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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Here’s my ranking:
1. Eveline
2. The Dead
3. An Encounter
4. A Painful Case
5. Araby
6. Clay
7. Counterparts
8. Ivy Day in the Committee Room
9. The Sisters
10. Two Gallants
11. Grace
12. After the Race
13. The Boarding House
14. A Little Cloud
15. The Boarding House
Although some were better than others, each of these stories are gems in their own right, written with an understated tone that never pretends to know: THIS is what this story means, THIS is what you must take from me. Joyce gives his reader full freedom to take what you will from his narratives and characters, and that kind of world is one I love and revel in. The Dublin he paints may not be flattering at face value, but this collection’s hyperspecificities, its attention to detail, its commitment to painting fully-fleshed characters, shows the passion Joyce had for Dublin and for Ireland, his need to set to paper the truth and beauty of his homeland.
I love how the polyphony of this collection urges the reader to kill their own ego, or to face the truth of its nonexistence, that “self” is only constructed, and that the snow covers all, living and dead. Doubles abound here, the gallants and their coin in “Two Gallants,” Gabriel and Lily in “The Dead,” for example, and although these are all individuals, their place in society replicates situations that play themselves out again and again through different vessels in the collective, and where some may grow bored of these repeated scenes, I was completely spellbound. I loved how the collapse of first-person in “The Sisters” was repeated in the collection as a whole, with the younger stories stridently told in first person and with the older stories firmly set in third. Just as Gabriel’s ego and sexual drive are deflated in “The Dead,” the unnamed narrator in “Araby” concludes, in the final line told from a first-person story in the collection—“Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity: and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” Anguish and anger are the driving forces of this collection, both coming from the intense sadness of the occupied, of a people torn from their own culture and heritage, ceaselessly trying to find it again—be it in themselves, in pleasure, in the refuge of others, or by replicating imperial dynamics in their own lives. Fantastic book.
1. Eveline
2. The Dead
3. An Encounter
4. A Painful Case
5. Araby
6. Clay
7. Counterparts
8. Ivy Day in the Committee Room
9. The Sisters
10. Two Gallants
11. Grace
12. After the Race
13. The Boarding House
14. A Little Cloud
15. The Boarding House
Although some were better than others, each of these stories are gems in their own right, written with an understated tone that never pretends to know: THIS is what this story means, THIS is what you must take from me. Joyce gives his reader full freedom to take what you will from his narratives and characters, and that kind of world is one I love and revel in. The Dublin he paints may not be flattering at face value, but this collection’s hyperspecificities, its attention to detail, its commitment to painting fully-fleshed characters, shows the passion Joyce had for Dublin and for Ireland, his need to set to paper the truth and beauty of his homeland.
I love how the polyphony of this collection urges the reader to kill their own ego, or to face the truth of its nonexistence, that “self” is only constructed, and that the snow covers all, living and dead. Doubles abound here, the gallants and their coin in “Two Gallants,” Gabriel and Lily in “The Dead,” for example, and although these are all individuals, their place in society replicates situations that play themselves out again and again through different vessels in the collective, and where some may grow bored of these repeated scenes, I was completely spellbound. I loved how the collapse of first-person in “The Sisters” was repeated in the collection as a whole, with the younger stories stridently told in first person and with the older stories firmly set in third. Just as Gabriel’s ego and sexual drive are deflated in “The Dead,” the unnamed narrator in “Araby” concludes, in the final line told from a first-person story in the collection—“Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity: and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” Anguish and anger are the driving forces of this collection, both coming from the intense sadness of the occupied, of a people torn from their own culture and heritage, ceaselessly trying to find it again—be it in themselves, in pleasure, in the refuge of others, or by replicating imperial dynamics in their own lives. Fantastic book.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
During a period of personal difficulty, I grabbed a copy of Dubliners, riddled with handwritten notes from its previous owner, from a used book store. I remembered reading it in high school and laughing about its admittedly *strange* content with my friends. I also liked the erratic margin notes all over the pages, thinking they might help me connect with this other person. I wanted to feel something. That's why I reread it.
In that way, this book (or, more accurately, collection of short stories) was a perfect choice. Joyce captures experiences that are innately human and intimately relatable in these stories. A young boy processing death, the flirtations of a young couple, that feeling of jealousy you get when your life feels stuck in a rut. Despite the large gap in years between its publishing and my rereading it, these feelings are timeless and Joyce expresses them well.
Of course, Joyce is infamous for being hard to decipher and Dubliners is no exception. My copy had a very handy appendix which I would've been completely lost without. While I am still hesitant to jump into something like Ulysses, I think the short story format is a great way to familiarize oneself with Joyce's style without getting overwhelmed. It is a perfect introduction.
One drawback of the format is that it made it much harder for me to review succinctly. There are some stories that were near perfection. My favorites were Araby, A Little Cloud, A Painful Case, and The Dead. These perfectly painted images of emotional turmoil were particularly moving. However, I found some of the other stories to be quite boring. Also, Ivy Day in the Committee Room required me to read multiple lengthy articles about the Irish political landscape of Joyce's day to even begin to understand what was going on. Therefore, I settled on 4 stars. Definitely good, sometimes exceptional, other times a bit slow and abstruse.
In that way, this book (or, more accurately, collection of short stories) was a perfect choice. Joyce captures experiences that are innately human and intimately relatable in these stories. A young boy processing death, the flirtations of a young couple, that feeling of jealousy you get when your life feels stuck in a rut. Despite the large gap in years between its publishing and my rereading it, these feelings are timeless and Joyce expresses them well.
Of course, Joyce is infamous for being hard to decipher and Dubliners is no exception. My copy had a very handy appendix which I would've been completely lost without. While I am still hesitant to jump into something like Ulysses, I think the short story format is a great way to familiarize oneself with Joyce's style without getting overwhelmed. It is a perfect introduction.
One drawback of the format is that it made it much harder for me to review succinctly. There are some stories that were near perfection. My favorites were Araby, A Little Cloud, A Painful Case, and The Dead. These perfectly painted images of emotional turmoil were particularly moving. However, I found some of the other stories to be quite boring. Also, Ivy Day in the Committee Room required me to read multiple lengthy articles about the Irish political landscape of Joyce's day to even begin to understand what was going on. Therefore, I settled on 4 stars. Definitely good, sometimes exceptional, other times a bit slow and abstruse.
Dubliners is a collection of short stories that can be read with many different perspectives or interpretations. I personally didn’t enjoy every single story in this collection, but each of them has their place in telling a bigger story.
I enjoyed some stories a lot, other stories were mediocre in entertainment value and some were just boring. That being said, the most enjoyable part of this book is seeing how the stories are connected. What are the reoccurring themes throughout the collection? How do all of these elements come together?
I don’t think I’d read this for enjoyment, or recommend it as a whole to people. I will however, recommend certain ones within the collection, as some of them are beautiful.
I enjoyed some stories a lot, other stories were mediocre in entertainment value and some were just boring. That being said, the most enjoyable part of this book is seeing how the stories are connected. What are the reoccurring themes throughout the collection? How do all of these elements come together?
I don’t think I’d read this for enjoyment, or recommend it as a whole to people. I will however, recommend certain ones within the collection, as some of them are beautiful.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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