Rating: 
Summary: Very well written.
Review: A Portrait of an Artist was a surprise to me. I read it as a school assignment but I actually
enjoyed it a little. It was a thought provoking book and was very well written. James Joyce's'
fictional but semi- autobiographical novel was very creative. It was written in a style that I have
never read before. It wasn't first person or third person, but it also wasn't quite a third person
omniscient. It was a new style to me but James Joyce made it work.
It is a novel about a boy, Stephen Dedalus and his struggles to grow up, break away from
the confining restrictions of church, family, and country (patriotism), and to ultimately find
himself as an individual and artist. Most of these struggles are very similar to things that all of us
have gone through(with exception of becoming an artist). I think many of the problems he faced
were a little amplified, and that helped show what kind of person Stephen was. He was very
thoughtful and he tried, like many of us to fit into many places that he didn't naturally fit.
All through the book Stephen changes schools and is never accepted by the other kids at
the school. Eventually he decides to stand up for himself by talking to the school master after
being punished unfairly. He is rewarded for his bravery and begins to be accepted by his peers.
But he still doesn't quite fit in.
The thing that stuck out most to me was the jesuit priests and how they preached about
hell and damnation. I thought it was an extreme way to try and control the way the kids act. It
seemed as though they were trying to scare them into being good instead of having them do it for
the right reasons. Ultimately scaring people into something rarely works. If you want them to do
something they have to do it for the right reasons or they will not continue to do it in the future.
One of the most interesting things for me was seeing the way Joyce used the imagery, he
is so good with words. I enjoy reading the vivid descriptions he uses and find myself forming a
mental picture much easier than I do when reading other books. One thing I disliked about this
book was the lack of plot. I t was difficult to find a story line to follow. While the creative style,
imagery and wording of the book interested me I did find it hard at times to continue reading
because there was nothing that made me want to continue to the next chapter. Nothing that
caught my attention and made me want to find out what happens next.
Overall I would recommend this book because of it's creative style and great word usage.
I think if you read this book through and give it a chance, then you will be satisfied. With this
book you do have to read all the way to the end or it will seem like a waste of your time.
Rating:
Summary: A Complex Read, Yet Excellent
Review: Joyce's portrayal of turn of the century Ireland with all of its complex social and political problems is an excellent backdrop for this story, and he vividly describes Stephen Dedalus' role in a complex story. First, I enjoy Joyce's writing style and his ability to develop Stephen's character. It is easy to relate to Stephen's development of thoughts.
I enjoyed how Joyce starts the story with Stephen as a boy, because this shows his vulnerability and dependence upon his parents for his political, religious, and social views. His interaction among the boys at Clongowes brought back my own memories from elementary school and my own interactions with students. He wants to be accepted by his peers, and Joyce shows this by his embarrassments and fears in taking a stand. Stephen is small in stature and in his confidence, but his triumph when he talks to the rector is an excellent scene because it shows Stephen developing his own independent thoughts and being able to stand up for them.
I enjoy Joyce's vivid descriptions because they include the physical realm as well as Stephen's thoughts. This is shown throughout the book - one scene in particular is when Stephen goes to Belvedere College and he has an encounter with Heron, Boland, and Nash. The four are walking on a country road, discussing their favorite authors, when Stephen states that his is Lord Byron. The boys laugh, claiming that Tennyson is the obvious choice. They pin him down and try to get him to revoke the statement, and he refuse to do so. I admire Stephen's strength in his own opinions, this example shows that he has developed his own ideas and will stand for them. Joyce's imagery makes the scenes, including Stephen's emotions, come alive. He writes, "At last after a fury of plunges he wrenched himself free. His tormentors set off towards Jones's Road, laughing and jeering at him, while he, half blinded with tears, stumbled on, clenching his fists madly and sobbing" (57). Stephen's emotions come alive; I can relate to the hot, angry tears he feels.
I also appreciate Joyce's writings concerning the political and religious situation in Ireland. Somewhat unaware of the problems surging in Ireland at this time, Joyce describes indirectly these problems, which fills in the reader as to the political, religious, and social context behind Stephen's life and development. One scene which made these problems clear to me was the Christmas dinner squabble between Dante and Mr. Dedalus. Stephen quietly sits back and soaks in his relatives' opinions in amazement at the scene. This scene is one of those that is when a child realizes that life has problems and the world is not in order, as he hopes. I recognize this mark of change in Stephen's confidence in his family and country.
