The Sound of My Fury

I know I haven't posted for ages. Err, do I have an excuse? Err, sometimes nail polish takes ages to dry before I can type?

I'm going to review my fav classic book. Let me start by saying that this is a OMG WTF book. I started reading this and it made absolutely no sense. I was like "hold on there *Billy Faulks*". Who is Quentin? Is it a girl or a boy? Did someone have a sex change? But then I find out there are two Jasons and two Maurys along with the two Quentins and I am like who are all these people? The sex change actually sounds more plausible. But because I don’t want to be, like, reading some stupid chick lit book with a stupid title like “Harriet Potter and the Way Awesum Snog” (you know who you are!) I am going to persevere with my totally boffin book and I don’t care if no one wants to sit next to me at lunchtime.

I’m not that totally dumb and I figure out that the first chapter is being narrated by Benjy who is an “idiot son” (no, I am no longer taking about the ppl at my school, I am talking about the novel) and has no sense of time or space, so his thoughts are everywhere. I also decided there is no point in trying to figure anything out, so I just flow along with the narrative (and enjoy the writing, which is actually really good).

The second chapter is even more confusing. We’ve switched narrators and are now with Quentin (the boy one). He seems like a really intelligent and kind guy and his thoughts start to make sense when out of nowhere… DALTON AMES! DALTON AMES! He is the biggest emo ever. And this is 1910. I didn’t even think emo were invented back then. I’m like “calm down Quents, I know you don’t like this guy Dalton, but don’t lose your head over it…” But he does and even though I am still so confused, I feel so heartbroken for Quentin.

Next two chapters – okay, I’m starting to get it! Third chapter is narrated by Jason (the second one) and he talks totally linear (even though he's a total dick). And to my surprise I find that when he mentions people and events, even though he doesn’t elaborate on it, I’m going hey! I know who and what he’s talking about! It’s like I’ve absorbed bits of gossip (that I am good at) from the first 2 chapters and I just *know*. And the final chapter is in third person POV so it is pretty clear and I’m like okay, wow then. It was kinda fun! And worth the effort, phew! Dude, My brain is sweating bucketloads!!

So is this William Faulkner genius? He surely presents a story in a way I have never seen before. And unlike a normal story, which is hard to re-read cos you don’t want to read the same exposition *over again*, this is like a book you can just pick up and randomly read passages. This is a book that tries to make feelings, rather than events make a Sound and I guess that is where the title is from.

I find myself re-reading the Quentin chapter a lot. It makes me sad. It’s like emo poetry without the crappiness and I love all the feelings – is Quentin chapter the first ever ‘teen novel’ about teen suicide? I like to think so. And it sure is loud and furious and all things beautiful you find in damaged people.