THE PORTABLE JAMES JOYCE

by Harry- Ed. Levin ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

An important addition to this superlative series- important in that Joyce is endlessly the subject of discussion as a vital factor in modern literature- the ""writers' writer"" supreme. The editor, in his introduction gives us a scholarly essay on Joyce, the man as shown in the artist. His earlier work has much of autobiography, the artist's revulsion from his middle class environment; with his later work, the emphasis shifts to creation, it is less personal and more human, as he breaks with those dominant forces of background,- language, religion, nationality. From these three he finds the irreducible substance out of which he has created his monumental achievement. He could not escape being Irish, though he spent most of his years on the continent. His scepticism, his loss of faith, became in itself a credo. The final portion of the introduction discusses the rhythms, the texture of his writing, its shift from nihilistic to creative potentialities. The selections include four complete books, and samplings from Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1947

Categories: FICTION