Thursday, May 5, 2011

As I lay dying

Burying a loved one is never easy.  William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a study on that statement.

Addie's burial begins before she is even dead, with her approving each plank that is used to make her coffin.  She also demands to be buried in the town she came from, several days journey away.  When she finally passes, flash floods, dead mules, broken legs, arson, and failed abortions all conspire to make the journey take even longer.

But in the end she is laid to rest in her homeland.  Her husband wastes no time getting his new teeth and his new wife.  Her children are left to muddle through their various issues.  You are left wondering if they make it through at all.

An interesting look at what happens when the glue is removed.

1 comment:

  1. I just downloaded this the other day ---on my to do list - of those classics that one feels they should read. :)

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