As I Lay Dying

Written in 1930, William’s Faulkner’s “tour de force” As I Lay Dying is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th-century literature. Utilizing the stream of consciousness writing technique, the novel tells the story through 15 different characters over 59 chapters. It is the story of Addie Burden and her family’s quest and motivations to fulfill her wish to be buried in the town of Jefferson.


William Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949 for his novels prior to that date, including this book. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked As I Lay Dying 35th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.