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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Brutal violence: burning alive, lynching, beatings
Language
Barely any
Some crude language
Sexual Content
A lot
Rape (corncob); graphic sexual violence
Substance Use
Barely any
Bootleg alcohol throughout (Prohibition era)
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Nihilism, corruption, and the failure of justice
What this book is about
Faulkner's 1931 novel is infamous for its graphic content: a young woman is raped with a corncob, a man is burned alive by a mob, and the story climaxes with a lynching. Extremely dark and violent. Adults only.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic rape scene
Lynching and mob violence
Burning alive
Reader Verification
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