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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
i really liked this. i don't think i have ever really liked anything modernist before, as it always seemed very unsatisfying to my young mind, but i really liked it in this case. i think 'the dead' was my favourite. i loved the scenery of the ball and the deserted city in the snow.
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Dead is… I wish I had the words. "Why is it that words like these seem to me so dull and cold? Is it because there is no word tender enough to be your name?". Good lord. Beautiful collection of short stories. Grief, envy, lust, desire, dreaming, existentialism… it’s all there. If you’re not convinced at any point while trying to read it, at least skip to the end to read The Dead.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my first encounter with the writings of James Joyce. It will also probably be my last. This collection of fifteen short stories was written between 1904 and 1907, but only published in 1914. All these stories present a rather bleak depiction of Irish middle-class life in Dublin in the early twentieth century. The settings and atmosphere of each story are skillfully written, but I'm less enthusiastic about the stream-of-consciousness style of the text, which gives a remoteness and blandness to the narrative. I'm also not quite sure what the objective of any of these stories are (other than a "moment in the life of...") since there is no plot. I didn't find these stories particularly entertaining or fun to read, but rather soporific. This collection of stories may, however, be of educational use to those studying the social/political/religious aspects of the middle-class inhabitants of Dublin in the early 1900s.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whilst Ulysses was totally incomprehensible for me, I feel like Dubliners is a perfect mix of urban Ireland, desire, bitterness and plain-faced humanity. I best enjoyed Joyce when his prose felt the most yearning, lyrical and abstract. I would say there is a touch of the autobiographical about his male characters in this through-thread of the failed/ bumbling/ aspiring artist who feels misunderstood or out of touch with his artistic side but I may be wrong.
My favourite short stories were:
'Araby'
'Eveline'
'A Little Cloud'
certain parts of 'The Dead'
honorable mention: 'After the Race'
My favourite short stories were:
'Araby'
'Eveline'
'A Little Cloud'
certain parts of 'The Dead'
honorable mention: 'After the Race'