This Was my first introduction to famous James Joyce. I decided I should start with some of his shorter works before tackling Ulysses. I should start by saying that I am definitely in awe of Joyce's genius, his amazing, almost supernatural talent, and that I feel that there is so much an aspiring writer can learn from him. I definitely agree that he is amongst the greatest writers who have ever lived. So I bow down before him and give him all the glory he deserves. However, having said that, I felt that although I connected with Joyce intellectually, I did not connect so deeply with him emotionally. Althouh brilliant in his craft, his stories often came across to me as dry and sometimes just so full of symbolism that it exhausted me to try and deciper all that. When I read essays about those different short stories, I was often blown away asking: "Was I really supposed to get all that from this story?" I understand that I should have read these stories at least twice, preferably even more times to really do justice to them, but I felt that I just didn't love them enough to do that. Maybe that will change as I mature as a writer and reader but right now I feel that although I admire James Joyce's craft and what he can do with language technically, I am not yet in love with him.

I must say though that there were stories I did really love - "A Little Cloud", "Eveline", and of course, "The Dead". The last one being my absolute favorite.

I still plan reading Ulysses though. Some day :)