Dubliners

Travel Freely Within Old Dublin

Dublin at the turn of the nineteenth century is this book's source of inspiration. Joyce here captures a sense of sadness, a sense of folly, and a sense of unsatisfaction in this collection of short stories. Fourteen were intended by Joyce for The Dubliners, and in this Bantom Books Reprint, the lyrically written, but awkwardly structured 'The Dead' has been included (it reads in two seemingly incongruent parts). My notables include 'A Mother', 'A Little Cloud', and 'Counterparts'. 'The Dead' is hailed by the literati as a great piece, and the second half of the story captures the distance that can occur in a marriage, the effects of a perceived affair on a husband and a woman's longing for what could have been if she'd married differently. This collection of stories is compulsory for any James Joyce reader, as it is a sharp contrast in style to Finnegan's Wake or Ulysses. I find the value in it, if one wants to be absolutely immersed in a different time and place, and read some passionately painful, realistic stories. The morals of these stories can be interpreted open-endedly, like most great art, and at times may be too subtle for the modern reader. One drawback to this edition. Shame on Bantam for not presenting the punctuation as Joyce intended. He originally demarcates his changed in dialogue with dashes, rather than standard quotation mark indicators. What is the point of reading the book how the author did not intend it read? Read the book, but choose an edition true to the author's intent.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Best Collection of Short Stories

Dubliners is a wonderful masterpiece that is insightful and cascades with beauty through its words splashed upon the pages. My personal favorite story is 'The Dead' which is Joyce's transition from his more simplistic writing into what will later become his stream of conciousness and deeply imbedded symbolism style of writing that we see in Ulysses. I recommend this to anyone. Some of the short stories are easier to read than others, but there shouldn't be any great trouble in any of them. Each story has its unique beauty and truth about the human race.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Dubliners is a revelation into the dark side of human reasoning.

The Dubliners is a revelation into the dark side of human reasoning. It¿s a smashing book, when you are done with it you understand why people do stupid things, drink excessively or gamble (the reasoning behind it). This book is a benchmark in literary competence that everyone should read. I love this book because it gives the perspective of the lower class of Dublin children skipping school, alcoholics exedra. James Joyce has exceeded the expectations for word choice of the finest writers. It is a book of short, stories each chapter gives a different perspective of the same day in Dublin. James Joyce also wrote the Odyssey which by many standards is the hardest book to understand (in English) and is legendary for its complexity. The Dubliners retains all the richness and word of the Odyssey but everyone can (should) understand.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A rich book

This is the second James Joyce book I have read and it goes to reinforce the feeling I had after reading the first that that writer is a great storyteller. In fact, I consider James Joyce's Dubliners as one of the best collection of short stories ever put together. The settings are amazing and the rich and lively characters all combine with the incredible plots to add credence to the stories. Not only are they true to life in fitting with the atmosphere that one finds in Dublin, the stories are also hilarious, subtle, and inspirational and gripping. The pace of the stories is fast and the voices are rich.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

a good place to start

A GREAT book. If it were a good book it would show this dank, depressive, captivating and surreal world. Instead it emerses you in this world. Joyce's writing is so spontaneous. I despise being gushing but it is Joyce. The man is a genius. (I realise I should refer to him in the past tense but his writing seems to suspened his intellect and reality in time). He never resorts to the writing-by-numbers tecnique of presenting characters with a view to evoking sympathetic sentiments from the reader. Characters aren't pleasant so that you want to be their friend or unsuccesful/destructive/pathetic for the purpose of making the reader feel smug, successful and sensible. I can't recommend this book enough. It's an experience. One which you may find tiring and depressing but which is completely worthwhile. And compared to Finnegans Wake it's a walk in the park! Allows you to experience Joyce's writing without completely perplexing you (speaking from experience!)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Must-Read Classic!

I had to read this book for my AP Literature class, but I ended up buying my own copy to keep notes in..and also because I liked it so much. I loved the message that Joyce was trying to portray with this novel: Dublin (and society as a whole) was stuck in a never-ending circle, paralyzed if you will, of drinking, passionless love and lives, materialism, meaningless faith, etc. I had never read something quite like this before, and I loved the creative grouping of the chapters into a timeline type thing. My favorite chapter was Evelyn. All in all, it was a pretty good read.

Terrible copy. Many mistakes

I can overlook quite a few misspellings, but this has numbers in odd places, paragraph breaks in the middle of sentences, odd characters. Very distracting

Simple yet provocative

This collection of short stories is written in a very straight forward, no frills way and yet evokes Joyce's sense of his own people, their lives in their fullness. It seems very understated and therefore more true. Excellent reading. The stories, characters, and their tragedy really stick with you. Profound.

An Unusual Read That Leaves the Reader to Come to His Own Conclusions

In this famous collection of short stories, James Joyce gives us a glimpse into the Ireland of his time. The stories are well-written, and deal with themes concerning human nature. One problem that I found, however, is that he never clearly portrayed some of the character's deeds as either good or bad. I suppose he wanted the reader to make his own decision, but it left me wondering what Joyce's intent was. With all of this said, it is a book that many will enjoy, and one that supplys us with a relatively clear view of the past. ---Ryan Robledo, author of the Aelnathan

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Dubliners: Joyce's love for the people of Dublin

James Joyce is one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. The stories in this collection reflect the way that Joyce saw his fellow countrymen. Many of the stories come from Joyce's own experiences and knowing this gives the reader an insight into the author's life as a boy and young man. This collection should be read before reading Joyce's other books as it will give the reader an introduction to his style of writing.