Stephen's development is one of the greatest aspects of this book. Joyce causes Stephen's thoughts to evolve - he starts with childlike, unconnected thoughts to more complex, opinionated ones. His own desires and opinions are made known as he matures, and his own unrest becomes increasingly apparent. Furthermore, the style of this book is complex - one must read between the lines and have some kind of concept of Irish conflicts and culture in order to truly understand the full meaning behind this book. It is sometimes hard to follow Joyce's jumpy style - there is no full plot structure. This is not the best book if you are looking for a fast, easy romance novel, but it is rewarding in that it causes one to think about its themes and Stephen's development of the independence of his own soul.
Rating: 
Summary: not so bad
Review: Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man is an intense book. I realize that it is often at the top of many a best-seller list. But, it will not be at the top of mine, although the book is both well crafted and thought provoking. James Joyce shadows the main character, Stephen Daedalus, through his youth, starting at around six years of age. Joyce shows Stephen's progression from dependent child to free artist in a very unique way. There is a change in the writing style of the piece just about every chapter, which can be very confusing. Showing Stephen's progression as a person through progression in writing style is unique. But, it can cause serious problems for an unsuspecting reader. I for one, upon first picking up the book, found the first few pages just about impossible to decipher. I did not understand what was going on. After a few readings, and some help from friends, I finally understood that Joyce begins his book from the stream of consciousness of a six-year old child. When I understood that, the book had much more worth to me, but until I did, I felt convinced it was a piece of garbage. Another key to note is that in order to fully understand the allusions in the book, one must be familiar with the myth of Icarus and Daedalus.
One of the best things about Portrait of An Artist As a Young Man is the use of language. Joyce is a master with words, and can, in a few short sentences, create very vivid pictures of what he hopes to portray. His bird imagery especially, is developed to such an extent that the reader can follow just the progression of the images to understand what is happening in the plot of the story. Plot, though, for this book, is not the best word to use since Joyce did not create a real plot for the book. There is no real storyline to follow, which made the book difficult for me to read. There is not much to carry you through. It is a fight to stick with the book, because most of the time there is nothing pushing the reader onwards, at least in my opinion. Still, sticking with the book did give me a sense of accomplishment in the end, as I was able to finally put it down and think about it. If I had not been able to think about the true significance later, it is quite possible that I would have missed the point of the book, and for that reason, hated it.
Rating: 
Summary: Portrait of My Nightmare of an Intensive Writing Assignment
Review: When I read Joyce's "The Dead" as a senior in high school, it took watching the movie and several class hours of discussion before I was finally able to see meaning in the novel. Now, having read "A Portrait of the Artist," I am convinced that not only is Joyce's style unique, to say the least he is a veritable cubist of contemporary literature. "Portrait of the Artist" chronicles the coming of age of Stephen Dedalus, a young man in turn-of-the-century Ireland. Joyce opens the book with Stephen as a small child, writing in language befitting of one little older than a toddler. The language matures as Stephen does, however, and soon Joyce has the reader jumping from interesting descriptions of girls on beaches to cataclysmically boring (and LONG!) soliloquies of Stephen's philosophical, emotional, and physical wanderings. Amid tyrannical priests, playground bullies, apathetic parents, and the occasional friend, Stephen is forced to grow up with almost no guidance or example. The progression of Stephen and the novel is eclectic. At times Joyce tosses out sudden bursts of simplicity, signified by a hidden smattering of pivotal epiphanies that ultimately lead up to the climax/close of the book and Stephen's decision to shrug off the limitations of men and become an artist. At others, the only logical thought that follows an idea is ". . .what?" It seems as though Joyce is deliberately trying to confuse the reader, so that they can get an idea of the phases Stephen is going through. An effective, but very frustrating, tool to draw the reader into the plot. Joyce's style of writing, depending on the reader's frame of mind (or state thereof), can be extremely thought provoking, or just provoking. Joyce expresses Stephen not physically, but rather the reader grows to know him through his thoughts and sometimes, his surroundings. This indirect approach to a very complex individual through abstract description and seemingly meaningless mental tangents is tedious and often frustrating--it seems as though, rather than bring Stephen to the reader, Joyce is dragging the reader to Stephen through a quagmire of politics, philosophy, sex, art, and religion. It is left up to the readers to decide which elements will clarify Stephen's direction for them(and hence the direction of the book),and which will only muddy the waters further. I feel safe in labeling James Joyce the Picasso of twentieth century literature. "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is one of the strangest and most thought-provoking books I have ever read. The disjointed sentence structure and abstract methods of description he employs are a great detriment to any initial enjoyment of the work. It takes too long to stop after every paragraph and decipher what Joyce is conveying to really like reading it the first time. A second and even third reading is advisable to truly understand the proverbial 'moral of the story.' Some feel that Joyce is the Einstein of the literary world, and he certainly deserves the distinction of being a revolutionary. Whether or not revolution is genius, however, is left to the discretion of his future readers.
