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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
I enjoyed what little I understood of this book. I thought it was a convincing character study with some profound moments. I did get most of the main historical references about Parnell etc, but when it got into the more obscure areas of politics and literature of late 19th century Ireland I was faaaaairly flummoxed. Between that and the complex language, my enjoyment of this was severely hampered. Also the section on religion, while probably one of the more true to life accounts of what it was like to grow up in Catholic Ireland at the time, was nevertheless one of the most impenetrable walls of text I've ever forced myself to read through. Jaysus.
challenging
reflective
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:
Yes
challenging
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:
Yes
2.5⭐️
read for a uni essay
overall okay, it wasnt thrilling and the writing style took a while to get used to but it wasn’t horrible
read for a uni essay
overall okay, it wasnt thrilling and the writing style took a while to get used to but it wasn’t horrible
Qué pereza de libro... Estará escrito como una masterpiece pero el plot es lo más muermazo del mundo :c
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce on the way to my uncle's funeral. I would like to state for the record that en route to a funeral is possibly the very worst time to read this book, particularly the long sermon on hell in the middle. I keep trying to appreciate Joyce…and I keep despising him. He’s talented, I grant that, but he’s also insufferable. His main character is moody, obnoxious, and—I have a sneaking suspicion—just like Joyce. Joyce smells like Proust, and I can’t handle more than a whiff of that navel-gazing, temperamental gloom. If that makes me a shallow reader, so be it. While writing this post, I discovered that Joyce and Proust met in real life, and whatever actually happened, the encounter sounds hilarious.
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
The sections where Stephen was a young child made me feel like I was that age again while I was reading. All the Catholicism was nostalgic. The last section was my least favorite, but I still liked it.