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As I Lay Dying

Public domain audiobook

As I Lay Dying

by William Faulkner

English· 06:24:55· 27 chapters
Addie Bundren's declining health and eventual death prompt her impoverished family to honor her wish to be buried in Jefferson, Mississippi. In the beginning, Addie is alive but deteriorating, watching her son Cash construct her coffin while her husband Anse waits on the porch and daughter Dewey Dell fans her. Following Addie's death, a heavy rainstorm floods the rivers, destroying the bridges necessary to reach Jefferson.

William Faulkner employs 15 different points of view throughout the novel, with each chapter narrated by a different character, including Addie, who shares her thoughts posthumously. The 59 chapters, each named after their narrator, gradually flesh out the characters through their perceptions, with Darl's perspective being particularly dominant.

Narrative Structure
The novel utilizes a unique experimental style:
Multiple Perspectives: 15 different narrators share their perceptions across 59 chapters.
Posthumous Voice: Addie herself narrates a chapter after her death.
Dominant Voice: While the perspective shifts, the son Darl serves as the primary narrator, providing the most frequent insight into the family's psyche.

The information from the following list comes from Wikipedia, with thanks:
Addie Bundren: Wife of Anse and mother of Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman.
Anse Bundren: Addie’s husband—later her widower—and father to all the children except Jewel.
Cash Bundren: The eldest son (late 20s), a talented carpenter who constructs Addie’s coffin and shows a sometimes excessive heroism.
Darl Bundren: Roughly two years younger than Cash, the most articulate family member, narrator of 19 chapters, and ultimately loses his sanity.
Jewel Bundren: The third child, around 19, half‑brother to the others, Addie’s favored child, and the secret illegitimate son of Addie and Reverend Whitfield.
Dewey Dell Bundren: The only daughter, age 17, the second youngest, impregnated by Lafe, and seeking an abortion.
Vardaman Bundren: The youngest child, between 7 and 10 years old.
Vernon Tull: A close friend of the Bundren family, a farmer, and less devout than his wife.
Cora Tull: Vernon’s wife, deeply religious and often judgmental.
Eula Tull: Daughter of Cora and Vernon.
Kate Tull: The other daughter of Cora and Vernon.
Peabody: The Bundrens’ doctor, offering an outsider’s view of the family.
Lafe: The farmer who impregnates Dewey Dell and gives her $10 for an abortion.
Reverend Whitfield: The local minister, Addie’s lover, and Jewel’s biological father.
Samson: A local farmer who provides lodging for the Bundrens.
Moseley: A pharmacist in Mottson who refuses Dewey Dell the abortion medication she seeks.
Other narrators: MacGowan and Armstid.
(Summary by John Greenman & Michele Fry)

LibriVox recordings are public domain in the United States; copyright status may differ elsewhere.

Chapters

  1. Chapter 1

    Part 1 - Darl

    03:37
  2. Chapter 2

    Part 2 - Cora

    06:28
  3. Chapter 3

    Part 3 - Darl, Jewel, Darl

    16:05
  4. Chapter 4

    Part 4 - Cora, Dewey Dell, Tull

    19:27
  5. Chapter 5

    Part 5 - Anse, Darl, Peabody, Darl

    29:24
  6. Chapter 6

    Part 6 - Vardaman, Dewey Dell, Vardaman

    22:50
  7. Chapter 7

    Part 7 - Tull & Darl

    23:13
  8. Chapter 8

    Part 8 - Cash, Vardaman, Tull

    16:23
  9. Chapter 9

    Part 9 - Darl, Cash, Darl, Vardaman

    08:51
  10. Chapter 10

    Part 10 - Darl, Anse, Darl, Anse

    09:28
  11. Chapter 11

    Part 11 - Samson

    13:04
  12. Chapter 12

    Part 12 - Dewey Dell, Tull

    11:33
  13. Chapter 13

    Part 13 - Darl

    15:34
  14. Chapter 14

    Part 14 - Tull, Darl

    22:57
  15. Chapter 15

    Part 15 - Vardaman, Tull

    09:27
  16. Chapter 16

    Part 16 - Darl, Cash

    14:14
  17. Chapter 17

    Part 17 - Cora, Addie

    20:32
  18. Chapter 18

    Part 18 - Whitfield, Darl

    09:53
  19. Chapter 19

    Part 19 - Armstid

    17:09
  20. Chapter 20

    Part 20 - Vardaman

    04:57
  21. Chapter 21

    Part 21 - Mosley

    12:46
  22. Chapter 22

    Part 22 - Darl, Vardaman, Darl, Vardaman

    13:29
  23. Chapter 23

    Part 23 - Darl, Vardaman, Darl

    21:10
  24. Chapter 24

    Part 24 - Cash, Peabody

    14:25
  25. Chapter 25

    Part 25 - Macgowan

    11:22
  26. Chapter 26

    Part 26 - Vardaman, Darl

    08:57
  27. Chapter 27

    Part 27 - Dewey Dell, Cash

    07:40