From the Bookshelf of Reading the Classics…

Dubliners

James Joyce

Start date: May 1, 2013

Finish date: May 31, 2013

Discussion: Past Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Tied in the April polls, so now it is the May Group Read.
[close] Tied in the April polls, so now it is the May Group Read.

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Past Group Reads

* Washington Square - Reading Schedule
By Brian , co-moderator · 3 posts · 28 views

last updated May 08, 2021 11:27AM

* Rebecca Reading Schedule
By Jenn , moderator · 1 post · 25 views

last updated Feb 04, 2021 10:42AM

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What Members Thought

May 11, 2017 Andrea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-sorted, fiction-literary, short-story-collection, literature-irish

My first Joyce! I think this is definitely a less intimidating place to start than let's say Ulysses. I liked the prose: its soft turns of phrase, bright imagery, rich vocabulary. I also liked the overall feeling of helplessness that ties all of the characters together. It's not a happy set of stories, but it's a pleasing kind of melancholy, where the audience can pause and think about all the hidden meanings. I had a hard time connecting to the themes, however, not being Irish or a contemporary ...more

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Jan 19, 2014 Bogdan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brits

Interesting and at the same time a pretty difficult read for me, as I not a native English speaker and Joyce's works are based on language fineness. I also wasn't prepared regarding what to expect at my first encounter with his prose.

As I lately look into several aspects of the novels I read, now I will be discussing about the premise. This was pretty simple as the author wanted mostly to show how the middle class Dubliners were, as he knew them. Perhaps this helped him to know them better. I be Interesting and at the same time a pretty difficult read for me, as I not a native English speaker and Joyce's works are based on language fineness. I also wasn't prepared regarding what to expect at my first encounter with his prose.

As I lately look into several aspects of the novels I read, now I will be discussing about the premise. This was pretty simple as the author wanted mostly to show how the middle class Dubliners were, as he knew them. Perhaps this helped him to know them better. I believe this premise is admirably delivered and this is why I will give it a 5.

Regarding the form, Joyce used naturalism to display the people as they are, without giving any conclusions to the reader. It worked out interesting, and fully supported the scope of the novel. I had some minor issues with some not so common words, but I believe I managed pretty well for a non-native reader. I will give it a 4 for form.

In terms of originality, I did not read before a similar book about Irish people, especially about Dubliners. I managed to learn many things about them and their national identity. But in the end, the model of the book is pretty simple and common, and I guess each national literature has its own Dubliners. I will give it a 4 at originality.

The characters are all unique and carefully constructed. It is almost clear that most of them were actual persons or inspired by actual persons. In such a situation, I will rate it with a 5.

Regarding the complexity and difficulty, I noticed the great attention to detail in these short stories. They were polished and worked upon until almost reached a perfect state. I wish I could write like that. On the other hand, the short stories are most of them pretty simple and not at all intricate. So I will rate it with a 4 for complexity and difficulty.

In terms of credibility I believe that if James Joyce did not knew his fellow Dubliners, then no one else knew a thing about them. This is why I will rate it with a 5.

The last criteria is edition. I had an eBook with some minor flaws. Due to the copyright laws, I obtained it free of charge, so I cannot be too harsh on it. Due to this, I will rate it with a 4.

To summarize, I liked this short story collection and barely waiting for my next encounter with James Joyce. All in all, my final rating for this collection is 4.43, which I will round to a 4 on Goodreads system.


+--------------------------+-----------------+
| Criteria | Rating |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Premise | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Form | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Originality | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Characters | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Difficulty/Complexity | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Credibility | 5 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Edition | 4 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+
|Total | 4.43 |
+--------------------------+-----------------+

For more details on how I rated and reviewed this novel, please read these guidelines. ...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Rebecca rated it liked it

Joyce receives a lot of grief for this set of short stories, but I found them fascinating. I've studied the book three separate times, all in different literature classes. His use of paralysis and gnomon makes Joyce one of the most original and remarkable writers of his generation. His story "The Dead" was especially captivating. I loved the insight into the human memory and what we take away from experiences, and how they shape who we are in the future. My favorite line - "soul swooned slowly". ...more

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