Rating:
Summary: Language Parallels
Review: James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-autobiographical story of Stephen Daedelus as he grows from a young child to a young adult. Virtually every word Joyce uses is deliberate. The novel is not one that a person can read and understand without completely focusing on what Joyce is saying.
Joyce uniquely uses language to portray the young Daedelus as he grows and matures. The language is very simple in the beginning, following a stream of consciousness format that portrays Stephen's young age and undeveloped thought process. As he grows in all aspects of his being - physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and mental - the language reflects his growing complexity. Joyce also uses language to show the changes in Stephen's relationships with others - especially his family - that result from his growth. Throughout the novel, Stephen goes through various periods and levels of alienation. During his early years in boarding school, Stephen feels distant from the other boys and counts the days until he can return home. However, after a heated discussion over Christmas dinner with his family, he feels as though they are somewhat remote. He cannot figure out which adult to side with over the political issues concerning the Catholic Church and the Irish State. Thus, his young mind experiences its first feelings of alienation from his family. These feelings mark the first instance of a desire to break from traditional viewpoints, and the point at which the language begins to change.
Gradually, this emotional separation becomes more pronounced as he starts to notice his father's imperfections, such as his excessive spending habits and the tasteless company he chooses to keep. By looking down on his father's actions, Stephen widens the distance between himself and his father. Thus, he loses his childhood naiveté and sees his father as an imperfect human being. Joyce reflects this change in the language by replacing childish phrases with more experienced reflections.
As the novel progresses, the language Joyce uses becomes even more complex in structure and content. This illustrates Stephen's progression as his ideas and views of life become more his own. As Stephen's family sinks into the slums materially and socially because of his father's excessive spending, Stephen develops the courage to break away from them and stand independent with his own ideals and views.
His emotional separation from his family finally leads to his physical separation from the familial and social environment he was raised in. He embarks from Ireland, leaving everything he opposes: his family, the Catholic Church, Irish Patriotism, and his old self. The language of the novel follows Stephen's internal progression as he moves from simplistic and undefined views, to his eloquent and personal theories about art and life. It is at this point of resolution that Joyce shifts his language from a distant point of view to the first person narration of journal entries - only after Stephen finds his own independent voice.
Rating: 
Summary: Joyce- The Master Artist of Literature
Review: The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is one of the great masterpieces of modern literature. Joyce is a true master of diction. While his imagery is complex and metaphorical, it is never banal. Though many of the experiences of Stephen Daedalus are commonplace, Joyce's descriptions give them meaning that is universally applicable. The basic structure of the book is rather simple. Five chapters each present an important point in the life of Stephen. Each of these segments contains an epiphany that slowly guides Stephen to his vocation as an artist. The language of the chapter's change as Stephen gains maturity and independence. In the first chapter, Stephen is a pre-adolescent boy struggling to be accepted at school. His thoughts center around his family, especially his "Nice Mother" (Joyce, 3). In the second chapter teenage first Stephen addresses issues of sexuality and love. He begins to be drawn to literature as a way of expressing his emotions. Chapters three and four provide a thought provoking analysis of religion. In perhaps the book's most important epiphany Stephen gains an affirmation of his artistic calling. In chapter five we see the development of Stephen's aesthetic philosophy, and his resolve to leave his native country of Ireland. It is interesting, indeed, to chart the progress of a weak six-year boy until he becomes a liberal minded university student. While the journey Stephen takes is not radically unique, by the end of the novel almost every one of his attitudes is significantly altered- including his love for his mother. Readers be warned. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, can be laborious as its title. Joyce uses altered syntax (hyphens instead of quotation marks) a makes use of unique word order to show the stages of Stephen's development. In the title itself, many always switch "a" and "the." Joyce's book is not one meant to entertain. It is a philosophical novel that is probably written for completely didactic purposes.
