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vitalbeachyeah's review against another edition
3.0
Technically impressive and contains some mildly interesting ideas, but I never found it especially compelling.
win_monroe's review against another edition
5.0
This book so far has been terrific. However, I just finished the second to last chapter (ch IV) and my mind was blown. Stephen Dedalus' growth out of religion into a type of aestheticism parallels his growth from a child to a man, however it parallels something greater happening in the western world. Intellectual modernism, the pinnacle of the Enlightenment, is at its apex and beginning to confront the precursors of serious critiques. Aestheticism via Nietzsche (a major Joyce influence) and others is beginning to suggest that artistic capacity instead of the capacity for reason is the most important attribute of humanity. Regardless of whether you agree, James Joyce is predating a massive intellectual movement that emphasize creativity and freedom over reason & truth and includes people from camus, sartre to derrida & foucault. Essentially Dedalus has decided to stop trying to understand the meaning of life and now is ready to create his own meaning in life, taking from his name's reference to the greatest artist, artificer and inventor of greek mythology: Daedalus. Absolutely beautiful.
(finished now)
(finished now)
anders_winroth's review against another edition
5.0
Like it so far, sometimes I like it a lot.
But is it a typo on p. 18, line 7 of the Wordsworth Classics edition: "Do you know the other *was* to ask it" (for "way"). I would think so, but I understand that with Joyce, one should not take such things for granted.
Oh, where is the critical apparatus when one needs it?
The editor's explicatory end notes can be seriously sincere in a way that is wickedly funny:
80. Smugging: Schoolboy homosexual activity.
I am sure Joyce in his grave appreciates the propriety of the tone of this note. And I am curious how many readers had not figured out the meaning of the word for themselves!
But is it a typo on p. 18, line 7 of the Wordsworth Classics edition: "Do you know the other *was* to ask it" (for "way"). I would think so, but I understand that with Joyce, one should not take such things for granted.
Oh, where is the critical apparatus when one needs it?
The editor's explicatory end notes can be seriously sincere in a way that is wickedly funny:
80. Smugging: Schoolboy homosexual activity.
I am sure Joyce in his grave appreciates the propriety of the tone of this note. And I am curious how many readers had not figured out the meaning of the word for themselves!
juliancheltenham's review against another edition
1.0
I gave up on this book. It’s too much like hard work. I’ll read it when I’ve given up the day job.
sydneyklecker's review against another edition
5.0
I loveddddd this!! I’m a sucker for anything Irish as well, but really was here for the writing. Oooooo I love Joyce? I gotta read Ulysses now!
santraginusv's review against another edition
4.0
This felt like hustling onto a train at 5 PM at Utrecht Central, on a Friday.
About 1.1 million people travel by train on a daily basis in my country (The Netherlands). At least half of those pass through Utrecht Central, either by already being on the train when it arrives, or by attempting to board it.
The result: no seats. Your options: standing for 20-40 minutes (depending on exit point), sitting on some filthy stairs whilst being harassed by people who are in search of a chair/want to exit the train or sitting on one of the doorhandles, which is only comfy in exactly one position, for round about 15 minutes after which your arse goes numb
On Friday the crowds are worse due to all the students students going home in an attempt to get their parents to cook/do laundry for them. Not only are there simply more people, there's more people with humongous bags filled with laundry which has been lying on the floor for over a week.
So you are there, on that train, you managed to make it, it's 5 pm you're hungry, your arse feels like dying and then, oh then there's the best part. Then there are people eating on the train. Taunting you with their food, food that smells heavenly, even though you hate pasta.
THAT is what reading this book is like for me. I want it so bad, I want to go home, I want to read this, I wish to dine at its buffet of whatever it feels to impart on my puny brain, but I can't because there's a metal bar digging into my arse, there's a dude sloshing pizza all over my shoes and the pungent smell of student is filling my nostrils.
About 1.1 million people travel by train on a daily basis in my country (The Netherlands). At least half of those pass through Utrecht Central, either by already being on the train when it arrives, or by attempting to board it.
The result: no seats. Your options: standing for 20-40 minutes (depending on exit point), sitting on some filthy stairs whilst being harassed by people who are in search of a chair/want to exit the train or sitting on one of the doorhandles, which is only comfy in exactly one position, for round about 15 minutes after which your arse goes numb
On Friday the crowds are worse due to all the students students going home in an attempt to get their parents to cook/do laundry for them. Not only are there simply more people, there's more people with humongous bags filled with laundry which has been lying on the floor for over a week.
So you are there, on that train, you managed to make it, it's 5 pm you're hungry, your arse feels like dying and then, oh then there's the best part. Then there are people eating on the train. Taunting you with their food, food that smells heavenly, even though you hate pasta.
THAT is what reading this book is like for me. I want it so bad, I want to go home, I want to read this, I wish to dine at its buffet of whatever it feels to impart on my puny brain, but I can't because there's a metal bar digging into my arse, there's a dude sloshing pizza all over my shoes and the pungent smell of student is filling my nostrils.
nikodemus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kackjennedy's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0