Dubliners

Rating:
Summary: Imminently readable
Review: Many people, associating Joyce with Ulysses and dense, difficult writing, avoid his other works as well. That's a mistake. Introduce yourself to The Dubliners, a series of unrelated stories about the people of the great city. It's imminently readable, enjoyable, and is the best way to begin to take a dive into the writing of one of the 20th Century's greatest writers. Then go on to The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - and soon enough you may even find yourself actually reading Ulysses!

Go ahead. Do yourself a favor. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Just brilliant
Review: This is a beautiful, fantastic collection of stories which offer an accessible and beautiful taste of Joyce's genius and the pathos of the inhabitants of his Ireland. There are no bizarre usages, weird cultural references, or even too many very specific Irish words. This a book for anyone who wants to appreciate some of the finest stories in the English language. Some of the stories are truly heartbreaking.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest and most influential collections
Review: Though now more famous for his later, immense, incredibly ambitious novels, James Joyce's early collection of short stories remains a classic - and for good reason. Joyce, as someone once pointed out, was and remains almost unique among writers in that he published only masterpieces. Granted, he took years (eventually decades) to write each book - yes, even this slim volume of 15 short stories. It paid off. Just as Joyce was immensely influential with his stream-of-consciousness (or interior monologue) style used in Portrait of The Artist As A Young Man and Ulysses (#3 and #1 on Modern Libary's Top 100 Books of the 20th century, respectively), and the... let us say, indescribable, style of Finnegan's Wake (which people are STILL trying to figure out), his style in writing these short stories became almost the archetype for short fiction in this century. Instead of focusing on action-oriented events in the story (or, as Edgar Allen Poe suggested, by trying to create a particular mood), Joyce instead centered on the simple, everyday mundane events of regular life. This not only made the stories seem realistic and believable, but also made them universally applicable. This is the reason why this is considered one of the greatest short story collections of all-time, and has been one of the most widely anthologized. A true classic of the 20th century.

Rating:
Summary: a classic!
Review: James Joyce's The Dubliners is 15 short stories about various people of different ages and backgrounds in Dublin, all of whom are experiencing some sort of emotional paralysis. Joyce started this work in his early 20s circa 1904 and wrote it progressively over a number of years.

Although it does not contain much dialogue, the prose is engaging and brings the various characters to life. It makes you analyze what you would do in each of these real day-to-day situations which could easily paralyze you as well.

Rating:
Summary: From Imprisonment to Independence
Review: As each of us progresses through life, we all must develop our character through the experiences we have. In "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," there is much to learn from Stephen Dedalus' experiences. In his struggles to find himself he deals with three main issues: family, country, and religion. We can gain insight by analyzing these themes and comparing them to other symbols found within the story.
Throughout this book, Stephen searches for independence from his family, political affairs, and the Catholic Church. As he progresses and unifies his own beliefs and ideas on life, so does the style of writing that Joyce uses becomes more concise and clear. Stephen becomes frustrated on many occasions because he feels like his family, the priest from his school, and even his friends are telling him what to do. He feels imprisoned and yearns for freedom from all aspects of his life. Several symbols throughout the book show that there are obstacles in everyone's life. Stephen's father deals with money problems while his Christmas guests deal with stubborn political feelings. On many occasions, the image of birds is used. This also portrays opposition in all things. Finally, as Stephen develops his own freedom and decides to leave Ireland, he watches the birds fly away just as his soul flies away.
I enjoy finding the symbols in "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." Joyce does a great job of enlightening his audience by showing that obstacles can be overcome. Through symbolism, every reader of this book can gain insight into their own lives.

Rating:
Summary: Elegant Realism
Review: Dubliners is a monument to the power of observation, elegantly translated. Speaking as someone who has tried off and on to write short fiction, Joyce's book at once inspires and devastates the creative impulse. Why bother? So many times I've felt like Little Chandler in A Little Cloud, who has a brief revelatory moment, thinks he might be able to write a poem about it, and then immediately begins to imagine the praise that the critics will heap on his fine collection. Could anything be more deeply, laughably human?

