Dubliners

Written by James Joyce

Narrated by Ralph Cosham

"Cosham reads with a gentle accent that enhances Joyce's Dublin... Recommended for most collections." -- Library Journal

James Joyce, 1882-1941, is one of the world's greatest writers. Dubliners, his first and most accessible fiction, was started in in 1904 and completed in 1905. Because it was considered explicit and critical of the Church, it was censored in Ireland. Two publishers broke contracts rather than publish it. When, in 1912, Joyce returned to Dublin to buy back his work, a printer destroyed the sheets and broke up the type. It was not published until 1914.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Jan 1, 2000
• ISBN: 9781467610797

James Joyce

James Joyce (1882–1941) was an Irish poet, novelist, and short story writer, considered to be one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. His most famous works include Dubliners (1914), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), Ulysses (1922), and Finnegans Wake (1939).

Reviews for Dubliners

[porian_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't see the big deal. The stories (what I've read) aren't worth writing home about.

[phoebereading · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like James Joyce's writing much more when he's speaking as a child than as an adult; his child-narrators seem to embrace a certain delicacy and sense of wonder that I find riveting. Meanwhile, his adult narrators seem to me to be about as flat as the adult characters seem in the earlier stories. I read the Norton Critical edition, which had some really awful, distracting notes--terms constantly and unnecessarily defined, story elements explained in an uncomplex and possibly incorrect way (ex: in "An Encounter" the notes tell us that green is a signal for homosexuality, though the text by itself would leave this wonderfully open to interpretation).

[jvioland_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joyce was a fantastic writer. That is until he perpetrated the greatest fraud in the history of literature by producing "Ulysses" and resting on his laurels. He followed with an even more outrageous work "Finnegan's Wake" which I believe tweaked the noses of the literati, making it so incomprehensible that it "must be good". Bull. His "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" and "Dubliners" proved his gift. "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake" show his sense of outrageous humor concerning his worshipers.

[cacuzza · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

James Joyce is always called a "modernist" a this, a that, but on re-reading this volume for make this entry, I realized that I had never thought of him as "proto-existentialist"

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Verzameling korte verhalen, nogal wisselend van niveau, geen meesterwerken maar wel gedegen vakmanschap. Gemeenschappelijk katholieke verwijzingen, band met Dublin. Telkens een schokkende gebeurtenis voor de betrokken persoon. Apart: langere essay The Dead, subliem-wervelend.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I began reading my lovely new Folio edition right out of the wrapper, and at first I couldn't quite see what the point of it all was. The first few stories, despite the clear brilliance of the writing---characters fully drawn in a couple sentences, images so sharp the smells of theriverthepubthesickroom come off the page--seemed to be all middle. The end of a story felt like the end of a chapter and I looked to pick up the scrap of thread that surely must be found in the pages to follow, but it never appeared. As so often happens with collections of short fiction, I connected with some of the pieces and not so much (or not at all) with others. I skipped one entirely after two paragraphs (that almost always happens too). But, and this will be no surprise to anyone who has read ANYTHING by Joyce (because it will have been "The Dead", 9 times out of 10), the final selection, "The Dead" just dropped me on my keister. It's perfectly made; the words are all Right-- there's never a lightning bolt when a lightning bug is what's wanted. It begins, it proceeds, it ends--in fact it ends with a paragraph so exquisite that, had I a drop of Irish blood in me, I would have been wailing. As it was, a tear was enough. My beloved cadre of 30-something current and former English professors (@lycomayflower, @geatland and others) have sung the praises of this story in my hearing over the last 10 years or so, and they don't exaggerate.Review written in August 2014

[salerie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

my first impression of this book is that it reads like a collection of short stories. i like the way that the characters are linked by common geography; each chapter is a story of a different character whose lives are lived in Dublin during the early 20th century. many literary reviews note the truthfulness of these stories, as James Joyce was a Dubliner himself and hence wrote locally, in every sense of the word. there's something to be said about the semi autobiographical element in these kind of fiction. this is the first time i've come across a literary work written in such spatial proximity to the author, but i think it speaks volumes about one's "habitat". the details of the city are accurate too: down to the locations of the pubs, as in "Counterparts", and the historical events, as in "Ivy Day in the Committee Room" in the introduction of this oxford edition, the editors point out that Joyce framed the book in four arrangements to try to make a complete picture of life in Dublin: childhood, adolescence, maturity and public life. i thought that was really neat.as well, the final story in the Dubliners, "The Dead" has been recognized as one of perhaps the greatest short stories to be written in English fiction. reading the literary analysis of it after the text itself, i can really appreciate why brilliance has been assigned to it.

[eleanor_eader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Capturing the essence of middle-class Ireland in the early 1900s, this is a collection of 15 short stories changing in mood and character, but constant in theme. The age of the protagonists rises from the first story to the last, but all are engaged in some sort of defining internal moment or thought. The last story, The Dead was perhaps the most profound example of this, but it is possible to capture that defining moment in each tale. The Dead was also the most moving story, for me, although I was also touched and disturbed by both A Painful Case and Clay. I confess, not being an appreciator of Irish Lit, most of the rest of the stories did little for me, but I am in awe of Joyce’s short story telling ability, nonetheless.

[lozbeth1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The stories are very well written, however just not long enough to get connected to the characters which is a shame.

