For as long as she can remember, Susan Orlean has had a favorite book, "The Sound and the

Fury," by William Faulkner. A southern gothic novel set over a period of three decades, the book explores the lives of the members of one family, the Compsons. Told from multiple perspectives and set in several time periods, it’s not a chronological or easy read.

—This author recommends—

The Sound and the Fury (Third Edition) (Norton Critical Editions)

—More from this author—

Interview: The Book Burning That Brought All Of Los Angeles Together