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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This novel is the definition of a bildungsroman. The main character Stephen grows up before our eyes. We get a good chunk of his life in Jesuit school, we hear a preacher preach about hell, in college Stephen and his friends philosophize about religion and aestheticism and we find out the choice Stephen makes about all the things he’s been brought up to believe. I’ve never really had a taste for Irish literature and this book and author is the epitome of Irish lit so I guess it’s not much of a surprise I give it three stars. I think there’s a combination of factors at work. School novels usually don’t draw me in too much, nor do technical religious rituals and whatnot. The jumping nature of the story, going from one period of Stephen’s life to the next, didn’t hold my interest. There were time when I felt things might turn out differently for me and this book but in the end it’s one of those that just didn’t push the right buttons for me at this moment in time. Perhaps one day I return to Joyce, we shall see.
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This isn't just a character sketch. This isn't even just a character study! This is a whole bloody character portrait!! Which is exactly what the title says it is, so I guess I'm done here.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
portrait was a novel i was supposed to read in ap literature in high school, but covid, zoom, and a variety of other factors distracted me and i didn’t end up actually reading it until this month, about 3 years later. i felt drawn to it in a massive pile of books in my childhood bedroom and i’m glad i gave mr sir james joyce another try.
this was definitely a complicated coming of age story, but nonetheless fulfilling. i was a bit relieved to finish it because it takes so long to properly get through — be prepared to do a lot of googling unless you’re an expert in Irish history, politics, and latin. being raised catholic definitely helped with the heavy religious allusions and themes. Sparknotes has a really great character list and a glossary for this book!!
a portrait is exactly what this novel is. i wish the women in stephen’s story weren’t simply props (often nameless) for the sake of his development, but it is, after all, a portrait of a man written by a man lol. so this is veryyyy male oriented. i still think it was a valuable read, it definitely helped me identify and process some of my own catholic guilt and trauma haha, and i surprisingly really liked (maybe that’s not the word… appreciated?) the grueling 50 page description of hell in the middle. another review described portrait as a maze of mirrors and i would have to agree. i found myself reflecting on my own life and my own development throughout the story, which definitely seemed to be one of joyce’s goals.
though it was dense it was filled with plenty of smart humor and stunning prose. overall i’d say if you have the time to properly dedicate to james joyce, portrait is well worth a read.
this was definitely a complicated coming of age story, but nonetheless fulfilling. i was a bit relieved to finish it because it takes so long to properly get through — be prepared to do a lot of googling unless you’re an expert in Irish history, politics, and latin. being raised catholic definitely helped with the heavy religious allusions and themes. Sparknotes has a really great character list and a glossary for this book!!
a portrait is exactly what this novel is. i wish the women in stephen’s story weren’t simply props (often nameless) for the sake of his development, but it is, after all, a portrait of a man written by a man lol. so this is veryyyy male oriented. i still think it was a valuable read, it definitely helped me identify and process some of my own catholic guilt and trauma haha, and i surprisingly really liked (maybe that’s not the word… appreciated?) the grueling 50 page description of hell in the middle. another review described portrait as a maze of mirrors and i would have to agree. i found myself reflecting on my own life and my own development throughout the story, which definitely seemed to be one of joyce’s goals.
though it was dense it was filled with plenty of smart humor and stunning prose. overall i’d say if you have the time to properly dedicate to james joyce, portrait is well worth a read.
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
stephen's a little weirdo. so is james joyce. idc tho i kinda love them.
Estou lendo as obras de James Joyce como se montasse um quebra - cabeça ,rumo a sua grande obra Ulisses. Aqui temos uma obra de um jovem imaturo em busca de formação artistica e independência intelectual, ou dos dogmas familiares e religiosos,tudo isto com o jeito Joyce de escrever, com cinismo cômico e orinalidade lunguistica. É interessante notar nas suas obras uma intimidade nostalgica
que ele descreve tempo,lugares e pessoas, como se fosse ao mesmo tempo vivo e presente,embora "o escritor" tenha um sentimento apatrida com relação a Irlanda ". Isto não é sua biografia, embora coincida com alguns fatos de sua vida.
que ele descreve tempo,lugares e pessoas, como se fosse ao mesmo tempo vivo e presente,embora "o escritor" tenha um sentimento apatrida com relação a Irlanda ". Isto não é sua biografia, embora coincida com alguns fatos de sua vida.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated