A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Unabridged)

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat puzzling
Review: I began this book with a sense of relief. Not only was the style
nothing like D.H. Lawrence's _The Rainbow_, which I had just had so much trouble with, but, as I had read _Ulysses_ (and Don Gifford's annotations to the same) over the summer, I felt that I had the necessary background to understand what could have been a very confusing narrative. For instance, when Parnell's name turned up, I instantly knew that this was the Irish politician who had nearly gotten a bill through the English parliament on Home Rule, only to then be disrailed by a scandal involving his long-time affair with a married woman. I also knew that the clergy had been somewhat hypocritical on the Parnell issue, waiting until he was declared guilty in court of adultery before coming out with their own condemnation, a fact that did not sit well with many Irish nationalists. Facts such as these, gleaned from my six weeks with Joyce's masterpiece, gave me a key to the background of the text.

But even more, what I liked about _Portrait_ was the, for Joyce, fairly clean style with which the story was told. I feared that _Portrait_ might reflect any one of the experimental styles in _Ulysses_, I was pleasantly surprised by the fairly linear (if occasionally vague with respect to time scale or particular period) storyline.

Things didn't stay simple for long, though. Chapter three and the extended sermon was tough to wade through, even if I did feel a personal connection to the crisis of faith experienced by Stephen. In the next three chapters, I was much more unsure of what exactly was taking place-the sentence structure was more complex and the descriptions less concrete.

I am somewhat confused by what actually happens at the end. I think I understand that Stephen refuses the priesthood because his brief experience as a religious acolyte (debasing himself by refusing the pleasures of the world) and his soul is still uneasy. He also, I feel, begins to have a doubt of the power of faith, a rationalist's questioning of the sacraments of faith. And he rejects the way of Irish nationalism for its own sake. But what does he assume as his path? The title gives some indication that it is art, but I hesitate to point at anything in the last chapter that shows this.

Rating:
Summary: I fear for the fourteen year old who reads these reviews
Review: After seeing "The Great Gatsby," "The Sun Also Rises," and "The Sound and the Fury" all rated at four stars out of five, I have come to understand that this is not a forum for considered and intelligent discussion of works. I had hoped that young people who liked to read could use this as a reasource for continuing studies outside of class. Selah, no one who relies on these comments will ever graduate as an English Major from any decent College. In closing, two of the people who gave this book poor reviews are from Utah. That tells you something about the amount of thought going into it right there. "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is the reason they invented five stars folks. It's just a given among well read people. Much of art is subjective but works such as these I've listed above are a touchstone for all literary minded people, a measuring stick against which we can frame discussion. To fail to acknowledge this sadly reveals more about the reader than it could about the book.

Rating:
Summary: The 20th century artist
Review: This is the first novel in which we meet the persona of Stephen Dedalus. It is noteworthy that Joyce titled his book A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN instead of A PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN. The chosen title is presumptuous, at the very least,if not downright arrogant. However, at least for Joyce, young Stephen serves as paradigmatic exemplar of the artist. Not just any artist, but the 20th century artist.

So what is so special about the 20th century artist? Why not artists from other ages, or all ages? The answer lies in the anti-religious and contra-religious themes and overtones which have developed at an exponential rate in the literature of the past 200 years. One finds this motif in nearly all of the major writers of late; Doestoevsky, Nabokov, Camus, Hemingway and Mann, just to name a few. In all of these writers (as well as countless others) one finds a great sense of loss. The universe is no longer see as a divine clock that keeps perfect time, nor is it seen as something crafted by a divine clockmaker.

From this milieu emerges the artist. His task is to transform this painful revelation into something beautiful: art. We are introduced to young Stephen at that crossroads in life where he must decide whether to blindly follow the traditional beliefs of his forefathers, or to use his rational mind to cut himself loose from those bonds. Stephen's name is symbolic, for he chooses to take flight from the labyrinth of religion, as well as all of the dogmatic rites, rituals and institutions of Catholicism.

