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| In Dublin's fair city... |
No, not the mythical King of Ithaca who helped end the
Trojan War. No, this is a piece of
literature written by the famed Irish writer, James Joyce. He was known for his innovative writing
style, especially for the book, Ulysses.
This is a quote from the book:
I was thinking of so many things
he didn’t know of Mulvey and Mr Stanhope and Hester and father and old captain
Groves and the sailors playing all bird fly and I say stoop and washing up
dishes*** they called it on the pier and sentry in front of the governors house
with the thing round his white helmet poor devil half roasted and the Spanish
girls laughing in their shawls and their tall combs and the auctions in the
morning the Greeks and jews and the Arabs and the devil knows who else from all
the ends of all Europe and Duke street and the fowl market all clucking outside
Larby Sharons and the door donkeys slipping half asleep on the vague fellows in
the cloaks…
If you
made it to ***, good on ye.
Well, now.
The book is 265,000 words in length, with 30, 030 words lexicons: a special vocabulary or definition
of the author’s peculiar language preferences. Notice the lack of punctuation.
I tried to read this book really tried but had to give up and
started War and Peace instead it was okay but the plot…
I suppose I'll have to tackle Ulysses one day. War and Peace seems less arduous to me, too.
ReplyDeleteIf you tackle Ulysses, have some cups of coffee first.
DeleteThat is a really hard sentence to follow being so long and without punctuation.
ReplyDeleteNo puncutation at all! Lots of "ands".
DeleteAh, my feelings exactly about both of those books. I tried, I slogged through, and I didn't like them, not one bit.
ReplyDeleteSame here. At least there was a War and Peace movie.
DeleteI can't stand that writing style, especially since I'm a minimalist writer. The lack of punctuation and drawn out sentences drives me nuts.
ReplyDeletePrecious Monsters
Always wondered if that was Joyce's idea?
DeleteI have never read this one. It's on my reading list though.
ReplyDeleteCheck it out from the library, don't buy it.
DeleteI have no idea what he was talking about but I read it over and over again out loud enjoying the feel of the words in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteThe Irish have a way of putting together words, and it feels good to hear them and see them. Except for this piece written by Joyce. He has written some wonderful poetry that I love.
DeleteThat is how my first drafts usually look- not sure anyone could or would be able to follow them but me though :)
ReplyDeleteGreat choice, I adore his work.
ReplyDeleteThat would make me say **** just trying to read it
ReplyDeleteI'm with Delores on this one. Sad, all the things he didn't know.
ReplyDeleteJoyce obviously enjoyed writing and attempted to explore life and strife in his work.
ReplyDeleteJoyce was a story teller in his own way. Ulysses reflects the way people speak, with interruptions, rambling, changing topics...very much circular. It takes so much effort to ride the tide of his writing that I gave up. Perhaps sometime I will take a breath and dive in. His poem, Ecce Puer, was exceptionally meaningful to me.
DeleteWe had a Joyce novel assigned in 12th grade. I barely got through it. I hated it. I'll never be tempted to read another Joyce work.
ReplyDeleteHis poetry is what I prefer. His books speak so much with Irish history and streets, people. Give the poetry a try.
DeleteNever tried Ulysses, but War and Peace is one of my favourites. I had a heck of a job figuring out what that quote all meant. I got past the asterisks though.
ReplyDeleteI've never read Ulysses and after that little taste, I never will.
ReplyDeleteWe have our picture with that statue. I may even have it up on our blog from our trip to Dublin. You gave me a fun memory today. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this one.
Well, I haven't read any of James Joyce's writing... am I missing anything?
The poem by Tennyson popped into my mind when I saw your title.
Writer In Transit