As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
The narrative unfolds through the eyes of 15 different characters over 59 chapters. It is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her poor, rural family's quest and motivations—noble or selfish—to honor her wish to be buried in her hometown of Jefferson, Mississippi. As the Bundren family undertakes a journey to fulfill Addie's last wish, they face many hardships and personal revelations. The novel explores themes of existentialism, death, and the nature of family relationships.
The 86th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1930
- Nationality
- American
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 200-300
- Words
- 56,000
- Original Language
- English
- Alternate Titles
- None
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 34 lists:
- 2nd on Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World (Literary Hub)
- 5th on The 16 Greatest Books of All Time (NYU Local)
- 6th on The Ideal Library (Book)
- 7th on The Best Southern Novels of All Time (Oxford American)
- 11th on El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors (El Pais)
- 19th on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 35th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 52nd on The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List (The Observer)
- 64th on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
- 65th on The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century (Folha de São Paulo)
- 75th on 'The perfect library': the 196 books selected by 133 personalities (XLSemanal and Zenda)
- 78th on Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 84th on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 90th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 92nd on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 280th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 367th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- Select 100 (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
- 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Best Books Listed for High School Students (William J. Bennett)
- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (1,000 Books to Read Before You Die(Book))
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (nextavenue)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (The Center for Fiction)
- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 (The American Scholar)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read (Esquire)
- How to Read and Why (Harold Bloom)
- 100 Life-Changing Books (National Book Award)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List (Thomas C. Foster)