Good book

This was an awesome book especially if you're interested in this sort of thing. While it is a great read and entertaining, it is also very very heavy and wordy.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting book, an acquired taste

Some people say that Joyce is confusing or pointless. Well, the only people who would make that claim are either pompous fake intellectuals or fools. His books just cater to a different crowd. They are not written for people who wish to adorn their lives with 'Classic Literature' to make them feel cultured. 'Dubliners,' like so many other of Joyce's works, is a messy and cerebral novel. People who like having meanings and themes spelled out to them in capital letters will not understand the short stories. He expects that people will become intoxicated with the rhythm and flow of the language and not care about 'continuity' or 'a resolution to the conflict' in the stories. It's an unreasonable expectation for an author to have, but one that provides a deeper reading experience than most other 'intellectual' books. I'm giving it four stars because 'A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man' is better.

A rich book

This is the second James Joyce book I have read and it goes to reinforce the feeling I had after reading the first that that writer is a great storyteller. In fact, I consider James Joyce's Dubliners as one of the best collection of short stories ever put together. The settings are amazing and the rich and lively characters all combine with the incredible plots to add credence to the stories. Not only are they true to life in fitting with the atmosphere that one finds in Dublin, the stories are also hilarious, subtle, and inspirational and gripping. The pace of the stories is fast and the voices are rich.

Dubliners is a waste of time

Each story in this collection looks like it comes from a full novel, there is no direction and it becomes very confusing as you are expected to know the background before reading. This causes each story to be long winded, focusing on scenery as much as a full length epic, and it also ends each story before one can come to fully understand what is going on.

One of the world 's great story collections

Reading these stories for the first time over forty years ago I had a sense of how beauty can be made of everyday life. I had a sense of that special kind of insight into the human heart which only great literature can give .I had a sense of writing as art and mastery. A whole world is created in these stories,and the image of Dublin and of Ireland which emerges is of a sombre and sad world uplifted by the longing to make it literature.

Outstanding for Anyone

One needs to be Irish to grasp the full power of Joyce's book, The Dubliners, just as much as one needs to be Chinese to order chop suey. A tough, but wonderful read, it will educate those of all nationalities.

Wonderful Reading of 8 Unabridged Dubliners' Stories

Let me begin by making it clear that I am reviewing the abridged audio cassette version read by Mr. Gerard McSorley. Americans will know him best for his portrayal of Michael in the original Broadway production of Dancing at Laghnasa. For fans of Dubliners, the main disappointment will come in the absence of 'The Dead' from this subset of the stories. Of the stories in this collection, 'The Boarding House,' 'Eveline,' and 'Araby' will be the longest remembered. These stories of everyday life in Dublin focus on the moral lives of its citizens, as they deal with their poverty, urges, and loves. For anyone who wants to know James Joyce, there is no better place to start than with Dubliners. These stories are totally clear, and poetic in their treatment of the subjects although nominally written in prose. Joyce had yet to lay on his advanced techniques of stream-of-consciousness in the way that he eventually did in Ulysses. These stories are also more censored and proper, so you will not be jolted by the surface crudity of his later works. But these stories do primarily explore the mental conversations and processes that the characters employ with themselves. Each story ends in a powerful mentally-experienced epiphany that tells you more about the character than the rest of the story combined. Think of these epiphanies as being the purest and strongest form of O. Henry's wonderful last minute twists in his short stories. I cannot give you an example from Dubliners without seriously compromising your enjoyment. The best epiphany in this collection though comes in 'The Boarding House.' Stories about Irish people and Ireland greatly benefit from being read aloud with the proper accents. Mr. McSorley is an inspired choice for this audio cassette version. He is able to shift from character to character extremely easily, and can do English accents just as well as Irish ones. As as result, I felt like I was sitting around a warm fire with some Irish whiskey in my hand leaning forward with anticipation as the beautiful stories unwound from the reel into my ears and echoed into my soul. Of all the ways I have enjoyed Dubliners, this was the greatest pleasure for me. I do suggest that you also read all of the stories on your own afterward. They are very rewarding as they build on interrelated themes of love, commitment, family, honor, and death. Perhaps, if you are like me, you will also hear Mr. McSorley's lovely voice in your mind when you read the other stories, as well. James Joyce would have approved, I'm sure. The better the short story, the more it benefits from being read aloud. I suggest that you try other audio cassette recordings of Dubliners as well. There is a new version out that is unabridged that I have not yet heard. But you can also do this with other writers, as well. Further, you will benefit from reading them aloud in your own voice. And, when appropriate, read them to your children. 'Araby' and 'The Race' would be superb choices from this collection. Enjoy great stories in as many ways as you can!

A Tough Read

One has to be Irish to realize exactly which emotions Joyce is attempting to express in his short stories. All bleak, dreary, dank, filled with the quality that makes the Irish the people they are - the nourishment of hopelessness. The characters of Dublin are controlled with a spell that cannot be broken, simply because they love its misery and guilt.

Fine reading

These stories would probably attract more attention than they do, save that Joyce's reputation lies mainly with his huge later work Ulysses now. But these sordid Dublin tales are well-crafted and meaningful, often subtle, and often touching and sad. Readers new to Joyce, especially, should probably read this first before attempting his more difficult work.

James Joyce new definition to writing.

In this book of short stories, James Joyce brings new heights to the written word. His prose is delicate and yet full of meaning. I would recommend this book to anyone.