As I Lay Dying
- 250
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“As I Lay Dying” is a short novel that asks more than most long ones. Some fifteen narrators take turns in stream of consciousness, and readers often lose track of who is speaking and where; for some the threads only meet near the end. Among those who persevere, the praise goes to characters drawn in full. It suits anyone who can live without a straight line.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
As I Lay Dying is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th century. The title is derived from William Marris's 1925 translation of Homer's Odyssey, referring to the similar themes of both works.
Reading order · Sin and Salvation
Full order & progress →- The Sound and the FuryStart here
7.67.6 / 10 - As I Lay DyingThis book
7.57.5 / 10 - SanctuarySanctuary–Not ranked yet
- Light In AugustLight In August–Not ranked yet
- Absalom, Absalom!
8.28.2 / 10 - Requiem for a NunRequiem for a Nun–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.4 across 360 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 71% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Classics average of 7.7. That is how 7.5 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.2 | 12 | 3% |
| Hardcover | 7.4 | 348 | 97% |
Frequently asked
How long is As I Lay Dying?
It has 250 pages — shorter than 54% of the ranked books in Classics.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Classics — and a score of 7.5, the closest to this book.
