A novel by
William Faulkner.
About the
Bundren family's journey to bury their
mother and
wife, Addie's Bundren.
The book is in the form of
stream of consciousness and each chapter is one character.
The family is Anse and Addie Bundren, the parents. Addie is dying and does die in the beginning of the novel.
The children are
Cash,
Jewel, Darl, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman.
Faulkner's writing is very confusing. Darl, the most complicated character, is a good example of Faulkner's style. Here is one passage from Darl:
In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were. I dont know what i am. I dont know if i am or not. Jewel knows he is, because he does not know that he does not know whether he is ot not. He cannot empty himself for sleep because he is not what he is and he is what he is not...And since sleep is is-not and rain and wind was, it is not. Yet the wagon is, because when the wagon is was, Addie bundren will not be. And Jewel is, so Addie Bundren must be. And then I must be, or I could not empty myself for sleep in a strange room.
Although confusing, it is a great book. Loved it.
This is also the source of the famous quote by Vardaman:
My mother is a fish.