As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

There are plenty of different kinds of books written, and published today. It’s a interesting form of entertainment that still holds up along side modern adaptations, like television or games. Books have a wider open door to visualization and interoperation. People can read things differently according to their own experiences. It’s up to the author to still allow that room for interoperation while keeping the books characters and plot on track. Looking at a book from the point of one main character, people may want to relate themselves to that character. That way they can feel and experience that change the character does.

When you incorporate multiple characters its far more difficult. The writer will want all the characters to hold up on their own as individuals. Faulkner had a distinct view point from every character introduced in this book. Reading it at first its structured in a way stranger to most books. Books that read from multiple characters viewpoints exist, but to the extent of how many characters, and really getting into their heads, Faulkner came out on top.

Starting the book is about the most painful thing (almost as painful as a head on collision with a semi on the highway.) Never the less once the characters become more apparent, and a type of plot is reveled, things get more interesting. It doesn’t take to long to get into the book, and learn something interesting about the characters. All of them have something in common which is a brilliant way to bring all of them together. Addie is the mother of the Bundren family and wife to Anse. She is on her deathbed, and the characters all revolve around this each reacting in a different way. Darl is the most level headed about the situation (at first), Jewel is more horse, Dewey is rather devastated, Anus is rather insensitive, and so on.

Each of these characters have a self running personality and they feel real. Each of them react differently to the situation. What makes it interesting is there are perspectives the reader will and won’t agree with. After Addie dies the characters even become more complex and their actual concerns and needs become apparent after the fact. Faulkner was able to stem this tree of complexity all seeded with Addie’s death. Even Addie develops further like roots to the base before and after her death. That’s quite admirable to make the corpse of a character develop as the story continues.