In my College English class, many disliked the novel. I disliked it as well, until I began to click with Joyce's use of stream of consciousness technique. At that point I began to feel as if I was in the mind of Stephen. I realized why some of the various time shifts in the book were occurring. I began to concentrate on the descriptions Joyce was presenting, and began to see some of the reasons for Stephen's development. All the techniques Joyce uses are aimed at bringing us inside the mind of Stephen Daedalus. Vivid imagery only comes when Stephen concentrates on a particular item, whether it is the stick used by a teacher to slap him, his vision of Hell, or the beautiful girl on the beach who stirs his soul with "profane joy" (123). Most of the attributes of turn of the century Ireland are completely ignored. Cursory descriptions of the land and political situation of time are never expanded, and really of little importance. "The Artist" is the focus of the book. All the remaining characters are flat, and are only used as yard sticks to show Stephen's budding independence. Again, the names and rolls of secondary characters are often of little importance. Again this book is not for the faint of heart. Speed-reading was an exercise in futility. Any lack of concentration could bring utter confusion if one missed a shift in Stephen's thoughts. I highly recommend using Cliff Notes or other study device to make sure you understand all the main events of the chapter. Understanding the book becomes easier as one becomes familiar with the unique majesty of Joyce's words. Even when describing boredom, they are remarkable. The drowning voice of the professor continued to wind itself slowly round and round the coils it spoke of, doubling, trebling, quadrupling it somnolent energy as the coil multiplied its ohms of resistance (140). Boring science lectures are only one of the things the Joyce brings to life. Reading Portrait was definitely a mind-expanded experience, make easier by the short length of the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is ready to move from great stories, to great works of literature. Work Cited- Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Dover Publications Inc. New York NY, 1994
Rating:
Summary: Good the Second Time
Review: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is my first exposure to James Joyce. I will admit that while I was reading it, the book was not enjoyable. I started out confused by the jumping around at the beginning and the lack of movement made it hard to stay awake at some parts. The book is about Stephen Dedalus who takes us through his adolescent years. It takes place in Ireland in the midst of the Catholic and Protestant battle. In the first chapter Stephen is trying to fit in with family, friends, and even his country. In the second chapter Stephen starts to separate from his father. At the end of this chapter, Stephen gives in and has his first sexual experience with a prostitute. In chapter three, he listens to Father Arnell's moving sermons. After he hears these sermons, he immediately goes to confess his sin to a priest. In chapter four he discovers art, and in chapter five he alienates himself further from his family and country.
As I mentioned before, my first run through with this book was not a happy one. It may because it was rushed, but as I looked back through it the second time I was amazed at Joyce's style. Although there was not very much movement, Joyce's description and imagery was outstanding. I had never before enjoyed a book with tons of imagery, but Joyce's imagery is what made the book real to me. I also thought the different themes throughout the book were remarkable. While I was reading the book through the first time, I did not pick up on many of the themes and symbols. It was the when I was looking over it later that I saw all the symbol of the birds, the imagery of the water, and I saw how Stephen was moving farther and farther away from his father and gaining freedom. At the beginning of the book, Stephen sees the birds as vicious. When we get closer to the end of the book, he sees them as beautiful. This shows how Stephen is breaking away and his freedom. As the book progresses, you can also see how Stephen comes to know that his feelings of love are normal. At the beginning when Stephen said he wanted to marry Eileen, Dante is appalled, but as Stephen watched the girl in the ocean he realizes that it is all right to love. I also liked the connection to the Greek mythology. I think it ties into the book very well.
