100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

New on the blog! πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ Japanese Healing Fiction & β˜• The Perfect Winter Reads

The Sound and the Fury

3.86 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 193,360 ratings, 10,760 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner delves into the decline of the Compson family in the American South through the eyes of four distinct narrators, capturing their struggles, frustrations, and personal tragedies. The novel intricately explores themes of time, memory, and moral decay, employing a stream of consciousness style to offer a deep emotional and psychological portrait of its characters. Faulkner's narrative challenges readers by weaving together past and present, demanding attention to uncover the underlying tragedy of familial disintegration.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2200
Elsewhere:
$2400
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by narratives that explore the complexities of family dynamics and delve into the depths of human consciousness through a unique and innovative writing style. It appeals to readers who appreciate rich, multi-layered storytelling and are fascinated by the exploration of time, memory, and the human experience.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A complex, intense American novel of family from the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

With an introduction by Richard Hughes

Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century.

Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A towering, intense novel of family from the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

A complex, intense American novel of family from the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

With an introduction by Richard Hughes.

Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, the novel explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centredness. At its heart, this is a novel about lovelessness β€” 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?'

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Widely regarded as a significant work of American literature, The Sound and the Fury showcases Faulkner's boundless creativity and powerful imagination. Critics praise its originality, philosophical depth, and unique style, noting its unparalleled characterisation and blend of humour and tragic intensity. Readers are drawn to its lifelike experience, a departure from conventional storytelling, and view it as a deeply moving and enduring masterpiece.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099475019

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 January 1995

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Richard Hughes
  • Introduction by Richard Hughes

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 205g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Born in 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi, William Faulkner was the son of a family proud of their prominent role in the history of the south. He grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, and left high school at fifteen to work in his grandfather's bank. Rejected by the US military in 1915, he joined the Canadian flyers with the RAF, but was still in training when the war ended. Returning home, he studied at the University of Mississippi and visited Europe briefly in 1925. His first poem was published in The New Republic in 1919. His first book of verse and early novels followed, but his major work began with the publication of The Sound and the Fury in 1929. As I Lay Dying (1930), Sanctuary (1931), Light in August (1932), Absalom, Absalom! (1936) and The Wild Palms (1939) are the key works of his great creative period leading up to Intruder in the Dust (1948). During the 1930s, he worked in Hollywood on film scripts, notably The Blue Lamp, co-written with Raymond Chandler. William Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 and the Pulitzer Prize for The Reivers just before his death in July1962.

Also by William Faulkner

View all
  • As I Lay Dying
    Brilliant and compelling - one is constrained to follow to the end β€” Spectator The death and burial of Addie Bundren is told by members of her family, as they cart the coffin to Jefferson, Mississippi, to bury her among her people. And as the intense desires, fears, and rivalries of the family are revealed in the vernacular of the...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Light in August
    Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Embark on spine-tingling, mind-altering, and deliciously atmospheric journeys into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. VINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIES: Experience spine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric storytelling as you journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics. A landmark in American...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Absalom, Absalom!
    Absalom, Absalom! is Faulkner's gripping, dark tale of pride and prejudice in the Deep South. This postbellum Greek tragedy is the perfect introduction to Faulkner's elaborate descriptive syntax. Quentin Compson and Shreve, his Harvard roommate, are obsessed with the tragic rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen. As a poor white boy, Sutpen was turned away from a plantation owner's mansion...
    Paperback
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Light in August
    This Norton Critical Edition includes: The authoritative text of Light in August, established by Noel Polk in 1985 and accompanied by Melanie Benson Taylor's preface and explanatory footnotes. A rich selection of background and contextual materials, thoughtfully and practically arranged to draw readers into the American South of Faulkner's imagination. Topics include "The Writer's World and Words," "Reception and Influence,"...
    Paperback
    $5299
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Light in August
    Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature A landmark in American fiction, Light in August explores Faulkner's central themeβ€”the nature of evil. Joe Christmasβ€” a man doomed, deracinated and aloneβ€”wanders the Deep South in search of an identity, and a place in society. After killing his perverted, God-fearing lover, it becomes inevitable that he is pursued by a lynch-hungry mob....
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • As I Lay Dying
    This Norton Critical Edition is based on the 1985 corrected text and is accompanied by newly updated and expanded explanatory annotations and an introduction by Michael Gorra. Backgrounds and Contexts is divided into three sections, each of which includes a concise introduction by Michael Gorra. These introductions carefully frame the issues presented, with particular attention to As I Lay Dying's...
    Paperback
    $5399
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • As I Lay Dying
    Considered one of the most influential novels in American fiction in structure, style, and drama, As I Lay Dying is a true 20th-century classic. The story revolves around a grim yet darkly humorous pilgrimage, as Addie Bundren's family sets out to fulfil her last wishβ€”to be buried in her native Jefferson, Mississippi, far from the miserable backwater surroundings of her...
    Hardback
    $9500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Absalom, Absalom!
    NOBEL PRIZE WINNER β€’ Family drama and the legacy of slavery haunt this epic tale of an enigmatic stranger in Jefferson, Mississippiβ€”from one of the most acclaimed writers of the twentieth century. One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years β€œRead, read, read. Read everythingβ€”trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just...
    Paperback
    $4900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (5)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    On Mystic Lake
    One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Land
    Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, theΒ new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, TomΓ‘s and his reluctant son,Β Liam, are working for the great...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β€” Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β€” Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β€” Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β€” Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β€” Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set
    The Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandon Sanderson is a landmark fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. Renowned for its innovative magic system, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this trilogy is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast. Immerse yourself in a world shrouded in ash, where a once-hopeful land is ruled by the tyrannical Dark Lord, known as the...
    Set
    $6800
    Elsewhere:
    $7500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Deal
    Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Deal now for the perfect fake-dating romance! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . . Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Signed Bookplate
    New Release
    Light Wielder
    THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* β€˜The BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ β€˜The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Goal
    Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Project Hail Mary
    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL A BARACK OBAMA READING PICK A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. 'The most enjoyable hard SF I have read in years' GUARDIAN 'Weir's finest work to date... This is the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know...
    Paperback
    $2099
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Bookshop Detectives 3: Murder and Mojitos
    Art Deco glamour, a Cuban crime queen and a grammar-obsessed killer collide in the #1 best-selling Bookshop Detectives’ high-stakes final instalment. The Bookshop Detectives are on the case! Booksellers Garth and Eloise Sherlock (and their cowardly dog, Stevie) have been roped into hosting Murder and Mojitos, a glamorous Art Deco festival event starring Cuba’s queen of crime fiction. Between flapper...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.