I probably need to read more Faulkner, as The Sound & The Fury was incredible, and this book was almost as good. His prose has great rhythms and I like the weird stylistics ticks (ending a chapter in the middle of a sentence, the use of italics) even if I'm not immediately sure what to make of them. ( )

In 1986, Graves County, Kentucky, the school board banned this book about a poor white family in the midst of crisis, from its high school English reading list because of 7 passages which made reference to God or abortion and used curse words such as "bastard," "goddam," and "son of a bitch." None of the board members had actually read the book.

Faulkner is an all-time favorite of mine and this is on the top of my list. A haunting book on families and human misunderstandings. ( )

This was one of those books that is more about getting you thinking than really telling any kind of story, and to be honest the plot line was a little slow. However that said, the writing style was amazing. Faulkner is a mast of dialects, and the reader is made aware of each character's emotions, education, and personality through his or her individual diction. The story itself has sort of a detached sadness that pervades it, and the actions bring the reader to understand just what is left for a family that has nothing. ( )

This is the perfect starting place for a Faulkner virgin in my opinion. It gives you the POV traits that become so imperative in some of his larger works, while keeping it nice and simple and easy to read. Short chapters and rapid action keep this compelling for those who are new to this style.
A lot of reviews on other sites say differently, suggesting Light in August and/or The Unvanquished as the perfect starting place. They're lying. Those are definitely not to be missed - however, to read Faulkner is to read his major works. As I Lay Dying prepares you for what's coming...Light in August does not. The Unvanquished? Those are basically short stories so...this would be my choice for best first Faulkner. ( )