Rating: 
Summary: It's not THAT good!
Review: A Potrait of the Artist as a Young Man is worth reading if you read books often. If you don't, your time might be spent to better ends on another book, because it is not particularly interesting or stimulating if you aren't already fascinated by Joyce's writing. Nonetheless, it IS a very famous and well-regarded book and you may want to read it because of this.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant! Simply BRILLIANT!
Review: Through the onset of adolesence, the character of Stephen Dedalus makes a valliant attempt to rip your heart out and stomp on it, yelling WAKE UP! for all civilization to hear--he does just that! The fine texture of PORTRAIT brings a whole new meaning to the term "classic literature." There is actually nothing classic about this tale. With prose that flows off the pages like a stream, only to be plunged down a waterfall, PORTRAIT captures the true essence of human nature that can apply to all people of all civilizations that simply want to stray from the norm without being persecuted too harshly. It is not sin or evil that attempts to destroy the complicated life of Stephen, but the intensity of the Irish hierarchy that eventually destroys his soul. Though sometimes preachy, PORTRAIT contains enough raw material that will make you cry, laugh, and simply put, enjoy this book!
Rating:
Summary: Cute, very cute
Review: There can be little argument that Joyce is a master of the English language. Portrait gives us 200 pages of beautifully written prose. At its best moments, I just sat back and let the words flow over me. But to be honest, I didn't find much substance to the work. It was an interesting theme, the struggle an artist must undergo to break free from the world in order to create--and even though it was told in a unique, original fashion--i was not particularly moved by any of the thoughts, or ever particularly engrossed in Stephen's life. I will say though that for someone interested in dipping into Joyce, this is a MUCH wiser first selection than Ulysses, which just might force your reading comprehension faculties to commit suicide...
Rating:
Summary: Short reflection on the novel
Review: This novel is one of the greatest works in the English language. It is not only beautifully written but it can carry a different meaning for people at different stages of their life. Young high school students will find some themes very interesting while a man of 40 can draw new pleasure from reading it a second time. For those interested in Joyce's work, this is a good place to start, for it is easier than his other novels. This is not to say that it is an overly easy book to understand. Anyone who has read The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner knows that the stream of conscienceness style of writing can at times stifle reading comprehension but for the most part give a unique, exciting view of a character. Overall, though, this is an excellent novel and worthy of anyone's effort.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for those who value freedom
Review: This book simply defines all that makes us believe in freedom of spirit. It takes us on a trip from the naive childhood of Stephen Dedalus up to the point where he shuns all he was taught and pursues his art. Brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite Joyce, next to Ulysses!
Review: Well worth the time spent to savor and reread this best of autobiographies. I have gone back to it at least six times in my lifetime. Experience your own spiritual and intellectual growth along with Stephen Dedalus.
Rating: 
Summary: Religious dribble for those with lots of spare time
Review: Maybe I don't understand Joyce's style or use of religion in this work, but I found this work totally dull and bloated. There's nothing that I hate more than a religous/spiritual epiphany.
Rating:
Summary: In the Stream os Consciousness
Review: Irish literature is one of the greatest on earth. Not for the tremendous numbers of works that have been published, but for the power that this literature offers to readers like me. James Joyce is one of the authors that has forever changed my life. A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is not only an autobiographical book on Joyce, but is also a door to penetrate the stream of consciousness in which Joyce's books are classified. As you will read that book, notice that power with which Joyce describes hell, classes, friends. There is a mystic mood from which we cannot escape. Stephen Deadalus starts a long journey into his own conscience and discovers that arts shall be is life. He discovers the lies of religion and governments. Deadalus will now forever have his eyes opened on the truth that life is in his single body. You must read that book to fully understand it. James Joyce is not as known as Stephen King, but he really worths better. Pascal Tremblay
Rating: 
Summary: Ego-biography
Review: I'm not a good enough reader to enjoy Joyce's style, but I've stuck it through this book twice now. For me, it's a classic because it's full-fledged art about what it takes to become a full-fledged artist: the obsession, the intelligence, the ego, and the time.
Rating:
Summary: Beutiful and Poetic
Review: A brilliant tour de force of Joyce's mastery, as few or perhaps none have ever equaled, of language. "Portrait" is a stunning story of Joyce's (the story is highly autobiographical) development as a moral and conscious [sp?] being and a preamble to "Ulysses."
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