The Dubliners
From LeoWiki
| Score | Title | Author | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | The Dubliners | James Joyce | LitFi |
| Technophilia | 6 |
|---|---|
| Secularity | 7 |
| Quality | 10 |
| Xenophilia | 6 |
| Personal Tilt | 6 |
"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"
- James Joyce, "The Dead"
This is an anthology of short stories set in Dublin sometime in the late 19th or early 20th Centuries. None of the stories have a plot. Rather, they focus on supremely well-written characterisations that largely ring true.
If characterisations are what you are after, it is hard to do better than The Dubliners. Joyce crafts details masterfully together into striking sculptures that beam on their pedestals. However, why would I care about these people dealing with disappointment, disillusionment, and failure? Yes, I believe that moron is incompetent at work, is mooched off by friends, and beats his kid. So what? Yes, friendship is a pain the ass. So what? Yes, the highly educated are alienated. So what?
The book reminds me of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles -- they are both supremely well-written anthologies of short stories that don't go anywhere and have pretty much the same grim mood throughout. Also, the covers of my copies are both orange.^-^
It's serious LitFi. I failed to spot any jokes.
As a side note, I didn't grok "Two Gallants" in anything besides the crudest of brush strokes. What the hell was the guy doing with the girl and what did the gold coin at the end have to do with anything? Also, does "slavey" mean exploited sex-trade worker? Ach.
