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Summary: Nothing good to say
Review: I don't have the patience. I found it boring and was unable to relate to Dedalus at all. Essentially, this book is a summation of Dedalus' stream of consciousness. The reader is in Dedalus' mind throughout the entire book, and he is no charismatic protagonist! I do understand why it is ranked as one of the greatest books of the 20th century, but I still hated it.
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Summary: I came, I saw, I hated!
Review: Sure, all the critis can say that james joyce is an amazing author. But i couldn't stand this book! Mabye i didn't understand it cause i'm not cathloic or something. But i don't think that is it. I would heartly reccomend against reading this book.
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Summary: the title tells it all. dont waste your time.
Review: stephen dedalus must be the most boring artist in the whole world
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Summary: It gives me chills when
Review: I first read Portrait over last summer as part of my high schools English curriculum. I found it deadly and unreadable. When we began analysing it in class, however, it became clear to me that this is the most briliant work I have read yet. The first page, while seeming like child's banter, contains themes, images and words that recur throughout the ENTIRE book. The greatest thing about Portrait is that the narrator is inextricably tied to the book. Stephen is the narrator, and he is as far from omiscient as one gets. Every perception the reader has is through his eyes, so the reader is dragged through all his moods. At the end of every chapter, Stephen has an epiphany. After the last epiphany, the reader is left to wonder whether Stephen has attained absolute truth, or whether his epiphany will be negated by future experiences. And then there's the passage of the "bird-girl" Don't get me started on the "bird-girl," because it's one of my favorite passages ever, and accepted as one of the best in the English language. EVERYONE needs to read this book.
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Summary: A book above most others, but clearly not meant to entertain
Review: There is, at least in my mind, two clear divisions of boringness. There is boringness that comes as a lack of interest in what the author is saying or the way the author is presenting it, and then there is boringness which comes as a product of lack of understanding, or not wanting to understand, what the author is presenting. The latter is experienced by every reader who tried to pick up a book by Joyce (although some, I'm sure, more than others). The first I mentioned could be attributed to a rather simple yet elaborate book that one is frustrated with not out of a lack of understanding, but out a lack of caring. For example, GREAT EXPECTATIONS. An example of a book that was 'boring' for the first reason. Let it be decidedly said that A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN is a great book. It just shouldn't be shoved down someone's throat. When and if it is, I can understand some exasperation. Why is it a great book? Because of its clear depiction of childhood in Ireland, the feeling of stream of consciousness with which about a million different levels of meaning can be extricated.
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Summary: Not yet?
Review: If you think you've thought about art but haven't yet read this book, you've got another think coming. It is short. It is readable. Every word counts. It is one of a handful of books that serve as pivotal links in the development of written art. Rating the work itself, or describing it in terms of "like" or "dislike" misses the point entirely: if you haven't contended with the ideas and methods employed in this book, you haven't yet entered the realm of modern literature. Buy the Everyman's Library hardcover edition. It's well bound, uses good paper, and will be there when you want it again, which, if you write in English, you most certainly will.
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Summary: Epiphany at its finest
Review: This, to me, is the greatest work I have ever laid eyes upon (although let it be known I'm still working on Ulysses.) This work was pure genius, and my only regret was the fact that I was forced to read it in college and may have missed out. I have read the reviews and criticisms, much which seem to revolve around the beginning. The beginning and the end to chapter 4 are Joyce's most striking moments. Consider that the beginning is really from a child's point of view. Psychologically, Joyce is right on target, as he relates everything to how a six year old does...through the senses. The curious asking of 'why?' is what plagues the mind of a child. The major conflict between whether he should give into his carnal desires, or whether he should pursue the ministry out of fear was another stroke of genius. Stephen here is displaying what every adolescent goes through. Erik Erickson would call it the psychosocial stage of "Identity versus Identify-Diffusion". In other words, adolescents' seek to find out "who they are". Stephen does this when he sees the woman at the end...not as a carnal object, and not as something forbidden, but as a thing of beauty. Stephen becomes the "artist", he has found himself. Joyce was years ahead of his time. The fifth chapter, Stephen Hero, probably would have been better left a separate book, but it's excellent to see the character Stephen has evolved into. His wit in "Ulysses" always has me cracking a smile. Those who demonstrate a marked disdain for the book, may wish to try reading it in the shoes of the author and the age the author is in, rather than reading it 3rd person objectively, the difference is astounding.
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Summary: A Question
Review: "A Portrait of the Artist" is too good to need my praise, or anyone else's. That doesn't mean that everyone will like it. It's hard. The "ordinary reader" might have the sense that s/he's not getting as much out of it as there is to get. (Actually, even the best reader in the world will fail to get everything that's in the book. That's part of the beauty and magic of Joyce.) The question is: why do people who realize that their reading skills are not adequate to the book, respond by blaming the book? I don't understand a great deal of Einstein's work, but I don't respond by calling it boring or stupid. (By the way, if you tried to read the book but had trouble, the best thing to do is get some help -- there are lots of good guides to JJ's work.) I'm not saying that you have to pretend to enjoy the book even if you really don't. I'm just saying that if you can't appreciate the book, (1) it's not the book's fault, and (2) it's not something to be proud of, or to brag about.
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Summary: it wouldn't even burn
Review: In my case Portrait managed to take frustration and disappointment to previously unimaginable heights and it undisputedly stands as the most unsatisfying piece of literature I've ever attempted to digest. Initially Portrait simply bored me beyond belief, but then it also seriously enraged me on account of its meandering pointlessness. In order to protect my sanity I found myself compelled to take drastic measures and set aside my objections to the ritual burning of books. However, I could only get the bonfire I erected to eat away a disappointingly small part of my copy of the book. Thus Portrait even refused me the pleasure of seeing it go up in flames... (I will probably get a lot of stick for this, but having survived Portrait I should be able to deal with the worst kind of written abuse anyone can come up with.)
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Summary: Not worth all the Hype
Review: I have heard that this book is one of the best English works of the 20th century, ranking high in many lists and such. I highly disagree. I TRIED to read this book, but the book is simply very uninteresting. I lost the point Joyce was trying to make not only because I lost interest, but also because the point is buried under multiple layers of philosophy and symbolism. My conclusion, if you are looking for a book that delves into human development in a highly realistic manner, get THE CATCHER IN THE RYE instead. Not only is CATHCER more enjoyable, you will get the point even if you are only an average reader.
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