A review by zmorgason
Dubliners by James Joyce

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

On the precipice of revolution, Ireland's great modern author takes stock of his countrymen and their ideals—the hardscrabble lives of the denizens of Dublin. Each story is like a biopsy, subjective and internal outlooks that collectively form a patchwork picture of the eponymous city after the turn of the century and before the vicissitude of the Civil War. In just a couple hundred pages we can detect the bubbling conflict between Protestants and Catholics, between nationalism and conservatism, all within the delicate framework of a small city confronting its unknown future. Tales range from joyous to dour, often within the space of a paragraph, a mere few bottles of stout. They range all the seasons and each mood; and the final, masterful story, "The Dead," makes this early work by Joyce an essential read.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings