As I Lay DyingAs I Lay Dying
Score Classic
What it's about
Addie Bundren is dying, and her son Cash is building her coffin under her window. After her death, her husband and children set out on a journey across rural Mississippi to bury her in her hometown, as she wished. The trip becomes a disaster, through flood and fire, told in short sections by fifteen different narrators, including Addie herself.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It's Faulkner's most approachable major novel, darkly funny and tragic.
You'll love it if you liked
The Sound and the Fury
Light in August
Their Eyes Were Watching GodGood to know
Each chapter has a different narrator and style, some confusing at first. There's a rotting corpse and grim humor.
By the numbers
- Readers4 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #49 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #557 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1938 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark
More by William Faulkner
Absalom, Absalom!Light in AugustThe Sound and the FuryIf you like this, read next
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Exorcist
Blood Meridian
My Cousin Rachel
Perfume
The BottomsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is As I Lay Dying worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It ranks #1,938 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is As I Lay Dying about?
Addie Bundren is dying, and her son Cash is building her coffin under her window. After her death, her husband and children set out on a journey across rural Mississippi to bury her in her hometown, as she wished. The trip becomes a disaster, through flood and fire, told in short sections by fifteen different narrators, including Addie herself.
How long does it take to read As I Lay Dying?
About 7 hours (292 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after As I Lay Dying?
If you liked it, try The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, Light in August by William Faulkner or Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.