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sjbozich 's review for:
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
by James Joyce
Rereading Joyce for the first time in 30+ years, in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the publication of "Ulysses".
Read the Oxford World Classics edition. Joyce scholar Jeri Johnson has a worthwhile Intro, with some interesting ideas about the novel. The Notes are largely Don Gifford's, with some editing down. Used Gifford's "Joyce Annotated" as well, which covers this and "Dubliners". Some interesting details included there which are not included in Johnson's notes. Also, he reprints the complete poems, or larger extracts, than she does from literary works Joyce quotes within the text of the novel.
A reminder that this is/is not Joyce's life. That it is him writing about his teens/a teenager when he was in his late 20's ansd early 30's.
I kind of feel for any non-Catholic (or ex-Catholic, like myself) who has to churn their way through this. And, keep in mind that the literary "theory" is the ideas of a teenager. Think back to your own ideas on life and art at that age.
I found the middle of the novel, with the brimstone sermons and teenage literary theory, to be a chore to make it through. But found the beginning and end of the novel to be exciting, as we see the early and later development of his personality and thought. Also, there is more dialog between Stephen and other characters, rather than just his own inner th0ughts - so the reading moves along quicker.
Prefer "Dubliners", but this is a movement from that more realistic collection towards the experimentation of "Ulysses". Looking forward to reading "Stephen Hero" to compare the 2, and also his brother Stanislaus' memoir of the period when Joyce was writing this, and looking for a publisher.
Read the Oxford World Classics edition. Joyce scholar Jeri Johnson has a worthwhile Intro, with some interesting ideas about the novel. The Notes are largely Don Gifford's, with some editing down. Used Gifford's "Joyce Annotated" as well, which covers this and "Dubliners". Some interesting details included there which are not included in Johnson's notes. Also, he reprints the complete poems, or larger extracts, than she does from literary works Joyce quotes within the text of the novel.
A reminder that this is/is not Joyce's life. That it is him writing about his teens/a teenager when he was in his late 20's ansd early 30's.
I kind of feel for any non-Catholic (or ex-Catholic, like myself) who has to churn their way through this. And, keep in mind that the literary "theory" is the ideas of a teenager. Think back to your own ideas on life and art at that age.
I found the middle of the novel, with the brimstone sermons and teenage literary theory, to be a chore to make it through. But found the beginning and end of the novel to be exciting, as we see the early and later development of his personality and thought. Also, there is more dialog between Stephen and other characters, rather than just his own inner th0ughts - so the reading moves along quicker.
Prefer "Dubliners", but this is a movement from that more realistic collection towards the experimentation of "Ulysses". Looking forward to reading "Stephen Hero" to compare the 2, and also his brother Stanislaus' memoir of the period when Joyce was writing this, and looking for a publisher.