The Sound and The Fury - With - As I Lay Dying

by Faulkner, William

William Faulkner once described The Sound and the Fury, his fourth novel, as “a real son-of-a-bitch” and “the greatest I’ll ever write.” Set in Jefferson, Mississippi, the novel — a classic example of Southern gothic literature — traces the decaying values of the Southern society through the downfall of the aristocratic Compson family. The Sound and the Fury is structured into four distinct sections and perspectives: Benjamin "Benjy" Compson, a mentally disabled 33-year-old man, narrates Part 1: April 7, 1928; Benjy’s older brother, Quentin, narrates Part 2: June 2, 1910; Jason, the youngest Compson brother, narrates April 6, 1928; and Part 4: April 8, 1928 (the day after Part 1) is narrated by a newly introduced third person omniscient point of view.

Like James Joyce and other Modernist writers, Faulkner experimented with various narrative techniques, including narrator shifts, frequent times shifts, unconventional punctuation and sentence structure, and — perhaps most predominantly — stream-of-consciousness. Revealing the inner thoughts of the characters to the reader, the narration of The Sound and the Fury is attentive to the events surrounding each character in the present, but also frequently returns to their memories of the past. In doing so, the four parts of the novel relate many of the same episodes, each from different points of view.

While initial sales of The Sound and the Fury well less than impressive, the novel became commercially successful with the 1931 publication of Faulkner’s sixth novel, Sanctuary. Still, not one of Faulkner’s novels that followed ever generated as much critical response as The Sound and the Fury. The author was praised for this ability to effectively capture the intimate processes of the human mind in the novel and it played a role in William Faulkner's receiving the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Sound and the Fury sixth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

First Edition Identification

Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith first published Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury in New York in 1929. While the dust jackets state the original price of $3.00 on the rear panel, first editions of this novel can sell for upwards of $30,000.

Other Collectible or Notable Editions

In 1945, Faulkner an appendix to the novel, titled “Compson 1699-1945” (to resemble an obituary), to be included in The Portable Faulkner then being assembled for Viking Press by Malcolm Cowley. The 30-page history offers additional glimpses into Compson family, from both before and after the time span of the novel.

In collaboration with two Faulkner scholars, Stephen Ross and Noel Polk, the Folio Society published the first ever colored-ink edition of The Sound and the Fury in July of 2012 to mark the 50th anniversary of the author's death. Printing The Sound and the Fury with different colors marking its chronological shifts is literally something of which Faulkner had only dreamt. Due to the limited technology available at the time of publication, Faulkner had to settle for italics to originally convey the shifts. (The Folio Society colored-ink edition maintains italics of the original.) 

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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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Used - Near Fine
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Very Good
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First Edition
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1929
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Portland, Oregon, USA
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New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, 1929. First Edition. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's black and white Art Deco style boards over white cloth spine lettered in black. Near Fine with toning to pages and top and bottom edges of covers. In a Very Good first issue dust jacket with Humanity Uprooted… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury

The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner

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Published
1995
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Paperback
ISBN 10
0099475014
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London: Vantage. Good. 129 x 198 x 18mm. Paperback. 1995. 342 pages. Edge of text block tanned.<br>Depicting the gradual di sintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narrati ves, this title explores passionate family relationships where th ere is no love, only self-centredness. It is about lovelessness - 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William (cover art by Edward Mortelmans)

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1959
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Soft cover
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London: London: Landsborough Publications/Four Square Books 116 1959 First Four Square Paperback Printing, 1959 Good reading copy. Moderate edgewear, small graze to top front corner, thumbing to foredge, moderate creasing to spine, crease adjacant to spine, with 30mm split to head of spine, former owner's name blacked out on front fly page, mild age-toning to pages. Cover art by Edward… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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1929
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New York: Jonathan Cape Harrison Smith, 1929. First. hardcover. Very good/Very good. A very good first edition (so stated on copyright page) in a very good, restored dust jacket. Restoration to top of dj. 1st issue $3 price for Humanity Uprooted on back panel of dj. Housed in a custom made collector's clamshell case.
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The Sound and the Fury.

The Sound and the Fury.

by Faulkner, William

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1929
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New York: Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, 1929.
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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1st Edition
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1929
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New York: Jonathan Smith and Harrison Cape. Original Art Deco style boards. First Edition. One of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. Previous owner's name in pencil on half title, Very Good. No Dust Jacket. . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1929.
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, 1929. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/Good. 8vo., [iv], 401 pp. Original quarter white cloth, and black and white patterned paper boards, backstrip lettered in black, decorative endpapers that match the covers, original pictorial dust-jacket, fore-edge uncut. Book and dust-jacket heavily worn, water stained, jacket in pieces but largely present, this is the first issue… Read more about this item
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY

by Faulkner, William

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1931
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London: Chatto and Windus, 1931. First UK Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Octavo, 321 pages with 4 pages of advertisements. In Very Good minus condition. Bound in yellow cloth with red text on spine. Lacking issued dust jacket. Boards show rubbing to corners and spine edges and light bumping to corners on rear cover. Text block has foxing to edges… Read more about this item
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY

by Faulkner, William

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1931
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London: Chatto and Windus, 1931. Near fine in very good dust jacket.. First UK edition of Faulkner's second book to be published in England - emblematic of his rapidly-growing influence. The best known work of the early 20th-century American master of stream-of-consciousness, first conceived with the image of a girl in a pear tree. Through fits and starts,… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner

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First Edition Library. Hardback in slipcase. Used - Like New. The Sound and the Fury, first published in 1929, is perhaps William Faulkner’s greatest book. It was immediately praised for its innovative narrative technique, and comparisons were made with Joyce and Dostoyevsky, but it did not receive popular acclaim until the late forties, shortly before Faulkner received the… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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first
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1929
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Jonathan Cape and Harrison SMith, 1929. first. hardcover. very good/very good. First edition, first published 1929 stated on copyright page. Dust jacket is second state. Book very good, some rubbing and tanning along edges. Dust jacket very good, some wear, some small pieces missing, some small tape pieces inside of dj, minor tanning. Housed in custom-made slipcase. … Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner

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1931
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"THE SOUND AND THE FURY" by William Faulkner. 1931 1st UK edition, presumed 2nd state (with 1931 stated on the title page, though lacking the four pages of advertisements at the back); Chatto and Windus; London. The book comes with a facsimile dust jacket and a protective jacket sleeve. "The Sound and the Fury" was the second of Faulkner's novels… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury

by WillIam Faulkner

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1979
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The Franklin Library, 1979. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

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First printing of the corrected edition
Published
1984
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Hardcover
ISBN 10
0394532414
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New York: Random House, 1984. First printing of the corrected edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Cloth, near fine, very faintly foxed along edges of text block; in near fine jacket with some very light rubbing along the edges. With publisher's review slip and promotional photograph of Faulkner laid-in.
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The Sound and the Fury: The Corrected Text

by Faulkner, William

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Used - Acceptable
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1st
ISBN 10
0679732241
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Vintage. 1st. Acceptable. Acceptable. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
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The Sound And The Fury (Penguin Modern Classics)

The Sound And The Fury (Penguin Modern Classics)

by William Faulkner

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Used - Good
Published
1964
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Paperback
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Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, GBR
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Penguin, 1964. Paperback. Good. 1964. Published in Penguin Books. 284 pages. Paperback book with pictorial cover. Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. Overall a good condition item. Paper cover has mild edge-wear with light rubbing and creasing. Some light marking… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury - Sin and Salvation Series #2
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The Sound and the Fury - Sin and Salvation Series #2

by William Faulkner

Condition
Used - Good
Edition
Reprint
Published
1959
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Paperback
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Traralgon, Victoria, AUS
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Four Square, UK, 1959. Reprint. Paperback. Good. Paperback. 224 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Four Square, UK, 1959. Reprint. *** CONDITION: This book is in good condition. More specifically: Covers have light creasing. Edges of covers have superficial wear. Spine has moderate lean and moderate reading creases. . Pages are reasonably tanned. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK:… Read more about this item
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY; LIGHT IN AUGUST; AS I LAY DYING; SANCTUARY  (COMPLETE 4 VOLUME SET)
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THE SOUND AND THE FURY; LIGHT IN AUGUST; AS I LAY DYING; SANCTUARY (COMPLETE 4 VOLUME SET)

by Faulkner, William

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Used - Very Good+ with no dust jacket
Published
1956-1959
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Hardcover
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Livonia, Michigan, USA
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Random House. Very Good+ with no dust jacket. 1956-1959. Hardcover. ****Spring Sale! The current price reflects a 20% discount off the regular price, while the item lasts. Sale ends April 2, 2024*****; Complete 4 volume set. Red cloth covers are rubbed at corners and spine caps but clean, bright, and in very good+ condition. Boards and spines… Read more about this item
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The Sound and the Fury (Vintage classics)

The Sound and the Fury (Vintage classics)

by Faulkner, William

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Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10
0099475014
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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Paperback. Very Good.
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THE SOUND & THE FURY
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THE SOUND & THE FURY

by WILLIAM FAULKNER

Condition
Used - Fine
Edition
First Re-Issue
Published
1956
Binding
Perfect
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West Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN
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This is one of a mint-condition set of three matching books by the American author William Faulkner (1897-1962). They are first reissues, by his publisher (Random House) of Sanctuary, Light in August and The Sound and the Fury. They are simple red matte boards with gold lettering on the cover and spine. Lovely paper. They do not appear to have… Read more about this item
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