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56bumblebees's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jannagregory's review against another edition
Tried my best but just couldn’t get into it. Was about to start a section where Stephen listens to a sermon that goes on page after page and I had had enough. Contented myself with reading a summary on Wikipedia and moved on.
myeonghopabo's review against another edition
4.5
"You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not afraid to make a mistake, even a great mistake, a life-long mistake and perhaps as long as eternity too."
Through its intricate and delicate narrative languages, Portrait tracks a young sensitive Irish boy growing up in a chaotic turmoil of geo-politics, religion and family politics. Laced with the appropriate yet fragmented epigrams that have been downloaded into the protagonist's mind, his shift from wanting to be captured by literature–abiding and relating to it–to desiring for literature to capture him makes this novel actually quite heart-warming despite the pessimistic and dreary premise it originates from. However, this isn't the easiest read because of the shitload of references; i had one finger in the endnotes at ALL times reading this so for that trouble i'm docking 0.5!
Through its intricate and delicate narrative languages, Portrait tracks a young sensitive Irish boy growing up in a chaotic turmoil of geo-politics, religion and family politics. Laced with the appropriate yet fragmented epigrams that have been downloaded into the protagonist's mind, his shift from wanting to be captured by literature–abiding and relating to it–to desiring for literature to capture him makes this novel actually quite heart-warming despite the pessimistic and dreary premise it originates from. However, this isn't the easiest read because of the shitload of references; i had one finger in the endnotes at ALL times reading this so for that trouble i'm docking 0.5!
athousandgreatbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Stephen Dedalus, the protagonist, has a pious Catholic upbringing but he revolts against it as he matures and ultimately breaks away to become an artist. As such he also severs his ties with his family, his culture, his country Ireland (as Joyce also did) and decides to carve his own way as an artist, free from institutional bondage.
The story is semi-autobiographical in nature wherein Stephen essentially works as Joyce's alter ego. Though Stephen, like Joyce, departs from his Catholic upbringing he doesn't necessarily have an atheistic worldview.
Rather his rejection of the institutions, especially the Irish Catholic Church, is a departure from the current form and structure they're in the state of which is incompatible with his search for identity.
Perhaps the most striking, and much appreciated, element of the book is its narration. It changes and assumes his idiolect as Stephen matures.
We start simple - Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo... His father told him that story: his father looked at him through a glass: he had a hairy face. He was baby tuckoo...
And advance as he advances in years - A feverish quickening of his pulses followed, and a din of meaningless words drove his reasoned thoughts hither and thither confusedly. His lungs dilated and sank as if he were inhaling a warm moist unsustaining air and he smelt again the moist warm air which hung in the bath in Clongowoes above the sluggish turf-colored water.
Stephen's own voice is seamlessly woven into the narration that makes reading the story an intimate experience. Of course, since this is Joyce, some degree of stream-of-consciousness wanders its way in. But it never stalls the story, and at 300-odd pages Portrait is a quick read.
This is not your usual coming-of-age story for its literary and technical genius far exceeds that pigeonhole. It is rather a highly personal reflection of an artist in search of his true identity, unmarred by the puritanical traditions and mores. It is also a precursor to Ulysses in which Stephen returns as a character
The story is semi-autobiographical in nature wherein Stephen essentially works as Joyce's alter ego. Though Stephen, like Joyce, departs from his Catholic upbringing he doesn't necessarily have an atheistic worldview.
Rather his rejection of the institutions, especially the Irish Catholic Church, is a departure from the current form and structure they're in the state of which is incompatible with his search for identity.
Perhaps the most striking, and much appreciated, element of the book is its narration. It changes and assumes his idiolect as Stephen matures.
We start simple - Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo... His father told him that story: his father looked at him through a glass: he had a hairy face. He was baby tuckoo...
And advance as he advances in years - A feverish quickening of his pulses followed, and a din of meaningless words drove his reasoned thoughts hither and thither confusedly. His lungs dilated and sank as if he were inhaling a warm moist unsustaining air and he smelt again the moist warm air which hung in the bath in Clongowoes above the sluggish turf-colored water.
Stephen's own voice is seamlessly woven into the narration that makes reading the story an intimate experience. Of course, since this is Joyce, some degree of stream-of-consciousness wanders its way in. But it never stalls the story, and at 300-odd pages Portrait is a quick read.
This is not your usual coming-of-age story for its literary and technical genius far exceeds that pigeonhole. It is rather a highly personal reflection of an artist in search of his true identity, unmarred by the puritanical traditions and mores. It is also a precursor to Ulysses in which Stephen returns as a character
athousandgreatbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The criticisms, reviews, general commentaries, and explanatory notes appended in this version are spectacular, exactly what I needed to better grasp Joyce.
mturner2's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ade_26_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes