A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Penguin Drop Caps) Hardcover – May 7, 2013

Given the distance in time and culture, most American readers will struggle (at least a little) to grasp the nuances. But this edition is loaded with helpful notes. The text offers many examples of beautiful prose.

"Stephen watched the three glasses being raised from the counter as his father and his two cronies drank to the memory of their past . An abyss of fortune or of temperament sundered him from them. His mind seemed older than theirs: it shone coldly on their strifes and happiness and regrets like a moon upon a younger earth. No life or youth stirred in him as it had stirred in them. He had known neither the pleasure of companionship with others nor the vigour of rude male health nor filial piety. Nothing stirred within his soul but a cold and cruel and loveless lust. His childhood was dead or lost and with it his soul capable of simple joys and he was drifting amid life like the barren shell of the moon."PROs:* Excellent and engaging writing* Some parts can be quite interesting* Nice look into how it was like to grow up around like 19th/early 20th century IrelandCONs:* Some parts can be very boring and monotonous* Very long chapters (only 6 in whole book)* Not a book most people would want to read twice* Author seems to often get distracted with things that, to me, seemed pointless (such as spending pages trying to guess how many birds are flying in the air)"--Look here, Cranly, he said. You have asked me what I would do and what I would not do. I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it call itself my home, my fatherland, or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use-- silence, exile, and cunning."A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-biographical novel by James Joyce that showcases his rise from a timid and pious young man to an intelligent, skeptical college student. His transformation is at time very interesting, such as his conversations and activities during school, and at other times very dull, such as him reminiscing about things that may only be important to him.It is simply amazing how much Joyce remembers about his childhood and to the degree to which he remembers it. For examples, he provides a terrifying sermon about the horrors of the Christian Hell that goes on for nearly an entire chapter, a sermon which seemed to have left deep scars on his youth. (Luckily he was able to break free from this religious fear instilled upon him as a boy.) I particularly enjoyed him conversations with his classmates and his philosophical discussions. It is obvious that Joyce is extremely intelligent, from his numerous inclusions of people ranging from Aristotle and Plato to Praxiteles and Percy Shelley. Although the ride was at times very boring, I'd say completing the book was worth it, but I wouldn't be interested in a second reading, at least not for a while."What was after the universe? Nothing. But was there anything round the universe to show where it stopped before the nothing place began?"

I first read this book in 1954 during my first year of college (yes, I am that old). I did not understand it. I just finished my second reading of the book last week and (gasp!), I understand it! I even understand why I did not understand it when I was younger and I also understand why many young people today would not understand it. Ok, enough of that repetition. Here is what I think.English professors should prep their students before assigning this type book to read. They have to understand what Joyce was trying to achieve in this book and the times Joyce lived in. Today, this can be done by researching the Internet. Joyce grew up in the late Victorian times and was educated in the Edwardian times. He came from a well to do family and underwent the typical classical education of those times (Latin, philosophy, literature, arts, etc.). He also attended a prestigious prep school for boys. While Joyce was educated in Ireland, this type education was very common throughout Europe. There were many sophomoric and sometimes sophisticated discussions among the students when not in the classroom. We don’t have that today. Many of today’s readers, me included, find themselves getting bored reading these types of novels (his book is actually a slightly fictionalized biographical novel). Our world today is more dedicated current times (computers, TV, and “Fun”).My advice is to NOT read this book unless you want to learn about those times and the frustration many young people (mostly boys at that time) had when growing up. They wanted to “find themselves” and tried hard to learn the complexities of life needed for their careers as barristers, doctors, poets, etc. You MIGHT be interested in this book if you like novels by Anthony Trollope, Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw, etc.). How can I NOT give this classic novel anything less than 5 stars? I do understand by a younger reader might give it 3 stars or less, because it is too boring.

I read Dubliners years ago, but it didn’t make much of an impression. A trip to Dublin and the James Joyce Museum convinced me of the author’s importance so I decided to try A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. In it, we see a largely autobiographical account. There’s young Joyce in the form of the character Stephen Dedalus attending the boarding school of Clongowes, where he comes up against authority; there he is drinking and whoring in Cork; next, see him wrestling with and rejecting Catholicism; finally, we witness him talking about art with one of his learned friends in a lengthy conversation that doesn’t really mean much. In short, not a whole lot happens, but the writing is exquisite. Nearly every sentence is poetry in prose and so the novel is worth reading just for the sheer quality of Joyce’s penmanship. And so, to sum up a piece of classic literature that took the writer a decade to assemble and goodness knows what to get published (the story of Joyce’s struggle to get Dubliners published is amazing): excellent writing, but a story that’s just all right. However, it seems Dubliners and Portrait were mere warm-ups for his Magnus Opus, so perhaps I’ll try that next.Troy Parfitt is the author of Why China Will Never Rule the World as well as War Torn: Adventures in the Brave New Canada.

I initially made the mistake of ordering this on Kindle and ploughed through it but there were no notes to help with sources and translations (of Latin) and too many broken lines and hyphens. So it was a relief to get the paperback thereafter which helped with all the right notes and details. It still isn't an easy read as it is very much a stream of consciousness and a period piece - you need to understand where Joyce grew up and what life was like. That said, there are some wonderful passages of description and some very beautiful prose. Give yourself time and maybe read it more than once.

I got this book on Amazon either free or extremely cheaply. I used it as I was listening to the book on audio, or would read it on the bus on my Kindle.I adore this book and the powers of description James Joyce uses. Someday I will read Ulysses!

This was my first foray into Joyce and despite a concern that I would find him "difficult" to read it's been surprisingly fluid. The style of writing does serve to confuse on occasion with a constant stream of characters referred to that at times one must backtrack to remind oneself who they actually are... But that's OK, as it's like poetry in motion and having read Angela's Ashes recently it would seem that Frank McCourt was heavily influenced by Joyce. I would recommend it but then again, I'm probably a little biased as I grew up in N. Ireland and identify heavily with the suffocating impact of religion and the passionate political allegiances that are inherent in the work. Still, if you want to understand both Ireland at that turbulent time, and the "freeing" of the mind then you'll probably love this book. (Although I take NO responsibility if you don't... ;-). Cheers for reading my review.

Very interesting journey of young Roman Catholic boy living in Ireland at the turn of the century. A lot of inner thoughts and feelings throughout the book. Although I tried it when I was a lot younger, I still find it difficult to know what we are to decide about the ending. Joyce is the ultimate individual - remote, intellectual and constantly considering his faith and the nature of God, art etc.etc.

It is intensely annoying that this conversion to e-book has many word spaces missing. e.g. Chapter 3 paragraph 2 'Yet asheprowled in quest...' I know this is Joyce, but this is not how the printed version reads. Can I have my money refunded please. Oops, I see I paid nothing in the first place. Serves me right for being such a cheapskate.