This book is a very good comination of two of the greatest works by William Faulkner. The Sound and the Fury is carefully written using stream of consciousness refering to a sibling of the family. Even the very last sentence can easily take the reader back to the very first sentence. It is beautifully written, as well as As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying is written in many perspective's of each person in the family. The full story is obtained through reading through each person's mind and opinions and happenings. A suprise ending adds to the punch of this book. Both of these novels (combined into one book) are stories that critics and others seem to love, cherish, and remember for a long time.

Avoid this Faulkner work. It will not enhance your appreciation for his writing; rather, you are likely to regret ever having guiltily enjoyed Sanctuary. Other than his two Snopes novels, none of Faulkner's work after World War II is worth reading, and I include Intruder in the Dust in that assessment. Instead, go back to the works that demonstrated a gift for story-telling and language, rather than sales. Sanctuary is unique in that the lurid story of course was sellable yet Faulkner was able to infuse it with his own unique vision and style.

Two-and-a-half stars. In Requiem, Faulkner pens a sequel to his sensational novel Sanctuary, attempting to navigate the troubled marriage of Gowan and Temple Stevens. He delves deep into Temple's psyche, revealing a woman unable (or unwilling) to escape her troubled, violent past in Memphis. Just as her marriage is spiralling to destruction, Gowan and Temple's daughter dies at the hands of their nurse, Nancy. Faulkner seems to be trying to lend some serious philosophical weight to the otherwise lightweight Sanctuary. Two problems. First, Sanctuary was fine as it was; a sequel was unnecessary. Second, the narrative structure of Requiem--half prose, half play--while initially intriguing, ultimately hinders Faulkner is his attempt to probe psychological depths. (There's only so much of that you can do when you're limited to dialogue.) Oh, and of course that annoying ubiquitous allknowing lawyer Gavin Stevens has to put his $.02 in. I recommend this book only for true Faulkner lovers.

I'm gonna make this review short. If you've read "Sanctuary", then this book might be worth reading....once. Don't expect the usual Faulkner greatness, however - it's readable and that's all. There are about, oh, say, 20 or so Faulkner works I would recommend before this one. "Sanctuary" really didn't need a sequel, IMHO.

If you haven't read "Sanctuary", don't even bother. I can almost guarantee you'll dislike it and/or be confused by it. Not highly recommended.