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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The characters are so invested with life that they threaten to live beyond the story. As i see it, the magic of Joyce's story craft thus is that he is able to make infinite life break and shine through the finitude in which choices are presented to us...
"in the particular is contained the universal"
"in the particular is contained the universal"
Sometimes he caught himself listening to the sound of his own voice. He thought that in her eyes he would ascent to an angelical stature; and, as he attached the fervent nature of his companion more and more closely to him, he heard the strange impersonal voice which he recognised as his own, insisting on the soul's incurable lonliness. We cannot give ourselves, it said: we are our own.
One of my favourite aspects in this collection was how Joyce stripped the Dubliners in his stories of the rose-tinted sentimentality that plagued the other Irish writers of his time. Of course, it's tempting to relieve any guilt from your country, especially when it's already under colonial siege by false ideas and stereotypes, but that causes a great disservice to the true lives of your people. Dublin and her inhabitants are paralyzed, and the smog of disillusionment and desperation that has descended upon the ground leaves them blind to see their misgivings. I loved how the characters were often, stuck even during the resolution, as we can see that same pattern in our own lives. That is most likely why, even as a work so specific to Ireland, this collection speaks for the entire world. It adheres to our universal reservations about our own cultures and countries, and it doesn't sugarcoat things or try to shift them to further an agenda. The stories were rife with allusive remarks and Ireland-specific inneundos, though I think that just added to the layers and layers of meaning this book had rather than making it elusive or difficult. Joyce set out, I think, to showcases a truth about the place he lived in, without filtering it or rationalizing it, and whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you.
There were so many different moods and impressions that he wished to express in verse. He felt them within him. He tried to weigh his soul to see if it was a poet's soul. Melancholy was the dominant note of his temperament, he thought, but it was a melancholy tempered by recurrences of faith and resignation and simple joy.
One of my favourite aspects in this collection was how Joyce stripped the Dubliners in his stories of the rose-tinted sentimentality that plagued the other Irish writers of his time. Of course, it's tempting to relieve any guilt from your country, especially when it's already under colonial siege by false ideas and stereotypes, but that causes a great disservice to the true lives of your people. Dublin and her inhabitants are paralyzed, and the smog of disillusionment and desperation that has descended upon the ground leaves them blind to see their misgivings. I loved how the characters were often, stuck even during the resolution, as we can see that same pattern in our own lives. That is most likely why, even as a work so specific to Ireland, this collection speaks for the entire world. It adheres to our universal reservations about our own cultures and countries, and it doesn't sugarcoat things or try to shift them to further an agenda. The stories were rife with allusive remarks and Ireland-specific inneundos, though I think that just added to the layers and layers of meaning this book had rather than making it elusive or difficult. Joyce set out, I think, to showcases a truth about the place he lived in, without filtering it or rationalizing it, and whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you.
There were so many different moods and impressions that he wished to express in verse. He felt them within him. He tried to weigh his soul to see if it was a poet's soul. Melancholy was the dominant note of his temperament, he thought, but it was a melancholy tempered by recurrences of faith and resignation and simple joy.
3 stars as some of these stories were amazing. Others I skim read because I was bored. Stand out stories were An Encounter, Eveline, A Little Cloud, Counterparts, A Mother and the ending of The Dead (too much filler in that final one!) Overall a good collection of short stories, and I can definitely see how they have influenced modern writers.
Highly recommend Tadhg Haines narration of this book on LibriVox. Andrew Scott also read it beautifully in the latest Penguin edition.
funny
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A solid anthology with interesting characters and enthralling stories. Standouts for me were:
After the Races
Counterparts
Evangaline
The Dead
Araby
In no particular order.
After the Races
Counterparts
Evangaline
The Dead
Araby
In no particular order.
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Favourites were Araby (delusional love for older girl), Eveline (frozen between home and love), A Little Cloud (envy, meaning of success, superficiality), Counterparts (repetition of work, alcoholism, beats his son) and The Dead (lack of fulfillment, interruption) . The last 5 pages of The Dead are very powerful.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced