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As I Lay Dying (The collected works of William Faulkner) Hardcover - 1971

by Faulkner, William


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 (The collected works of William Faulkner)
  • Author Faulkner, William
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition Collected ed
  • Publisher Chatto & Windus
  • Date 1971-04
  • ISBN 9780701106652
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As I Lay Dying (The Collected works of William Faulkner)

As I Lay Dying (The Collected works of William Faulkner)

by Faulkner, William

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
Reprint Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780701106652
ISBN 10
0701106654
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Albany, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£48.18
£4.02 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
London: Chatto & Windus, 1970. Reprint Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. In lovely blue cloth with gilt to type. Top page ends tinted blue. Lightest ding to heel of spine, otherwise beautiful - sharp corners, clean interior and solid binding. Jacket is unclipped with some light edgewear and scuffing. Some tanning to flap edges and spine. Nice cover design by John Woodcock. First Printing thus.
Item Price
£48.18
£4.02 shipping to USA