award. He spent much of his life in Oxford, Mississippi, where he wrote prolifically; he also worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood. His legacy endures as one of the most significant American writers of the twentieth century.
This Warbler Classics edition faithfully reproduces the original 1929 edition and features an introduction to the book written by Faulkner in 1933. It also includes a description of the “Compson Appendix,” a character key, and a detailed biographical timeline.
William Faulkner (1897–1962) was an American novelist and short story writer renowned for his profound influence on modernist literature and his creation of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, a richly detailed setting based on Lafayette County, Mississippi. Faulkner’s work often explored themes of the decay of the South, racial tensions, and complex family dynamics, as depicted in novels like The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), and Absalom, Absalom! (1936). Faulkner earned the Nobel Prize in Literature, two Pulitzer Prizes, and the National Book Award. He spent much of his life in Oxford, Mississippi, where he wrote prolifically; he also worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood. His legacy endures as one of the most significant American writers of the twentieth century.
255 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2025
About the author
William Faulkner
1,524 books11.1k followersWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer. He is best known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in for Lafayette County where he spent most of his life. A Nobel laureate, Faulkner is one of the most celebrated writers of American literature and often is considered the greatest writer of Southern literature.
Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi, and raised in Oxford, Mississippi. During World War I, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, but did not serve in combat. Returning to Oxford, he attended the University of Mississippi for three semesters before dropping out. He moved to New Orleans, where he wrote his first novel Soldiers' Pay (1925). He went back to Oxford and wrote Sartoris (1927), his first work set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County. In 1929, he published The Sound and the Fury. The following year, he wrote As I Lay Dying. Later that decade, he wrote Light in August, Absalom, Absalom! and The Wild Palms. He also worked as a screenwriter, contributing to Howard Hawks's To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep, adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel. The former film, adapted from Ernest Hemingway's novel, is the only film with contributions by two Nobel laureates.
Faulkner's reputation grew following publication of Malcolm Cowley's The Portable Faulkner, and he was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his powerful and unique contribution to the modern American novel." He is the only Mississippi-born Nobel laureate. Two of his works, A Fable (1954) and The Reivers (1962), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Faulkner died from a heart attack on July 6, 1962, following a fall from his horse the month before. Ralph Ellison called him "the greatest artist the South has produced".
Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi, and raised in Oxford, Mississippi. During World War I, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, but did not serve in combat. Returning to Oxford, he attended the University of Mississippi for three semesters before dropping out. He moved to New Orleans, where he wrote his first novel Soldiers' Pay (1925). He went back to Oxford and wrote Sartoris (1927), his first work set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County. In 1929, he published The Sound and the Fury. The following year, he wrote As I Lay Dying. Later that decade, he wrote Light in August, Absalom, Absalom! and The Wild Palms. He also worked as a screenwriter, contributing to Howard Hawks's To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep, adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel. The former film, adapted from Ernest Hemingway's novel, is the only film with contributions by two Nobel laureates.
Faulkner's reputation grew following publication of Malcolm Cowley's The Portable Faulkner, and he was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his powerful and unique contribution to the modern American novel." He is the only Mississippi-born Nobel laureate. Two of his works, A Fable (1954) and The Reivers (1962), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Faulkner died from a heart attack on July 6, 1962, following a fall from his horse the month before. Ralph Ellison called him "the greatest artist the South has produced".
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 24, 2026
Read this for school but I did not anticipate liking this book as much as I did! I really liked the form of the book despite not being able to completely understand Benjy's chapter, it was really interesting to get his perspective of this family as the structure of it rapidly deteriorating. All of the brothers were interesting to examine (but fuck Jason all my homies hate Jason) and getting their perspectives throughout time about their sister Caddy.
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