Classics

Why don't you write books people can read?     
                                -- Nora Joyce, to her husband James

Nora may be right that many of her husband's works are, for lack of a better phrase, "a difficult read". Most people, including myself, find his writing intimidating; yet, it seems unimaginable to go through life without the company of- , or at least a swift encounter with-, the great James Joyce. Personally I have a soft spot for the short story collection Dubliners published in 1914. Especially, the story Araby, just because it deals with the most common literary themes there are, such as love and coming of age, yet it is done as only Mr. Joyce could have done it. Brilliantly. And with an amazing ability to make the characters feelings come alive without explaining, you can literally feel the emotions coming off the pages.


I'm not going to lie, even Dubliners is not the Twilight Sagas, they do demand some attentive reading, but it's an amazing way to begin a relationship with Joyce.