The narrative of the book has a surreal flavor to it. One does not read PORTRAIT so much as one drifts thru the pages, like a raft gently floating downstream. There are many phrases in the novel that are pure poetry; Joyce's mastery of unique metaphors comes to the fore early on in the book. The prose is rarely lacking in elegance.

The story will be most accessible to persons who are familiar with the socio-political and religious history of Ireland. For those like myself who are not so informed on these matters, the editor, Seamus Deane does an exemplery job of clarifying Joyce's allusions and references. I found both Deane's introduction as well as his footnotes to be very helpful.

This book is highly recommend for all persons who ponder the changing role of the artist in the 20th (and 21st!) century. For an introduction to the themes of this book I would admonish the reader to refer to Friedrich Nietzsche's writings on aesthetics.

Rating:
Summary: Nicely Crafted
Review: This book was never meant to be exciting. If you are at all like Polonius as Hamlet describes, "he's for a jig or a tale of bawdry, or he sleeps," then A Portrait of the Artist is probably not for you. However, it is a wonderful piece of art which expresses the coming-of-age struggle like the best of them. Like most novels of this genre, the main character (Stephen) certainly has characteristics and struggles that everyone can relate with...although in this particular instance I would find it stunning if one related with him completely. Not only does it have narrative value, but the tale of Stephen mirrors the life of Joyce himself and thus can give any curious soul an insight into the inner struggles and development of a genius.

The stream of consciousness is not tough at all in this work and basically has the effect of portraying age, emotion, and train of thought. Note all of the references to sensation and color...from the beginning he shows the signs of an artist. There aren't frequent shifts in time like there are in Benjy's and Quentin's sections of The Sound and the Fury, although there are certain events that do replay in the present from the past.

This is a story of the struggle of a youth against orthodoxy - religious, linguistic, and nationalistic. The sermons given at the retreat are by far the finest part of the entire novel: rich with diction, imagery, and symbolism. Although I am not religious at all, the passages on hell still evoked a fear within me - which could only have been a glimmer of the full effect it had on young Stephen.

Joyce also articulates a philosophy of aesthetics through Stephen later on in the novel, which may more may not be meant to be Joyce's own. I am not going to explain it here, as it falls in with the flow of the novel.

Overall, this novel was enjoyable and artistic although the story was not significantly memorable. Read it as a prelude to Ulysses.

Rating:
Summary: In the Immortal Words of Mark Twain...
Review: "Classic--a book which people praise and don't read."

This quotation fits in quite perfectly with this book. Except I'd like to replace the "don't" with "shouldn't". Thanks again Mr. Twain. enough said...

Rating:
Summary: One of the great books of all time
Review: A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man, by James Joyce, is about growing up Irish Catholic in late nineteenth century Ireland.

When the book was first published, the style was so radical critics didn't know what to make of it. Although very readable, to understand the book requires that the reader pay close attention. There are many shifts in time and place, and shifts between external consciousness and dreaming or thinking. The author makes these changes without warning; yet, some of the transitions are so seamless, they are magnificent. His dialogue can be difficult to follow sometimes, precisely because it is so smooth. Although written almost a century ago, the language and style still feel very modern.

The main character, Stephen Dedalus, grew up in a well-off Irish Catholic family. His father was a businessman who also dabbled in politics but was not religious. He sent the young Stephen to a Jesuit boarding school because, as he told his son, with the connections he will make, he will be able to go far. Stephen's mother was a kind, traditional Irish Catholic. The family lived in the country, but they were forced to move to an apartment in Dublin when their financial situation declined.

As a child, Stephen is physically slight, introverted and intelligent. He wears glasses. It is very touching how Joyce evokes the sensitive nature of the grade school Stephen, especially with regard to the rough-housing of classmates and the undeserved, cruel physical punishments of his teachers. Several images of his childhood, including of his father are seen, playfully, through a glass. Joyce seems to like that image. Stephen worships his father in the way many young boys do.

