Another book that I wish Goodreads had a half star mechanism for. I'm torn between rounding down to 4, but choose to round up to 5 because this book really captures an ethos of familial weight. Another review pointed out all the topics this novel covered, and it sounds a bit ridiculous - suicide, incest, promiscuousness, pointlessness, etc. It would be easy for a book like this to fall apart under its own weight, become a grandiose parody of over dramatic books. But Faulkner has it set to mesmerizing poetry that it all falls into place. Heartbreaking yet somehow not unpleasant is a hard dichotomy to square, yet this book admirably accomplishes it.