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A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
"A Portrait of the Artist" is too good to need my praise, or anyone else's. That doesn't mean that everyone will like it. It's hard. The "ordinary reader" might have the sense that s/he's not getting as much out of it as there is to get. (Actually, even the best reader in the world will fail to get everything that's in the book. That's part of the beauty and magic of Joyce.) The question is: why do people who realize that their reading skills are not adequate to the book, respond by blaming the book? I don't understand a great deal of Einstein's work, but I don't respond by calling it boring or stupid. (By the way, if you tried to read the book but had trouble, the best thing to do is get some help -- there are lots of good guides to JJ's work.) I'm not saying that you have to pretend to enjoy the book even if you really don't. I'm just saying that if you can't appreciate the book, (1) it's not the book's fault, and (2) it's not something to be proud of, or to brag about.
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
the first page! a miracle. and it never lets up
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
"Classic--a book which people praise and don't read."This quotation fits in quite perfectly with this book. Except I'd like to replace the "don't" with "shouldn't". Thanks again Mr. Twain. enough said...
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
I haven't read "A portrait of the artist as a young man" yet. I'll have to get an edition from another publisher first. I received a Collector's Library edition and just sat slack-jawed for a couple of minutes. It's all of 6 1/4" by 3 7/8" with print I can barely read (20/20 vision). It looks utterly ridiculous in my bookcase with all the other "normal" books. I guess I should have paid closer attention to the product description.
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
I have heard that this book is one of the best English works of the 20th century, ranking high in many lists and such. I highly disagree. I TRIED to read this book, but the book is simply very uninteresting. I lost the point Joyce was trying to make not only because I lost interest, but also because the point is buried under multiple layers of philosophy and symbolism. My conclusion, if you are looking for a book that delves into human development in a highly realistic manner, get THE CATCHER IN THE RYE instead. Not only is CATHCER more enjoyable, you will get the point even if you are only an average reader.
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
I don't have the patience. I found it boring and was unable to relate to Dedalus at all. Essentially, this book is a summation of Dedalus' stream of consciousness. The reader is in Dedalus' mind throughout the entire book, and he is no charismatic protagonist! I do understand why it is ranked as one of the greatest books of the 20th century, but I still hated it.