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A review by gauriraut
Dubliners by James Joyce
3.0
After almost 2 years, I am done!
3.5/5
Better than the sum of its parts.
I didn't enjoy all the stories. No. Correction: I didn't understand all the stories. The cultural, religious, political, and linguistic context was too complex for me to decipher on my own (r/thehemingwaylist thanks for all the help).
However, I do see why this anthology has stood the test of time. It's a fine glimpse of a Dublin I wasn't alive to see. Not all characters are good (from what little we know of them), but I still enjoyed how Joyce simply narrated the happenings of their lives without any judgement. The people went about their business and we followed them like their shadows silently watching, learning, and observing.
The stories I enjoyed the most (Eveline/ Counterparts/ Clay/ A Painful Case/ A Mother/ The Dead) were the ones that evoked the most emotional response in me, which is a feat considering all, except for The Dead are under 15 pages.
3.5/5
Better than the sum of its parts.
I didn't enjoy all the stories. No. Correction: I didn't understand all the stories. The cultural, religious, political, and linguistic context was too complex for me to decipher on my own (r/thehemingwaylist thanks for all the help).
However, I do see why this anthology has stood the test of time. It's a fine glimpse of a Dublin I wasn't alive to see. Not all characters are good (from what little we know of them), but I still enjoyed how Joyce simply narrated the happenings of their lives without any judgement. The people went about their business and we followed them like their shadows silently watching, learning, and observing.
The stories I enjoyed the most (Eveline/ Counterparts/ Clay/ A Painful Case/ A Mother/ The Dead) were the ones that evoked the most emotional response in me, which is a feat considering all, except for The Dead are under 15 pages.