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jayisreading's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
I don’t think there’s much I can say that hasn’t been said already about this short story collection, both good and bad. I have a soft spot for this collection as a result of having studied a fair bit of Irish literature as an undergrad. It’s also interesting to think about this collection in relation to Joyce’s writing career, knowing that this was essentially a stepping stone.
I love the way these stories capture the everyday lives of Dubliners at the time and the bittersweetness of life with such intimacy. To me, there’s something powerful about the inconclusiveness of these stories, instead, leaving the reader to sit with each protagonist’s thoughts by the end of the story. It’s also interesting to reread this collection nearly ten years later. The rose-tinted glasses are now off, and I see that it’s not perfect by any means (not that I thought it was perfect before, but I certainly was enamored with twentieth-century Irish literature).
Like most (if not all) short stories, some I loved, while others… not so much. Some of my favorites were: “Araby,” “A Little Cloud,” “A Painful Case,” and, of course, “The Dead.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Child abuse
smute's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Classism, and Racial slurs
futureofmydays's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
lena_and_her_books's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Homophobia
Minor: Death
A content warning for Sexism and Racism should come as no surprise, since this book was published in 1914s Ireland...biblioseph's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Sexism
ssgcedits's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book does a good job of capturing the culture and social issues of industrial Dublin. It is very sad and at some points hard to read, but it is too important to set aside. The writing style is just sheer beauty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Misogyny
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