During the time when Stephen was a young boy, the great Irish nationalist leader Parnell had recently fallen from power. Although a Protestant, Parnell had the support of both the Catholics and the Protestants in the north and the south. He was the one leader in Irish history that had the potential to unite all of Ireland and lead them to independence.

The men in Stephen's family constantly talk, and argue, politics. The women in the family concurred in the Bishops condemnation of Parnell. Stephen's father and uncle raged at the Catholic clergy. They remained militant Parnell supporters. A family Christmas dinner ends abruptly because of a near violent argument over Parnell between a devout Catholic aunt of Stephen's and a diehard nationalist uncle. It is clear Stephen identified with his father's position.

Stephen goes through all the insecurities, emotional chaos, yearnings and sexual desire of adolescence. Stephen loves women and has crushes on several. They appear somewhat alien to him but lovely and sensual nonetheless. He goes through a phase where he becomes a regular in Dublin's red light district.

In college, Stephen attends a retreat given by one of his Jesuit teacher's from grade school. The priest delivers one of the most frightening sermons of all time, seemingly endless apocalyptic images and booming rhetoric of hellfire, suffering and eternal damnation. The sermon is the centerpiece of the book, about twenty pages long. As a result of the sermon and retreat, Stephen became overwhelmed with guilt and went to confession.

In college, the students and faculty acknowledge Stephen to be intellectually brilliant. In college, Stephen becomes as much an expert in his subjects as any of his Jesuit professors. He digests, deconstructs and masters everything the priests had in their arsenal to throw at him: Aquinas, Aristotle, Plato, literature, every language and subject.
In his last year of college, as you can predict, one of the Jesuit professors asks Stephen to seriously consider become a (Jesuit) priest. He turns him down. He sees the Jesuits as lifeless. They are not like Saint Ignatius, he observes. They are not what they are supposed to be. Stephen shudders at the thought of spending the rest of his life living in an institution like the cold, rigid Jesuit grade school and residence he attended as a child.

In the end, Stephen rejects the Catholic Church and Ireland. He says the attitude of Irish Roman Catholics towards Roman Catholicism is that of a, "Dullwitted loyal serf." Stephen understands better than anyone that his intellect and personality are saturated with Catholicism. He can't stand it and declares himself an agnostic. He says he needs to get out of Ireland to decide for himself what he believes and doesn't believe. He is disgusted with Irish culture, or the lack of it. He tells a friend that, "Ireland is the old sow that eats her farrow." Stephen's friends have gotten used to his brilliance over the years, but his rejection of Ireland and Catholicism astonishes and mystifies them.

One friend even suggests that he become a Protestant. Stephen replies, "I said that I had lost the faith but not that I had lost selfrespect. What kind of liberation would that be to forsake an absurdity which is logical and coherent and to embrace one which is illogical and incoherent?" Likewise, Stephen bristles with hostility towards the English. The dean of students of his college is a Jesuit from England. In a casual conversation, Stephen sets him up by using the word tundish instead of funnel. "Is that called a tundish in Ireland?" the dean asked patronizingly. Stephen answered, laughing at him, "It is called a tundish in Lower Drumcondra, where they speak the best English." Later, to a friend, Stephen says, with hostility and contempt, that this Englishman came to Ireland to learn proper English.

Stephen's mother tells him that he's read too many books. She tells him she prays that he will learn about things of the heart. About his impending emigration, Stephen says, "Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race."

Rating:
Summary: thought provoking, but slow
Review: if action is not your boat then you will probably enjoy this book. it chronicles the events of a young man's, stephen dedalus, youth and adolescent years. joyce depicts the struggle between Irish nationalism and religion beautifully, all while keeping pace with stephen's journey from the strict jesuit Clongowes to the less sheltered Belvedere to trinity university. don't expect to feel the same about Ireland's struggles after finishing this book.

