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11.05.2003 posted by William 00:45 link |
Finished Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man tonight -- whew! Dense with all that is Irish ca. the turn of the century, including slang, deep Catholicism (the old Latin version), history, and nationalist movements, it's a demanding read for which, frankly, I wasn't up to the task. Without an annotated copy to explain the references he makes or some of the language he is using, I feel I only experienced a crippled version of the work. Certain parts stood out fine on their own, of course. The power of the last dozen or so pages needs no context save exposure to an expansion of one's self-consciousness, especially for someone raised Catholic (even if my Catholic upbringing was a seatbelt to Stephen's upbringing's straightjacket). At any rate, I'll be sure to come back to it someday, armed with more background and supplemental information. Dubliners is next, but it may be a while. |
