The Sound and the Fury cover

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Book Level 4.4
Points 14.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Word Count 96931
Points per Word 0.000144
Page Count 326
Points per Page 0.042945

Description

This classic novel, told in four chapters by four different voices, tells the story of the decline of the once prominent Compson family along with the deterioration of the Southern aristocratic class in the deep south after the Civil War.

Quick Summary

The Sound and the Fury follows the Compson family, including brothers Benjy, Quentin, and Jason, through four separate narrative voices that reveal the family's collapse in Mississippi after the Civil War. The novel explores themes of memory loss, family dysfunction, racial tensions, and the fading glory of Southern aristocracy. If your kid likes complex, non-linear narratives like Gone with the Wind, they'll appreciate Faulkner's experimental storytelling that requires piecing together events across different time periods. This book is ideal for mature 11th-12th grade readers who are ready for challenging literary fiction with significant vocabulary and psychological depth.