In the end, I have to say that I liked the book. If I did read it again, it would be much more pleasurable to be able to pick out all the symbols, themes, connections, and imagery as I went through it instead of waiting until after to see how it all comes together.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting book
Review: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is definitely a uniquely written, thought provoking book. Being a novel sharing the growth of an artist, it includes the experiences of a young man, Stephan Dedalus, and his interpretations of them. The novel is one of self-realization. This search occurs to everyone in life, as we set out in the world to see who we really are. The "who am I" dilemma is inevitable, and this novel shares the experience through an artist's perspective.
Through Stephan's experiences he learns many things. He realizes he's still a boy when he's young. He strives to grow, he strives to participate in mature activities, and he strives to be the person he thinks he is. Yet as in any life, he doesn't grow up until he learns from his experiences, and grows from the insight he gains in each one.
Joyce is an interesting author. The novel starts in a confusing fashion, the subject bounces, and the sentence structure is odd. However, his style ties into the growth of Stephan, and the connection between the writing style and story line is creative and interesting. The book starts when Stephen is young. His mind is scattered, and he doesn't see any need to analyze anything. He sees life from the surface, and lives to live instead of gain anything. This portion of the book is written in just this way. It tells the basics, it says what's going on, but offers no insight as to why, or how, or what anyone's thinking. As he grows older, however, Stephen learns and grows through his experiences. He gains maturity and insight into the things of life, and he offers a more thematic outlook on his experiences. He analyzes his situations, and gains more from them. The writing also matures. Words become meaningful, hidden symbols cover the pages, and with careful reading, the reader can see the growth in Stephen without paying attention to the plot.
The novel is full of these meanings, symbols, and analogies. There are connections to birds, maturity, art, beauty, and water. Others exist as well, and many are found through personal interpretation. To a reader merely reading the book, these small twists are ignored, leaving the book meaningless and boring with a decent plot but not one to get excited about. However, with careful study and analysis, one can be immersed in searching for the small symbols and meanings hidden within the writings of the novel.
The author goes in to a lot of detail about growth, and self-worth. A person needs to know who he is in order to fulfill everything he can out of life. Stephen's journey through this realization is portrayed a lot as he gets confused over girls, religion, family, school, and his personal insight on life. He feels alienated toward the world, as most people feel before they realize who they are. He's trying to place himself in a world without the experience needed to accomplish a position. Through his experiences, however, he learns. Stephen learns that living life is more important than figuring it out. And this realization alone helps him figure it out. He learns the pure joy of beauty and finds his joy in art, and in himself.
Over-all, the book was interesting. Being a person not too detail oriented, I had a rough time with it. However, after analysis and pondering, I came to enjoy the novel, and all it has to offer. I found the growth of Stephen interesting, and his inner struggle clearly portrayed through his experiences in life.
Rating:
Summary: James Joyce: A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
Review: James Joyce's' fictional but semi- autobiographical novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, is a deep and extremely creative book. It is a novel about a boy, Stephen Dedalus and his struggles to grow up, break away from the confining restrictions of church, family, and country (patriotism), and to ultimately find himself as an individual and artist.
Throughout the book, Stephen moves around many schools, and is always alienated. At first, he longs for his family and feels like an outcast, isolated from his peers at school. Stephen' s sensitive nature and isolation from others is evident as he wallows in the unfairness and troubles he finds in various situations. Here, we first see Stephen beginning to develop some individuality when he decides to stand up for himself and speak to the schoolmaster when unfairness occurs. Rewarded for his bravery, Stephen begins to find more of a place among his peers, yet it is still awkward and difficult.
Constantly, we see Stephen trying to fit himself in places where he doesn't naturally fit. School is an excellent example of this. Sometimes his essays contain too much "heresy" for a Catholic school -teacher's liking, so they try to discourage and confine Stephen's true self. Often there are bullies which only elevate Stephen's fear to be himself, like the time when some bullies try to make him say one poet is better than another. Repressed by these forces, Stephen is very unhappy and confused.
In church, Stephen struggles to adapt himself to the moral rigors and rules of the Catholic faith. He in essence tries to purge himself of sin at one point after an incident with a prostitute and the sermons of a priest basically scare him into confession and piety. As he tries to deny his natural side but it is to no avail.
