As I Lay Dying: Faulkner Author (Oprah’s Book Club)

Oprah’s first pick of 2005 was As I Lay Dying by Faulkner, William. In this book you learn the story of Addie Bundren, who is from a poor white farm family and on her deathbed. Family members and friends come to visit to help ease her pain as she prepares to die. Addie is a very proud and bitter woman, does not enjoy all the attention from her overly religious and annoying children. She thinks her husband is worthless and her only son that she truly loves is Jewel.

The story is written in 13 narratives, you hear from each person involved in the journey to carry out Addie’s last request to be buried with her family in the town of Jefferson. You’ll see the brilliance of Faulkner as he weaves all the different story lines as each person tells their tail of the same story. Hearing the many different story lines you will feel compelled to decipher the information and come to your own conclusion.

“I set out deliberately to write a tour-de-force. Before I ever put pen to paper and set down the first word I knew what the last word would be and almost where the last period would fall.” – William Faulkner

As he was writing this book As I Lay Dying, Faulkner worked the night shift at the power plant yet it took him just over seven weeks to complete his masterpiece.