I can't imagine how anyone who likes to read and has lived among other human beings could not appreciate at least a few of the stories. For me, they're life affirming in a deeper way than any religion could be. And that's what Joyce intended. He wanted us to stop looking for redemption in some vague nether region and look as closely as we can manage at the life right here in front of our eyes. Joyce asks that we look at ourselves and see, really see, what we are, because only then can we get beyond all the fear, vanity, and self-delusion.

All the great myths weren't handed down from on high; they came from us. We have all the power. It's just a matter of using it, which is exactly what the Dubliners, and a pretty high percentage of the human race, now and forever, have not done.

There are a few stories in Dubliners that don't quite measure up, but the majority rank among the best ever written. I don't know of any literature more perfect than Araby and The Dead.

Rating:
Summary: Complete Rubbish
Review: James Joyce is the most unreadable author to ever have been washed into xistance from the womb of Ireland. It is an indication of the non-relevance of education today, that this book is required reading for many of our youths. This novel belongs on the mantle of some poor sod who can't find anything better to do with his time other than perhaps wacking himself repeatedly on the genitals with a blunt object ad infinitum. Beleive me, this book is less painful, but only in that it ENDS. Avoid it at all costs, and punch anyone who recommends it to you square in the gob.

Rating:
Summary: don't waste your time
Review: perhaps you enjoy reading James Joyce. that being the case, ignore what i am about to say lest you take offense...

James Joyce is the biggest joke. nothing but a drunken Irishman, he writes both predictably and AGITATINGLY. his diction bothers me and his language frustrates me more.

these stories, all written about Joyce's passion for Ireland do capture the lifestyle, i'll give the man that much, and he does utilize his poetic styles, but overall, i can't stand reading him. but let's be honest here, he needed more than some eye-catching words to attract and keep my attention.

Rating:
Summary: This Joyce guy might amount to something
Review: I wish I could stand up here and make some pretentious claim that this is the "greatest short story collection of all time!" or something along those lines but I generally don't read short stories or short story collections. But I like James Joyce and so figured what the heck, I made it through Ulysses, this should be a cakewalk. So I read it and if you were wowed by Ulysses then this should reconfirm Joyce's genius for you and that he could do other writing besides that wacky postmodern stuff (before there really was a postmodern). If you're not a Joyce fan most of these (other than a notable handful) probably won't convert you. In essence these are Joyce's portraits of the people of Dublin and the city itself, most of these stories are character sketches, mostly following a few people around as they go about their lives. They were written over a period of time so the quality does vary a bit, the first few stories I don't find anything special but by the time you get to around "Two Gallants" the quality takes a sharp spike upward and stays there right until the end. The prose is fairly easy to follow, the worst part is deciphering all the Irish names and slang that are used liberally for obvious reasons . . . if anything it showed me how two cultures who technically speak the language can sound so different. The stories run the gamut of the "slice of life" genre, if such a thing exists, showing people from all walks of life and all classes of society, showing them as realistically as Joyce could, all their fears and foibles, warts and all. At his best he makes you live the lives of the characters and immerses you deeply into the city of Dublin, probably more than any group of short stories has ever brought a city to life. If you're still not convinced, then take this advice, buy the book for the sake of only one story, the last story in the collection, "The Dead" . . . simply put it is one of the best pieces of short fiction I have ever read. It starts off mundanely enough at a party but by the time the characters leave the party and go back to their hotel the writing becomes something almost otherworldly and Joyce starts writing some of the most evocative prose ever put on paper. If the last few pages don't send chills down your spine, then you must be dead. That's the only explanation. After that gem, everything else is just icing on the cake. Simply put, everyone should read "The Dead" and if you're the type of person whose fancy shall be struck by the rest of the stories here, so much the better.

Rating:
Summary: Dark and subtle, a snapshot
Review: This frozen moment in time of Ireland not so long ago captures brilliantly the sense of frustration, regret, sometimes hope which is all tied in with religeon and history that living in Dublin was.
From the story of the wife possibly regretting her marriage to the young boy who wants nothing more than to buy a gifr for the girl that he almost confuses in his head with the virgin Mary, James Joyce gives you an entrance into the minds of people that live under the rules of their families, their government, their church and their culture. If you don't mind the darkness of the book it is truly wonderful.