Anyone else read this collection of short-stories? I was always reluctant to dive into either of Joyce's big works (Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake) but unlike those two 'Dubliners' is marvelously accessible and all the stories tie together into a collage of turn of the century Dublin life. It also has one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I have ever come across at the end of 'The Dead': 'It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.' I swear it almost brings a tear to my eye. Anyone else read it or any other Joyce books? ~Lynx
In all honesty, I couldn's finish Dubliners. I love Ireland and everything associated with it, and my english teacher recommended it, so I thought I'd give it a try. I got about a chapter in before I couldn't take it any longer. That could just be because I need something to happen, or because I didn't like the writing style, or it could be that it wasn't meant for a 13-year old girl. Although I did read ahead of most 13 year olds at the time. I still do. (ha ha, I'm 14 now, so I should hoope I did!)
^I felt like that initially, but soon i came to realise that the meaning at the end of the story often left me in awe and stayed with me longer than any exciting moment in a thriller could.