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Summary: Joyce's Golden Phrases
Review: Following the plot of "A Portrait" is like trying to chase a fish through a murky, moss-covered swamp pond. Understanding the meanings in the work is as simple as clearly seeing the bottom of this same pool. The reader can feel the great depth of this bayou-book by the height of the clammy, chilling water on his body. Even when he has finally climbed out of the pond, moss and other marks cling to him. The reader can feel too the power of the work by the invisible, unmistakable currents and swirls that unceasingly surround him through his chase.
Why would someone read this book, a book with difficult plot and meaning, and unclear, intimidating depth and power? Obvious gold nuggets glint beneath the water, felt beneath the reader's feet, seen amidst sometimes muddy chapters: they are Joyce's masterful short phrases. They compel the reader forward, delighting him as he fumbles after the fish, chasing after this elusive, wriggling rainbow trout, a leprechaun leading to more gold. The imagery and alliteration of Joyce's short phrases force the reader on to each next page, and assure him that the tiring toil of draining this swamp is an effort well rewarded.
The entire mural of "A Portrait" may seem abstract and unclear, but the delicate images, the stinging images, the firm and the flimsy images--each is an intimately executed brushstroke or a perfectly mixed color that enchants the reader. These are the glinting nuggets hiding in the pond, chunks of pure lyric beauty. The images stick in your mind and haunt you like some catchy tune; the make you want to stride on onto the beach and run "far out over the sands, singing wildly to the sea" (123). To find these nuggets a perceptive reader will soon be "scraping the air from before his eyes with one hand as though he were tearing aside a cobweb" (25), hunting with fervency. He will wander "the dark, slimy streets peering into the gloom of lanes and doorways" (70). Even taken completely out of context as above, these "eerily convincing portrayals," as R.B. Kershner calls them, retain their majesty. And though an understanding of much of the novel may be as solid and stable as a dancing fire, "Above the flame the smoke of praise/ Goes up from ocean rim to rim" (159).
Joyce pleases the mind's eye, yes; but the mind's ear is his true workshop. His symphonic work has an enormous scope, but each alliterative phrase rises up from the orchestral noise as a melody to be inhaled. "Little, fiery flakes fell" (101);
"the warm, sunny city outside" (62); "the candlestick with its tendrils of tallow" (159). Here the gold nuggets come so thick that surely they comprise a vein that the reader must mine. They permeate "A Portrait", filling it: "cast down by the dull phenomenon of Dublin" (54); "darker than the swoon of sin, softer than sound or odour" (71); "stirring his soul slowly from its listless despair" (79). I will let the examples speak for themselves as they speak to the listening reader.
If the reader will feel each atom of gold, each artistic phrase, as he chases the elusive fish of plot, the swamp of confusion covering "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" will begin to drain, as Virginia Woolf's affirms in her commentary of the book. "Let us record the atoms as they fall upon the mind in the order in which they fall, let us trace the pattern, however disconnected and incoherent in appearance, which each sight or incidence scores upon the consciousness." And until those patterns become clear and the mossy water flows away, simply enjoy the gold glinting at us from below, radiant under Joyce's illuminating talent.

Rating:
Summary: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Review: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce is the story of a young man struggling to grow up and rise above the political, religious, and patriotic cords that bind him down. The book begins with Stephen reflecting on his childhood until he grows up to be a man with his own views. The story takes place in Ireland when there was much confusion in religion and politics. Stephen Dedalus was raised in a very patriotic home, which was also devoutly Catholic. Stephen, however, struggles with the strong views of his family and church. He doesn't quite know if he agrees with everyone around him. Throughout his life Stephen and his family have to move to different houses because of financial problems. This also causes Stephen to have to change schools, and become involved with different types of people. While he is changing schools externally, internally he is also changing; he is becoming a young man with ideas uniquely his own. Growing up is a great challenge for Stephen, he is thrown into many different situations and has people all around him trying to tell him what to think, and what to do with his life. He goes from having his first unexpected sexual relationship to feeling the awful guilt of his sins. Then he goes from wanting to become a priest to realizing that all he wants to do is get out of Ireland, and become his own expressive, unique self through art. He is not close minded to what people tell him, but he doesn't agree with what they tell him and he doesn't feel that it is for him. There is great symbolism and imagery in this book. There is a current theme of water and of birds. It is as if Stephan admires the birds, but they are also those in which "pull out his eyes ". They pull out his eyes because he wants so badly to be a bird and fly away, but can't because too many things are preventing him from flying away. Stephen wants to rise above the water and the filth of his life, this water and filth can be considered the church and political issues that occupy his and his family's lives. He wants to become like Dedalus and build himself wings to fly away; in the end of the book he does fly away, and a new life awaits him.

