Reviews

Thank you to my dear friend Jonny for forcing me to read some James Joyce. Dubliners was an absolute delight-- Joyce has an excellent sense of place, his stories are rooted firmly in Dublin. He also understands the human emotion and psyche in a unique way. The problem is that sometimes he gets lost in that psyche and emotion and those moments totally lost me. That's what happened in Portrait of the Artist-- Stephen was melancholy and philosophical, confusing, self deprivating. The narrative jumped all over the place and I had approximately no idea what was going on. So all that is to say that I'm giving Dubliners 4 stars, and low-key ignoring Portrait of the Artist.

avgham's review against another edition

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reflective

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

3.75

Looking back on this book, I think I initially judged it too harshly. I can’t say that reading it transformed me, but I have to give it to Joyce for the intention he puts into his prose. Most books out there nowadays are published for quick, easy consumption, sacrificing artistry and storytelling in favor of entertainment. Joyce makes no sacrifices, and so his writing can sometimes be unpalatable to a modern audience. I’d definitely like to revisit this one in the future and see if my opinion changes.

zhengsterz's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is actually two with Portrait being loosely autobiographical focusing on James Joyce's upbringings in Ireland while Dubliners is a series of short stories about the various kinds of people unique to Dublin. Key themes in both books are religion (Protestants and Catholics), politics (sympathizing with independence/united kingdom) and the pain and joy of the mundaneness of life.

Portrait was alright, the most striking and engaging parts were about the protagonist's relationship with God and Christianity and his inner turmoil. We see his struggles and his eventual escape from self-flaggelation.

Dubliners had some bangers and some misses. The bangers either have a very nostalgic quality to them, that eloquently relate experiences I imagine are shared across many cultures, or are beautifully hauntingly written examinations of the common, unremarkable cruelty of everyday life that is also not unique to Dublin.

Overall, not a bad read.

rwmccool's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

sinogaze's review

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switched versions

katibruneau's review against another edition

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4.0

Again, I wish I had time to finish this book. My teacher thinks that her class is the only class we have homework for. While not much "action" occurs in this book, I really felt ties to it that made me want to keep reading. I think it was the whole European Boarding School atmosphere that made me think of Harry Potter.

_sal_'s review

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challenging emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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