Product Description

'Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo ' So begins one of the most significant literary works of the twentieth century, and one of the most innovative. Its originality shocked contemporary readers on its publication in 1916 who found its treating of the minutiae of daily life indecorous, and its central character unappealing. Was it art or was it filth? The novel charts the intellectual, moral, and sexual development of Stephen Dedalus, from his childhood listening to his father's stories through his schooldays and adolescence to the brink of adulthood and independence, and his awakening as an artist. Growing up in a Catholic family in Dublin in the final years of the nineteenth century, Stephen's consciousness is forged by Irish history and politics, by Catholicism and culture, language and art. Stephen's story mirrors that of Joyce himself, and the novel is both startlingly realistic and brilliantly crafted. For this edition Jeri Johnson, editor of the acclaimed Ulysses 1922 text, has written an introduction and notes which together provide a comprehensive and illuminating appreciation of Joyce's artistry.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #329672 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

personal development and growth of Stephen Dedalus
"A Portrait of The Artist As a young man" retraces Stephen Dedalus'experiences of life from his early childhood. The author does not restrain himself to one tone but uses different ones, as a way of convaying the chracter's ever changing selves.The language Joyce uses varies as the character pass throught different stages of his personal developement. For instance, a simple baby-talk language is used to describe moments of his early childhood. "A Portrait of the Artist" belongs to a genre defined as bildungsromane. Particular attention is given the character stuggle to find him self, his place in a changing society where new doors were opened and the past, remembered only as an illusion.

Good book ! Try it !!
If you like literature, you like James Joyce and if you like reading you will love this book.I thought it would be quite boring, but I found it rather interesting and as a matter of fact I never thought I could be up so late trying to finish a book. Give Joyce a try and buy the book. Make your money worth.

My favourite book of all time
One trait I admire in Joyce above all others is the honesty of his writing. His 'portrait' is almost a quasi-autobiography, and I find his willingness to put himself under the microscope for everyone to see very brave, especially when he talks about his family, sexuality, religion and country. 'A Portrait of the Artist' is partly about the author's emancipation from these constraints, and anyone who has felt weighed down by their environment can find a resonance in this book.