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As I Lay Dying
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As I Lay Dying Paperback - 1987

by William Faulkner; Noel Polk (Editor)


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.

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; Noel Polk (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Vintage Books ed
  • Pages 247
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Vintage Books USA, New York
  • Date 1987-02
  • ISBN 9780394747453 / 0394747453
  • Weight 0.3 lbs (0.14 kg)
  • Dimensions 6.91 x 4.25 x 0.62 in (17.55 x 10.80 x 1.57 cm)
  • Reading level 870
  • Library of Congress subjects Domestic fiction, Stream of consciousness fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 86040161
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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As I Lay Dying - V745
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

As I Lay Dying - V745

by Faulkner, William

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9780394747453
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Vintage, 1987-02-11. paperback. Good. 6x4x0. Has heavy shelf wear, but still a good reading copy. A portion of your purchase of this book will be donated to non-profit organizations.Over 1,000,000 satisfied customers since 1997! Choose expedited shipping (if available) for much faster delivery. Delivery confirmation on all US orders.
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As I Lay Dying
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As I Lay Dying

by William Faulkner

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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1987. Paperback. Good. 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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As I Lay Dying - V745
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As I Lay Dying - V745

by William Faulkner

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ISBN 13
9780394747453
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As I Lay Dying
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As I Lay Dying

by Faulkner, William

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ISBN 13
9780394747453
ISBN 10
0394747453
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As I Lay Dying
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As I Lay Dying

by Faulkner, William

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ISBN 13
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ISBN 10
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As I Lay Dying

As I Lay Dying

by Faulkner, William

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As I Lay Dying - V745
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As I Lay Dying - V745

by Faulkner, William

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ISBN 13
9780394747453
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Vintage, 1987-02-12. Paperback. Good. Prompt shipment, with tracking. we ship in CLEAN SECURE NEW boxes Good copy, pages tan, creasing.*
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As I Lay Dying - V745
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

As I Lay Dying - V745

by Faulkner, William

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ISBN 13
9780394747453
ISBN 10
0394747453
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