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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
I can't rate this book. It is everything all at once --it's brilliant and nonsensical. It's boring, and then interesting. It's both a slow and a fast read ( how is that possible?). It has no plot most of the book, but there is an overall plot that organizes it. By the end of the book, I felt both that I didn't understand it, and, yet, I completely empathized with the main character. So, I will just have to leave this one unrated.
parts of this were intensely boring but i couldn’t put it down for some reason - sometimes i am a young rebellious pretentious arguably catholic boy in turn of the century ireland! aren’t we all?
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listened to the entire audiobook in one sitting while driving from WI to NH. The last 6 hours of this time was spent unsuccessfully looking for a hotel, eventually arriving at my destination at 2:30am after 16.5 straight hours of driving. Probably would have enjoyed this book better under different circumstances.
This started rather weak, as an ordinary college novel, but from Chapter 2 on it got very intriguing through the use of another narrative register (you see Joyce for the first time really playing with language). The main character - the young Joyce - is very unsympathetic, arrogant, frustrated and complex. As could be expected in catholic Ireland of those days, there are a lot of references to religious and biblical elements. The thunderous sermon in the third chapter, for instance, is a sublime piece of literature, almost dantesk. All in all this as beautiful as an alternative coming of age story, but not quite the mature Joyce, though. Rating 3.5 stars.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not whait I expected. I love James Joyce. I was so glad to find and buy this book. It's not like anything else he has written. Missing his trademark insight, wit and empathy.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
on one hand, not surprised by Joyce's text as both chronicle and predictor of the artist's struggle against and within religious contexts- on the other, floored. you had me at 'moocow' - you villain.
sheesh louise - surely Adam Driver must have read this puppy in preparation for his role opposite Ben Stiller in 'while we're young' - cast Timothee as Stephen immediately - i dare you Paul Schrader
sheesh louise - surely Adam Driver must have read this puppy in preparation for his role opposite Ben Stiller in 'while we're young' - cast Timothee as Stephen immediately - i dare you Paul Schrader