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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I often think about the last bit with the dancing and the ladies making fun of the fellas galoshes. Pretty good!
short stories easy to read on commutes to work, set the mood for a UK trip
3 stars
‘Eveline’ and ‘A Painful Case’ were the only ones I liked... ‘_ Mother’ was pretty good too!
‘Eveline’ and ‘A Painful Case’ were the only ones I liked... ‘_ Mother’ was pretty good too!
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It I'd a collection of short stories, so it doesn't follow a single plot or character. However, it does have an overarching theme, Dublin, and it follows dubliners ranging from children to middle aged adults. In essence, you can see in the adults what the children will become. The disillusions, the fears and repressions, all developed over a lifetime. The language is hypnotic at times, stark, brilliant, and poignant.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
This was my first time reading Joyce, and though it wasn’t my favourite short story collection, it was definitely enjoyable. I think the writing alone makes this worth reading, not to mention the complex portrait of Dublin he paints throughout this collection.
My favourite stories in this were: Eveline, A Painful Case, The Dead, and A Little Cloud, and my least favourites were: Grace and Counterparts.
In my opinion, the best thing about this collection is how each of the stories flow together so seamlessly, despite all following different characters. I loved how each one presented a different aspect of Dublin. What I didn’t enjoy as much, was that some of the stories didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me. I’d finish one, and instead of it leaving me with something to think about, or at least a character or line to remember it by, it’s existence would almost completely vanish from my mind. I guess a more succinct way of putting that is that some of the stories felt forgettable.
Despite that, I did love the writing, and the characterization. Even with the stories that I forgot soon after, I did feel as though I was really inside the character or narrator’s head, and was experiencing Dublin as they were. Each story felt unique in the sense that each of the characters felt like separate individuals with their own struggles and lessons to be learnt. I just wish some of them left a more lasting impression on me.
Overall, this has made me want to read more of Joyce’s work, and I think it’s still probably a good introduction to him as it was fairly easy to read, and did have some memorable stories.
Rating: 3.5 stars
My favourite stories in this were: Eveline, A Painful Case, The Dead, and A Little Cloud, and my least favourites were: Grace and Counterparts.
In my opinion, the best thing about this collection is how each of the stories flow together so seamlessly, despite all following different characters. I loved how each one presented a different aspect of Dublin. What I didn’t enjoy as much, was that some of the stories didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me. I’d finish one, and instead of it leaving me with something to think about, or at least a character or line to remember it by, it’s existence would almost completely vanish from my mind. I guess a more succinct way of putting that is that some of the stories felt forgettable.
Despite that, I did love the writing, and the characterization. Even with the stories that I forgot soon after, I did feel as though I was really inside the character or narrator’s head, and was experiencing Dublin as they were. Each story felt unique in the sense that each of the characters felt like separate individuals with their own struggles and lessons to be learnt. I just wish some of them left a more lasting impression on me.
Overall, this has made me want to read more of Joyce’s work, and I think it’s still probably a good introduction to him as it was fairly easy to read, and did have some memorable stories.
Rating: 3.5 stars
challenging
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No