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jmsr418's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lilylanie's review against another edition
3.0
Regardless of whatever kind of genius James Joyce might have been, I really struggled to get through Dubliners. These are the exact type of stories I dislike - with abrupt beginnings, lots of rambling middle bits, and no endings to speak of. They certainly achieve the goal of portraying Irish life in the period, but the overwhelming theme of hopelessness or even pointlessness of those lives made it a very dreary read.
christopherc's review against another edition
4.0
Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories about life in Ireland's capital city in the early 20th century. It is James Joyce's portrait of his hometown written half-sympathetically, half-critically with the eye of a native who had left his “provincial” hometown for good. While Joyce would eventually become a dauntingly modernist author with works like Ulysses, the stories here are written in a fairly plain style (indeed, some were even first published in popular magazines), and in terms of prose style at least, the book is accessible to any reader out there.
That is not to say Dubliners is an entirely easy read, however. Sure, the book lacks the heady linguistic experiments and learned allusions to the literary canon that make Ulysses require a solid liberal arts background. But early 20th-century Dublin seems to have been a more foreign place than contemporary readers might expect, and the plots of some stories turn on behavioral codes or bits of Irish politics or pop culture that are no longer familiar to us today. Though I enjoyed reading Dubliners, it wasn't until I read a commentary on Joyce's work that I picked up on the fact that in one story, a woman steals from her employer, while in another a man makes a threatening sexual advance. In the story “Maria”, the climax is even based on lines of a once-popular song that are left out when a character sings them!
But such an exotic evocation of a different time and place is generally more fascinating and enjoyable than challenging. Today one might believe that the depiction of Ireland as an impoverished, alcoholic, and strictly religious country was an unfair stereotype, but the everyday Dublin life that Joyce describes really is run through with class warfare, men who can't stop drinking, and the strong sway of Catholic clergy.
Of course, Dubliners remains a classic not just because of its colourful setting, but also because it reveals aspects of the human condition that are universal, things that any of us today have experienced. The story “Araby” describes a child's attempt to impress a girl he fancies, and his disappointment when he fails. “A Painful Case” captures the pain of hearing news of a lover years after the affair ended and one cut off all contact. “Grace” lampoons Irish Catholicism, as its characters trying to help an alcoholic friend don't even understand their Church's teachings and make comic mispronouncements of dogma, but Joyce still warms the readers' heart by showing how even bumbling ordinary people can stick by their peers in tough times.
I know Dubliners is a classic and I would not try to deny the book that status, but I cannot quite give it a full five stars as my personal rating. Some of the earliest stories, Joyce's journeyman work, seem clunky compared to the later ones. Conversely, the last story “The Dead” (which is in fact more of a novella) struck me as badly constructed, its climax that was supposed to be so powerful and moving just suddenly tacked on to the end instead of seamlessly arising from the preceding passages. Still, I'm very happy to have read it and I'm sure some stories will resonate in my mind for years to come.
That is not to say Dubliners is an entirely easy read, however. Sure, the book lacks the heady linguistic experiments and learned allusions to the literary canon that make Ulysses require a solid liberal arts background. But early 20th-century Dublin seems to have been a more foreign place than contemporary readers might expect, and the plots of some stories turn on behavioral codes or bits of Irish politics or pop culture that are no longer familiar to us today. Though I enjoyed reading Dubliners, it wasn't until I read a commentary on Joyce's work that I picked up on the fact that in one story, a woman steals from her employer, while in another a man makes a threatening sexual advance. In the story “Maria”, the climax is even based on lines of a once-popular song that are left out when a character sings them!
But such an exotic evocation of a different time and place is generally more fascinating and enjoyable than challenging. Today one might believe that the depiction of Ireland as an impoverished, alcoholic, and strictly religious country was an unfair stereotype, but the everyday Dublin life that Joyce describes really is run through with class warfare, men who can't stop drinking, and the strong sway of Catholic clergy.
Of course, Dubliners remains a classic not just because of its colourful setting, but also because it reveals aspects of the human condition that are universal, things that any of us today have experienced. The story “Araby” describes a child's attempt to impress a girl he fancies, and his disappointment when he fails. “A Painful Case” captures the pain of hearing news of a lover years after the affair ended and one cut off all contact. “Grace” lampoons Irish Catholicism, as its characters trying to help an alcoholic friend don't even understand their Church's teachings and make comic mispronouncements of dogma, but Joyce still warms the readers' heart by showing how even bumbling ordinary people can stick by their peers in tough times.
I know Dubliners is a classic and I would not try to deny the book that status, but I cannot quite give it a full five stars as my personal rating. Some of the earliest stories, Joyce's journeyman work, seem clunky compared to the later ones. Conversely, the last story “The Dead” (which is in fact more of a novella) struck me as badly constructed, its climax that was supposed to be so powerful and moving just suddenly tacked on to the end instead of seamlessly arising from the preceding passages. Still, I'm very happy to have read it and I'm sure some stories will resonate in my mind for years to come.
aidonz's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing short stories. Always ended with an air of mystery or intentional open-endedness that made it all seem very real. Early 20th century Ireland made many stories topped with some political turmoil and anti-british sentiment without losing emotional intensity or character building. James Joyce can do more in 10 pages than any other author I have read. Made me want to go back ☘️
meglybcoul's review against another edition
3.0
I think this book probably warrants a 3.5. Pros: I really enjoyed Joyce's use of language and writing style. I don't usually enjoy or finish compilations of short stories, yet I did finish and somewhat enjoy this one. I think it was because Joyce managed to write about such ordinary people, and some of the stories about ordinary people can be really interesting and relatable. Con: Not all ordinary people are interesting or all that relatable. Thus, some stories in the book seemed pretty boring.
eviecurrie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
clbonni03's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
harriet114's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
frozenwhisperer's review against another edition
3.0
Endlich! Took me forever. Reminds me of les miserables on many levels. Far & few between there are paragraphs that are pure literary gold. But the misery and the luck of the irish as authentic as it may feel drags on and dragging the reader down with it.