Why is The Sound and the Fury difficult for many readers?

The Sound and the Fury is widely considered difficult for readers primarily due to its complex Modernist narrative structure and unconventional style.12

The novel’s challenges stem from several key factors:

• Nonlinear Narrative: The plot does not follow a traditional chronological sequence, which can disorient readers as the story shifts between different time periods and perspectives.32
• Stream of Consciousness: Faulkner employs stream of consciousness and interior monologue to record the fragmentary, impressionistic thoughts of the Compson brothers. This technique often incorporates incoherent thoughts, unconventional syntax, and ungrammatical constructions that mirror the internal workings of the characters' minds.142
• Unreliable Narrators: The first three sections are presented through the subjective and limited perspectives of the Compson sons, requiring readers to piece together the truth behind the family's decline.52

Faulkner himself acknowledged these difficulties, noting that the first section was particularly challenging for readers to follow without additional guidance, such as the use of different colored text to distinguish between the various times being depicted.1