Classics Without All the Class discussion

Hello all and welcome to The Dubliners by James Joyce! We are very excited to read this challenging novel by one of the most distinguished authors of classical literature! Our discussion leader on this novel will be Lady Vowell Smith! So we give her huge thanks for leading us! Enjoy!

Just finished this today. Looking forward to hearing other people's reactions.

I was so glad for this to be over when I read it. Not my thing for sure. None of James Joyce is my thing though I've decided. To read a story about some random people witha brief glimpse at their life I recommend Cannery Row

I found the story's a little annoying at first. just snippets and so many unanswered questions. But got into it after a while. Can't say I would read it again, but writing was good enough for you to want more of the inane daily lives Joyce provided.

I'm reading one story per day. It will take a little over two weeks, but I'm thinking reading a single story per day will save me from getting burned out.

Hi, everyone. This is my first time joining in on a read. I've read this before sometime in my college years, but I don't remember any of it.

I'll likely read one to two stories a day.

Just finished "The Sisters." Did any of you know there was a movie made of this? I have it right now from Netflix, and I'm wondering how they made a whole movie out of this. Anjelica Huston stars in it.

I can't imagine how they made a whole movie out of "The Sisters" unless they added bits from the other stories too.

I'm about halfway through rereading these and it seems to me that (so far) they're all about disappointment. There's a gap between the lives people imagine and the reality they actually get - starting with childhood in the first few and moving into adulthood.

So the boy in "An encounter" hankers for the adventure of the wild west and ends up with a grubby, scary reality. The men in "Two Gallants" and "Boarding house" find even their modest ambitions can't be achieved. In "After the Race," Jimmy is totally out of his depth. And maybe the priest in "the Sisters" finally laughs because he realises he's spent his life on pointless details of liturgy, though I'm not sure about that one. What did other people think?

How difficult it is to remember anything from this book though I read it twice, both in group reads! The only story I really really liked was the last one "The Dead".

Some stories were more painful to get through than others, "Ivy Day in the Commitee Room" was the worst I have to admit. I sure want to know what everyone else thought especially of these: The Dead, A Painful Case, Eveline :)

I'm really enjoying this book. I like the short story format - he leaves things open for the imagination. A thought, a feeling, something fleeting that reminds you of life and love.
I'm through the first 6 or so, and I loved Araby the best so far. That resonance hit me, reminding me of early crushes and that mystery of knowing how to make someone like you. All his efforts and pining!
Excited to get to all of these stories!

I had never heard of this book until I started reading it with the group. I originally thought it was called "Dub-Liners" rather than "Dublin-ers". Am I the only one who made this mistake? I feel really silly admitting to it.

I've read this several times with Eng Lit classes at the University in the last few years. (I'm a 'senior' student...ie. over 60!) and think it helps to know more about Joyce. A major theme of his writing is the word 'paralysis'...the inability to escape from unpleasant circumstances. His impressions of Dublin did not go over well there. I suggest either before or after reading the stories (or both) you read more about Joyce's background. It helped me with this collection of stories - Also the idea that he chose the ORDER that the stories appear in the book. We could discuss that at the end of the month if everyone is done reading. I do remember Araby the best - I felt so sad for the boy.

It's great to see everyone's opinions of Dubliners, good and not so good. We've started some new discussion threads about "The Sisters" and also the first three stories (including "Araby"), so hop over to those and join in the conversation when you get a chance!

I am almost done and I really love these stories. They aren't uplifting but somehow beautiful to me anyway.

Mark wrote: "Hi, everyone. This is my first time joining in on a read. I've read this before sometime in my college years, but I don't remember any of it.

I'll likely read one to two stories a day.

Just finis..."

Mark, there is a movie of "The Dead" with Angelica Huston; is that the one you have? Have you watched it yet?

Joyce is always a difficult read; he wanted it that way. I found Dubliners to be his most accessible work and I did enjoy the vignettes of life in Dublin, however dark they may have been.

Rob wrote: "Joyce is always a difficult read; he wanted it that way. I found Dubliners to be his most accessible work and I did enjoy the vignettes of life in Dublin, however dark they may have been."

Yes, Dubliners does seem to be Joyce's most accessible work. He must have enjoyed confounding us with Ulysses and Finnegans Wake!