Stephen's plight is like that of a fish and a bird in love and the relationship just not being able to work. Stephen's body is like the fish and his soul is the bird. In the book, Stephen's soul tries to survive in the water, but he's drowning and unhappy. The end solution turns out to be the fish/ body of Stephen in essence growing it's own wings to be able to dwell in happiness with his soul.
Stephen has to make the choice to either give up his soul and individuality to adapt to society and the restraints of his family, country, and church or "to live, toe err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life." (Pg., 123). Obviously, by the end of the book, Stephen had "recreated" his life in a way that he could be free and happy. His newly created wings take him away from the country that tries to tie him down with patriotism, the family that drags him down with their unintelligent spending of money and rules, and the church with it's monopolizing power and foreboding echoes of damnation.
The book is a journey that uses a lot of abstract imagery, like birds and Stephen's feelings towards them at the beginning and the end of the book. At first, Stephen fears the birds: "the eagles will come and pull out his eyes."(Pg. 2) but gradually throughout the book, the birds change to a friendlier, beautiful thing to Stephen. I think this says a lot about his view of self-liberation and freedom. At the beginning, freedom is scary- all Stephen wants to do is be accepted, but by the end, the birds are "a strange and beautiful" (Pg. 123) thing that Stephen admires. His view of freedom has changed as he has liberated himself from the three restricting forces: Church, Family, and Country.
The talent of Joyce as a writer to convey vivid images and feelings to the reader cannot be denied. He is truly amazing at painting a picture with show not tell writing and description. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. Despite the talent of the author, I found this book to be uninteresting, strange, and annoying at times to read because it simply didn't cater to the reader. As an author shouldn't you write to the audience? I had to work vigorously just to keep my attention through the long, tricky passages where Joyce tries to represent something figuratively. It was often an annoyance and frustration that made the reading less enjoyable. Overall, the writing level of idea, creativity, and thought were excellent, I just thought he could have made his points and ideas more clear to the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Very Inspiring
Review: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, is perhaps one of the most difficult books to get into that I have ever read. It begins somewhat randomly with odd words such as moocow and baby tuckoo. Joyce's thoughts are hard to follow, and the lack of true dialogue makes it even more difficult. Luckily, after enduring the first few pages, I was soon swept up into the troubled world of young Stephen Dedalus. I could relate to many of his childhood experiences and my heart ached for him at times. There were other instances when it was amusing to view the world through his young, boyish eyes.
As Stephen moves into adolescence, I am struck by the parallels between this book and Hermann Hesse's Beneath the Wheel. They both tell about the spiritual journey of two young boys, though the endings are different. I feel a deep sense of empathy with Stephen's estrangement from his peers, his guilt, and his desire to do what is right. When he goes off to University I really admire his change in personality. He begins to develop a nonconformist attitude, and decides not to do things just because other people think he should. He branches off from his peers and goes about developing his artistic abilities. He listens to his internal forces, rather than the outside influences. This is the ideal personality, the perfect way to live your life. It was so refreshing to read about someone who was able to shake of the chains of society and live his own life. He is unconcerned with politics and appreciates the aesthetic quality in all things. Beauty becomes very important to him. Near the end he makes the decision to follow the footsteps of his namesake, Daedalus the mythical creator of wings, and fly. He leaves Ireland in order to become completely free. I admire his deep independence, although his moral convictions I do not. I think a firm religious foundation is essential for truly becoming an individual. That was Stephen's tragic flaw; an anti-religion attitude. I understand his unwillingness to accept Catholicism just because his family was Catholic. The greatest men in history have searched long and passionately until they found what true religion meant to them. That is the one thing that restricts Stephen's progression. He would have been truly great, if only he would have sought for religious truth.
This novel was enjoyable to read most of the time. It was cleverly written with vivid descriptions and a unique style. This book is not for everyone to read. Those with closed minds and hearts should not even bother. However, those looking for a moving, inspiring story would do well to venture into this book. It's fascinating to watch Stephen grow up and mature and see how things that happened when he was a boy, profoundly affect his adolescence and adulthood. So, screw your patience to the sticking place for the first few pages, and delve into James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist. You'll like what you find.
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