As I Lay Dying Hardcover - 2000
by William Faulkner; Foreword by E. L. Doctorow
About this book
William Faulkner claimed to have written As I Lay Dying, his fifth novel, in just six weeks — with very little revision — while working at power plant in 1929. While this sounds impressive in and of itself, also consider the fact that this novel has 15 different narrators throughout its 59 chapters and has consistently been recognized as one of the greatest works of the American literature.
As I Lay Dying is the first book in which Faulkner introduces Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional rendition of his native Lafayette County, Mississippi, which became the setting for some of his best-known works. The author’s self-described “tour de force” follows the death of Addie Bundren and her family’s various notions regarding her burial requests and their journey to Jefferson, in the heart of the county, to fulfill them. Poverty, bad weather, injury, and pregnancy are just some of the hindrances faced along the way. Fittingly, the title of the novel comes from a line in Homer’s The Odyssey: “As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.”
Along with The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying helped to secured Faulkner’s stance as a pioneer of the stream-of-consciousness technique, joining the ranks with James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. In vernacular that echoes Mark Twain, the characters of the novel are able to develop gradually through the perceptions of others. Though this requires readers to take an active part in constructing the story, it also allows for multiple, and sometimes, conflicting interpretations.
Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949 for his novels prior to that date, which includes As I Lay Dying. The novel has also directly influenced a number of other critically acclaimed books, including Graham Swift’s Booker prize-winning novel Last Orders and Suzan-Lori Parks’ Getting Mother’s Body, an African-American retelling of the story. As I Lay Dying is ranked 35th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 55th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels. The Grammy-nominated metalcore band As I Lay Dying derived its name from this book as well. In 2014, writer/director James Franco released a film adaptation of the novel.
From the jacket flap
One of William Faulkner's finest novels, As I Lay Dying was originally published in 1930, and remains a captivating and stylistically innovative work. The story revolves around a grim yet darkly humorous pilgrimage, as Addie Bundren's family sets out to fulfill her last wish: to be buried in her native Jefferson, Mississippi, far from the miserable backwater surroundings of her married life. Told through multiple voices, it vividly brings to life Faulkner's imaginary South, one of the great invented landscapes in all of literature, and is replete with the poignant, impoverished, violent, and hypnotically fascinating characters that were his trademark.
This edition reproduces the corrected text of As I Lay Dying as established in 1985 by Noel Polk.
First Edition Identification
Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith first published As I Lay Dying in New York in 1930. The first edition states “First Published 1930” on the copyright page with no additional printings listed and includes an “I” aligned incorrectly on page 11. The dust jack of the first edition states the original price of $2.50 on its front flap. True first editions have sold for upwards of $6,000 — and can go for as much as $12,000 with Faulkner’s signature.
Details
- Title As I Lay Dying
- Author William Faulkner; Foreword by E. L. Doctorow
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 256
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Modern Library, New York
- Date 2000-11-28
- ISBN 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Weight 0.85 lbs (0.39 kg)
- Dimensions 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.8 in (20.57 x 14.48 x 2.03 cm)
- Reading level 870
-
Themes
- Cultural Region: Deep South
- Cultural Region: Mid-South
- Cultural Region: South
- Demographic Orientation: Rural
- Demographic Orientation: Small Town
- Geographic Orientation: Mississippi
- Topical: Death/Dying
- Topical: Family
- Library of Congress subjects Domestic fiction, Death
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 00056254
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Excerpt
Media reviews
More Copies for Sale
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Condition
- UsedGood
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Skokie, Illinois, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$6.49NZ$6.79 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Condition
- UsedAcceptable
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Skokie, Illinois, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$8.48NZ$6.79 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Acceptable
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$11.61FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library): The Corrected Text (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by William Faulkner
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 2
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, United Kingdom
- Item Price
-
NZ$14.63NZ$18.25 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library): The Corrected Text (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by William Faulkner
- Used
- good
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, United Kingdom
- Item Price
-
NZ$14.63NZ$18.25 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Condition
- UsedVeryGood
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Skokie, Illinois, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$13.72NZ$6.79 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used: Good
- Edition
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$17.96FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text
by Faulkner, William
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Fine copy in fine dust jacket
- Edition
- Later prt.
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Pittsford, New York, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$25.53NZ$6.81 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William
- New
- Condition
- New
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 12
- Seller
-
Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$26.20NZ$6.79 shipping to USA
Show Details
As I Lay Dying (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)
by Faulkner, William; Doctorow, E.L. [Foreword]
- New
- Hardcover
- Condition
- New
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780375504525 / 0375504524
- Quantity Available
- 777
- Seller
-
Fairfax Station, Virginia, United States
- Item Price
-
NZ$26.74NZ$6.79 shipping to USA