As I Lay Dying is a 1930 Southern Gothic[1] novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th century.[2][3][4] The title is derived from William Marris's 1925 translation of Homer's Odyssey,[5] referring to the similar themes of both works.
The novel uses a stream-of-consciousness writing technique, multiple narrators, and varying chapter lengths. The work will enter the public domain on January 1, 2026.[a]