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Summary: More info than LuckyCharms boxes:novel on an Irish ubringing
Review: Every March, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We wear green so no one will pinch us. In elementary schools, we read Irish folklore about leprechauns and shamrocks. When we grow up, we learn about the "troubles" and the centuries-long conflict between the Protestants and Catholics, but our knowledge of Ireland tends to stop there.

Perhaps the next best thing to kissing the Blarney Stone in order to have a taste of Ireland would be to read James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

In this work, largely through various vignettes, we observe the growth and development of the "artist" Stephen Dedalus. (He is not to be confused with Stephen Dedalus of Ulysses, but he may have been named after the Daedalus of Greek mythology.) We begin with his childhood, at the beginning of his formal education, and the portrait James Joyce provides fades when he is an adult.

Although the novel is relatively short, please do not suppose that it can be read quickly. Just like it would be foolish to endure a long wait in the Louvre and then glance at the small Mona Lisa for only a second and walk away, in order to appreciate this book, you will need to dedicate some time and thought.

A Portrait is rich in detail, creating vivid images that bring the pages to life. Be sure to notice the imagery. Artists often have dexterous hands, and hands are observed throughout the book. Other recurring symbols are roses, birds, and water. There are several contrasts--cold and hot, wet and dry, unpleasant and comfortable, and distressed and happy, among others. White, red, and green are important hues that regularly appear.

James Joyce is expert at "showing not telling." The masterful use of detail and imagery attest to Joyce's skill in writing. In this book, he also employs new techniques that are more developed in later works, innovations that set him apart in the evolution of modern English fiction. For example, in A Portrait, we find several examples of stream-of-consciousness narrative. Fortunately for the reader, it is not as difficult to follow as passages in other books that employ the technique more intensively. It also serves as another manner in which Joyce skillfully presents Dedalus's growth. The first part of the book is more random and hard to understand (like the thoughts of a young child) while the forms of expression change until the end of the novel, which is written as organized concise journal entries.

Perhaps A Portrait resembles a journal of the author himself to a certain extent. Both Joyce and Dedalus were Irish and educated at Jesuit schools. They later changed their perceptions of the Catholic church and also left Ireland. Furthermore, both the author and the protagonist faced financial problems and had impaired vision. They also had peers that admired their work as thoughtful and clever literary artists.

In addition to taking the time to look for imagery, brushing up on the history of Ireland may be helpful in order to more fully enjoy A Portrait. However, it may be enough just to know that Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) was an Irish nationalist leader that was popular until 1889, when the public learned of his adulterous affair with Katherine O'Shea.

Personally, when I read A Portrait, my enjoyment of the book declined somewhat after Chapter II, when Dedalus is a teenager and engages in immoral activity. Perhaps I lost some interest because I could not relate as well to the main character, or maybe it was because I did not like the different attitude of the "grown up" Dedalus. It also seems that the action slows down somewhat near the end.

However, upon finishing the book, we have a well-developed picture of the life of Stephen Dedalus (and possibly James Joyce, as was mentioned earlier). Thanks to the excellent imagery and thorough detail, we feel as if we had traveled to Ireland and even developed a relationship with Dedalus. As with carefully prepared portraits, in observing them, we notice subtle aspects of the subjects, the creators, our neighbors, and ourselves. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a four-leaf clover worth picking.