James Joyce is arguably the greatest Irish writer among an amazing group of literary men and women from that small but influential country. He was born in 1882 and experienced early life in the capital of Dublin during a difficult time in Irish history. While the transition from the traditionally-based life that characterized Ireland over many centuries was evolving into a more modern way of being, Ireland was still controlled by the British. The frustration of the Irish and their lack of agency as a people was put on full display by Joyce in all the writing he did over his distinguished career (although he left Ireland in 1904 and only returned for one visit prior to his death in 1941.)
Joyce is often credited for holding a mirror up to the citizens of Dublin, imploring them to see that life could be different if only the Irish people would embrace life with agency. He once famously wrote that “Ireland is an old sow that eats her farrow.” While this description may dissuade contemporary readers from tackling Joyce’s work, one cannot overemphasize the wonderfully entertaining and beautiful writing he left as a legacy for his people. His stories are engaging, masterfully written and thoroughly enjoyable, despite the often ordinary and mundane stories through which he develops sweeping themes that can be appreciated by the entire human family.
Joyce’s writing is often described as difficult to read, and that sentiment is accurate for books written after the publication of Dubliners in 1914. But this is unreservedly not true for the fifteen short stories one finds in Dubliners. Instead, what the reader encounters are well-written and easy to follow stories about ordinary people from many walks of life. Although each character in his stories fails at life in some way, the reader can learn from them and experience what Joyce called “epiphanies.”
Readers can download free e-book versions (including kindle versions) for some of Joyce’s most famous works by clicking the links below.
pittsburghersthebook 