A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man

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Summary: Joyce's Mastery of Literature and the English Language
Review: I began this book not knowing much of what to expect from it. I generally like classic novels, but I also like to have a clearly-framed plot and several well-developed characters. "Portrait of the Artist" has none of this, and as that started to become apparent as I read, I was worried that I would not even want to finish the book. Instead, I finished it in a couple nights, and I now consider it one of the best books I've ever read. What's most amazing is that the idea to this book is so simple. It's about a boy (this one, Steven Dedalus, happens to be Irish), growing up and struggling to discover his niche in his surroundings. A theme so totally simple and done so many times before and since.

But the author is what makes all the difference here. The eloquence of Joyce's language and his beautiful descriptions are hard to believe came from one mind. I feel some authors get so caught up in their vocabularies and metaphors that they lose the ability to connect the object of their descriptions to the reader. This is never a problem with Joyce. His development of Steven Dedalus, from boy into young adult, progresses perfectly from the start to its inspiring peak at the book's close.

The Modern Library ranked this as their #3 book of the 20th Century (Joyce's "Ulysses" was #1). While putting a rank to the best books of a 100 year period is somewhat ridiculous to me, I don't know if I could name 2 books that I've read from that time frame that are better. And that is what surprised me most about this book.

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Summary: another very very dull "classic"
Review: After having greatly enjoyed the Dubliners - a series of perceptive and beautifully written short stories about ordinary people - I looked forward to delving far deeper in Joyce. When at last I cracked the cover of this book, I was sorely disappointed at the unbearable pretention and lack of plot in this novel.

Stephen Daedalus is a callow snob, whose concerns are so otherworldly and obscure that they feed directly into the most ridiculously romantic and shallow stereotypes about artists as unusual gods. It is simply a monument to a young's man's egotism and unerring sense of his own destiny. There is little to learn from all the strange things he obsesses about, his experiences rarely ring true, and there is nothing notable about the writing.

This novel is probably coveted in undergraduate lit classes because most of the readers are untested adolescents, who feel they can conquer the world so easily. Alas, as an adult it is just boring.

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Summary: joyce's writes an masterpiece of irish literature
Review: James Joyce writes a beutifull semi-autobiographical story about Stephen Dedalus; an Irish boy uninterested in his country's political situation, struggling with the religious beliefs imposed on him and the horror of a potential hell, and the urge to be an artist and release himself from the redundant thoughts of his peers. The life of Stephen is traced from his early chilhood through boarding school and college. Joyce's next book Ulysses picks up some years after Portait left off. Throughout the book the theme of isolation remains prevalent as Stephen is unconnected with all his surroundings; his father is part of a past generation betrayed by a country he is so passionate about. Stephen, in a constant of inner struggle must determine whether he will (like the ancient myth of Icarus and Dedalus) soar high into the sky and be burned by the sun or reach shore safely. The book is drenched in imagery of flight and the artistic philosophies of Joyce are often dislplayed through Stephen's conversations with his peers or teachers. Portrait of an Artist as a young man is a wonderful book tracing a boy's journey to self-discovery and the final surrender to his artistic passion.

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Summary: THIS was voted third best novel of the 20th century??
Review: The temptation is too great; I cannot resist this opportunity to denigrate the worst novel I’ve read--very nearly completed. For me, this was not quite a Literature class force-feed novels, albeit close to one. I *thought* that it was to be required reading for AP British Lit, and being the atypical student that I am, likes to get a head start on things. . .

James Joyce in general and this quasi-autobiographical novel in particular are horribly overrated. If you prefer novels that have at least a verisimilitude of plot, do not read Portrait. It is nothing more than stream-of-consciousness ramblings that go on and on to nowhere--or at least to nowhere that makes the reader the least bit desirous to read further. I suppose that the intent of this literary atrocity--er...technique--is to elucidate the psyche of Stephen Dedalus, but it even fails to do this well. (Returning to the topic of British Lit force-feed material, the last novel I read for that class, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, maintains a story-line AND limns three characters more fully than Portrait characterizes its one protagonist. I present this example only to suggest Joyce’s relative ineptitude and to substantiate my capability to indeed connect to literature, even outside of my preferred genre--just not in the case of Portrait.) If any analects able to evoke a response from the reader can be extracted from the utter blandness, they are found in the fire-and-brimstone preaching which comprises page after page after--hey, Dedalus and Joyce’s childhoods may have contained much more than mine, but they’re still not enough to fill a novel!

I think that I found a solecism in one of the Latin quotations, but I do not remember what it was.

If you’re one of those psychopaths who find all interior-monologue insightful, read Portrait. If you like your novels pointless and plotless, read Portrait. If you need a soporific, read Portrait. Otherwise, no.

I am fortunate that this did not turn out to be required reading, for writing an analytical essay on such an insipid novel would be even more torturous than reading it; in fact, it would be a lot worse than the one the aforementioned sermon luridly explains.

