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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Fucking loved this but need to re-read one day, got a 32% on the SparkNotes quiz
On a second read, the beginning and end was better. Middle was worse though, got a 40 on the quiz due to exhaustion
On a second read, the beginning and end was better. Middle was worse though, got a 40 on the quiz due to exhaustion
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I learned that while there were fun moments, James Joyce is not my cup of tea. I respect what he has done, but I don't necessarily embrace his style.
Be forewarned: I was only able to absorb and understand this story thoroughly (I think) with help from the ample detailed footnotes in my edition of the book. Without these notes, I think it would be nearly impossible for the casual reader to grasp most of the political references and name-dropping, not to mention the various significant literary quotes snuck into the dialogue. Honestly, it actually felt like James Joyce wrote this story purely for himself, and one would almost need to be a mind-reader, or have experienced a very similar upbringing, in order to get all of his references.
But this novel was just so lovely. Stephen Dedalus is immediately real, and James Joyce's ability to illustrate Stephen's growth and maturity through language is astounding. I definitely want to revisit this book again in the future, now that I've read it once. I think it's a deceptively complicated narrative; stripped down to its bones, it's actually a very simple story about a young boy being influenced by different parts of Irish life (politics, religion, family) and finding his own voice, and his calling, and his love of art and beauty.
Some of my favourite quotes:
- I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland, or my church; and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use—silence, exile, and cunning.
- 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.
But this novel was just so lovely. Stephen Dedalus is immediately real, and James Joyce's ability to illustrate Stephen's growth and maturity through language is astounding. I definitely want to revisit this book again in the future, now that I've read it once. I think it's a deceptively complicated narrative; stripped down to its bones, it's actually a very simple story about a young boy being influenced by different parts of Irish life (politics, religion, family) and finding his own voice, and his calling, and his love of art and beauty.
Some of my favourite quotes:
- I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland, or my church; and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use—silence, exile, and cunning.
- 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.
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
challenging
informative
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
My feelings for Joyce are like my feelings for Austen; I respect them as a writer but do not enjoy them. There are some beautifully written passages as well as some incredibly progressive ones (in terms of literary style) which I found interesting, admirable, and enjoyable. However, this book did seem to drag, especially in those moments when the book felt as though it were bulging with pretentiousness and weighed down by a feeling of someone trying to prove their own intellect.
challenging
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