Let's be honest upfront: this book is famously difficult. It's also one of the most rewarding reading experiences I've ever had. It asks a lot of you, but gives back tenfold in emotional power.

The Story

The novel tells the story of the Compson family, Southern aristocrats on the decline in the early 1900s. We don't get a straightforward plot. Instead, we get four sections, each from a different point of view. The first is from Benjy, a man with a severe intellectual disability. His section is a flood of sensations, smells, and memories, all mixed together without a clear sense of time. The second is from Quentin, his tortured, hyper-intellectual brother who is consumed by his obsession with their sister Caddy's lost honor. The third is from Jason, their vicious, greedy brother who bullies everyone around him. The final section pulls back to a more traditional third-person view, focusing on the family's devoted Black servant, Dilsey.

Why You Should Read It

This isn't a book you read for a relaxing plot. You read it to live inside these characters' heads. Faulkner doesn't just tell you Benjy is confused or Quentin is in agony—he makes you feel that confusion and agony through the very language. The fractured narrative is the point. It shows how memory warps us, how family myths trap us, and how the past is never really past. Caddy, the sister who causes so much of the turmoil, is the book's haunting center, even though we never get her direct thoughts.

Final Verdict

This is a masterpiece, but it's not for everyone. It's perfect for readers who love a literary challenge and don't mind being disoriented for a while to gain a deeper understanding. If you enjoy authors who experiment with how stories can be told, like Virginia Woolf or James Joyce, you'll find a friend in Faulkner. Go in with patience, maybe even use a reading guide for the first section, and let the sheer, heartbreaking humanity of it wash over you.