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Summary: Only A Fool Wouldn't Read THis
Review: Only a fool wouldn't read this ... Joyce is the epitome of pedagogical writers. THe story is presented as the development of a youth through looking upon a past seen as a series of presents ... a marvelous literary innovation. Anyone with interest in philosophy, particularly aesthetics, or rebellion against the established norm will enjoy this. A great way to begin a relationship with philosophy too. be sure to complement your reading with some literary criticism from which his genius and ideas will show. THis book is one of those few where every page is a treasure ... it just takes time and going back over your favorite parts to get good footing. Interestingly enough, it has been said that through the 3,000 pages joyce wrote (that includes his other works), he never made a grammatical mistake. Well, a great book for people who are way too literary, and people seeking some great inspiration. contact: [e-mail]

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Summary: A James Joyce You Can Actually Understand
Review: The first thing I'll say is that I am so happy this book is written in coherent English for the most part (there's an abundance of Latin as well). With 'Ulysses' and 'Finnegan's Wake,' man, have you ever got to work to make sense out of what you're reading! I don't mind the work, but it's hard going and takes much time- time that I don't have right now. So, until that day when I do have time, I'll have to content myself with 'Portrait...' I don't know about most readers, but Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel reminded me of 'Of Human Bondage' in many ways. You know, guy comes from religious background; he's shy, broody, and inclined to a love of words; there are 'moments' when he begins to appreciate the aesthetic; there's talk of hell and the protagonist worrying about being a sinner if he falls away from the church...and so on. So if anyone out there found 'Portrait' difficult, try 'Of Human Bondage'....ya might find that it's your cup of tea. To abuse a word, for me, 'Portrait...' is a book of 'moments'. There are scenes that are brilliant, almost magical; and then there are scenes that border on the pretentious. Overall, it is worth reading, because these moments are worth the fodder you have to read through to get to them.

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Summary: Getting to know Joyce
Review: "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is an autobiographical novel covering the first twenty or so years of James Joyce's life, and as the title implies, it is about his awakening to the desire to become an artist. Joyce writes in the third person as Stephen Dedalus, the oldest child in a large family with a father who is prosperous but unfocused at making a living.

The novel begins with Stephen's earliest memories of his parents telling him silly stories as a baby. Then the narration cuts quickly to his years at a Jesuit boarding school where he finds that he is extraordinarily conscientious and sensitive to his tangible surroundings: colors, objects, and words. The priests who teach at the school are rigid taskmasters and disciplinarians, and Joyce vividly depicts the (undeserved) punishment Stephen must endure when he is caught idle at his lessons.

The rigorous religious atmosphere of the Jesuit schools is stifling to Stephen's developing aesthetic sensibilities. At the day school where he spends his early teenage years, the priests fill the students' heads with terrifying (and ridiculous) visions of hell, and Stephen endeavors to become more devout, dispel impure thoughts, and save himself from an eternity of torment in a lake of fire.

Stephen's religious devotion impresses the priests at his school so much that they recommend he consider joining the order. He consents to this idea at first, but one day he has an epiphany: watching birds in the sky, he realizes an incredible freedom that is available to him -- a freedom of creation, invention, symbolized by his namesake in Greek mythology. He skips the priesthood and attends a university where he becomes an intellectual, pontificating on the meaning of art and beauty and writing sorrowful poetry about a girl who is the object of his desire.

Contrary to the reputation that "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake" have, "A Portrait..." is really not difficult to read, nor is it without humor. The narration is straightforward, and it presents the process of becoming a self-aware artist with surprising clarity, poignancy, and realism.

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Summary: Motifs a plenty, but not much else.
Review: Plowed through this book for English Class. We (*I write this with others from my class) liked the opening, where the Moocow appears. Sadly, it appears the Moocow was a oneshot character, and once it exits the novel on page two, things go downhill and never recover until they hit about ten miles below the equator. Full of symbolism; but that doens't mean much. We gave it two stars; one for the Moocow, and one for the amusingly long title our poor English teacher was forced to write on the board each day.

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Summary: VERY hard to put down!
Review: I think "A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man" was one of the best books I've read. You start reading it and get addicted. If you haven't heard of James Joyce and are interested in his work, then I strongly reccomend this, but you must have an open mind. I read this when I was 13 and James Joyce now has become one of my favorite authors.

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Summary: Perpetuating the sterotype of "Great" Literature
Review: I think Nora Joyce said it best when she asked "Why don't you write books people can read?"

This book is undoubtably a well written work containing a great deal of symbolism and what not on "important" subjects. It is also the type of book that people point to when you ask them why they don't read the classics, prefering to read lighter works or not at all. They find it dense, obtuse, and a chore.

After having to plow through this work for an AP English class, I find it hard to blame them. The "story" is written in the stream of consiousness style, which seems to mean that author feels free to jump from one subject to another, with no concern as to whether it makes any sense what-so-ever to the reader. After finishing the book, I'm not even sure it was ever intended to be read, so much as to have been written.

If you looking for a good book, give this "great" work a pass.

And a note to any students reading this, if your teacher has you look for the "shocking" word in part 3 (or 4, I forget) its "feotus."