BeautifulDisaster

I read "The Dead" for my approach to lit. studies class, and we literally beat it to death (ok, so that's a really bad pun, so sue me!). We must've spent about a month on it, including writing a paper about a theme (mine was music and gabriel's emotions.. how were they connected?) that occured throughout the novel.

I thought it was a good story the first time I read it, but once we looked at all the symbolism and analyzed it thoroughly, I hated it. It could also be the fact that I had an incredibly boring prof, too... and he just rambled on about it.

It wasn't that bad of a short story, but I had had enough of it.

Did anyone else like "The Dead"?

andreaypich

I'm reading Dubliners at the moment, but taking it slowly. I'm loving it. That and my 'Irish poetry' lesson at university have made me look for books on Irish history.

Jolly McJollyson

James Joyce is my god, and Ulysses my messiah.

MrTamborineMan

I just started Portrait of the Artist of a Young Man. Its a very difficult read, but I like the premise behind it... and in general I enjoy the stream of consciousness writing style

Jolly McJollyson

Portrait only has a little real Joycean stream of consciousness... That part at the beginning is in media res, though many people accidentally call it S.o.C. Ulysses is where his S.o.C. is fully showcased.

Ross Brodie

liked ulyusee but it was bloody heavy. took a lot of work to get thru

loved the ending. one of my fav endings. so good.

Matt3483

I found Joyce a bit boring (although I have only read Dubliners).

Despite that, I think the last paragraph of "The Dead" is one of the best pieces of prose ever written.

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Reading is to me like water is to a fish: I can't live without it.

Malone

I too am reading Dubliners at the moment, and find it so different from Ulysses that had I not known better, I never would have assumed the same author wrote the two. Ulysses was a study in language and exploring styles. Dubliners seems like a much more enjoyable, readable story.
I'm really just amazed he wrote both books. What a leap in styles!