Dubliners / A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man

James Joyce was an absolute powerhouse when it comes to literature, innovative writing and playing with the English language and its constructs. Some of his work isn’t really that accessible to a lot of people, but although I have read the likes of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, along with other works by him, I must admit that this book of short tales is not only my favourite of all he wrote, but also a personal favourite when it comes to books.

As we read this collection of tales centred around Dublin so we see characters here who some will reappear in Ulysses with minor roles. What I like about this book is that it can seem deceptively easy to read, and indeed if you don’t want to analyse too deeply then this is an easy read. If you really take your time though and ponder upon each story here you get not only a feeling for Joyce and the intention of this work, but a feeling for Ireland at the time, with the rise of Nationalist feelings, and a country wanting to forge a new independent identity.

Taking in the aspirations of the people in the city we see what they wish for, and what they envisage for their children. In all then on the surface a deceptively easy book to read, but look a bit further and this becomes something that not only can give plenty of pleasurable reading, but also a fascinating time if you really wish to dig deep and analyse every tale. They appear here very much in the correct order as we progress through the stages of life, and this is very fulfilling.

This would probably be a good choice for a book group as it gives great scope to discussions and is such a joy to read.