[larryking1-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sure, this collection was written by none other than James Joyce, but let's be perfectly honest: this book encapsulates what Thoreu was talking about when he stated the obvious: "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." After finishing this collection of failed lives, broken dreams, religious superstition, alcoholic excess, harsh memories, heartbreak, double-dealing, etc, I am going to need lots of ice cream to cleanse my palate of from the taste of a 'why even bother' mentality. And to think that my Irish grandmother was living in these very streets as this book was written! No wonder she left! Despair at its most relentless; as one character notes, "I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger." And he was one of the lucky ones!

[jujunna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm currently re-reading this book (the Norton edition) for perhaps the 8th time (or maybe more), in preparation for teaching it this fall semester. The wonderful thing about these short, pithy stories is that you CAN re-read them many times and get something more from them with every re-reading.

At first glance, they're pretty depressing, realistic portraits of life in turn-of-the-century Dublin. But a closer reading reveals rich underpinnings of symbol, allusion, even allegorical contexts. And the reader who persists, getting through all the stories to the last one, "The Dead," will be rewarded with a final vision of Irish hospitality and celebration, closing with a sense of equanimity (though not everyone reads the final passage this hopefully).

Joyce never fails to disappoint.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This isn't a cheery selection of stories, it's not displaying the famous Irish craig in any way. instead it has tales of death, disgrace, drunkenness, violence, danger, sacrifice of happiness and hope to duty and responsibility and other fun stuff like that. I sense that Joyce despaired of the inhabitants of the city, and was, possibly, trying to chock them into seeing themselves as he saw them, trapped in repetitive downwards spirals.That's not to say that the stories themselves aren't worth reading but don't expect to be uplifted by the story, although the way he can capture a mood in a few short pages is something to behold.

[jharlton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

He wrote this at 25! Wow! I'm jealous. Learned a little about music, little about green eyes, little about galoshes, little about the social realm, little about love, little about carving turkeys, little about symbols, little about being a kid, little about sisters. And there is tons more. This is like a mine where the gold grows rather than gets used up.

[edgeworth_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I have a list of major authors whom I’ve never read in a Notepad file: Dickens, Faulkner, Carver, Woolf, etc. This stems from being a young reader in the 21st century, looking back across history at the overwhelming weight of the human canon. My theory is that while there are far too many great books in the world for anybody to read in one lifetime, you should try to read at least one book from all the major authors, to sample their style and see if they take your fancy or not, to discover whether you want to pursue their works further. James Joyce is on that list, and since there is not a chance in hell I’m ever going to read Ulysses, I thought it appropriate to read his short story anthology Dubliners.I’m not going to try to talk my way around it: I hated this book. It was extremely tedious. Rarely did any of the fifteen stories gathered within capture my attention in any way; more often than not, I found myself distracted and daydreaming, and had to keep snapping my focus back to the page. I finished the book yesterday and can properly summarise exactly zero of the stories for you. I can tell you virtually nothing about the plots they contain, let alone the thematic weight they are supposed to carry. This is not to say that they are bad or useless or pointless; merely that whatever literary heft they have was lost on this reader. Dubliners, just so we’re clear, is not written in the same deliberately confusing modernist stream-of-consciousness style that Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake are. It’s a perfectly normal, ordinary style of writing. It’s just very, very boring.I’m not a stupid or crass reader. I have read, enjoyed, appreciated and even loved the works of Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway, J.M. Coetzee and Peter Carey, to name a few. But I hated Dubliners, and if that makes me a philistine then so be it.

[daptolibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It is surprising how easily our perception can be influenced. When it comes to classic literature, this is doubly so! How long have you had the idea that reading James Joyce is just too hard? Well this year our book club took the challenge and Joyce’s Dubliners has scored the highest yet. We were all in agreement that the writing was superb and that Joyce has that very Irish knack of telling a tale that is entertaining yet sorrowful. As we have said before … no one does it like the Irish!It was commented that the narration serves as an observer to what, in anyone else’s hands, would be ordinary, everyday stories. But Joyce has a way of bringing his characters to life with everything that makes us human. Clever turn of phrase and descriptive language all come together to weave a picture of Dublin at a time that it was truly Irish. Our discussion included an interesting look at Joyce himself and some of the challenges he faced getting published. As a group we also try to do a little background into authors. I helps to round out our discussions and also adds an extra dimension to what we learn from the literature we read.We shared real life experiences in Ireland and had plenty of opinions on the traditions and uniqueness of the Irish people. We also felt we were able to pin point the difficult position the country and its people were caught in at the time of Dubliners publication. Somewhere between the modern and traditional world. Something that only a writer of Joyce’s calibre would be able to deliver.

[trinitym82 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent collection - favorites include "The Boarding House" about a strong woman trying to marry off her beautiful daughter before she picks some ne'rdowell who wouldn't be able to support her - it's brilliant because the mother is manipulative but you don't really see any true maliciousness in her actions - something so hard to do.

[neurodrew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DublinersJames JoyceAug 14, 2010 Joyce writes of the characters in Dublin in the first years of the 20th century, before the great war. His people are ordinary, poor or middle class, often unhappy and wishing for better times. The protagonist in his story “A Painful Case” realizes much too late what he meant to another woman, and realizes he was unable to grasp life as he wished to. The story in the “Dead” seems to be about something else until the end, when it becomes one again of unrequited love and loss. The stories often end without a clear resolution, a question in the mind of the reader about the fate of the characters, or the meaning of the events. They are absorbing, and emotionally affecting.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

James Joyce has always been a very intimidating author for me. His books Ulysses and Finnegans Wake are infamous for how difficult they are to read. I decided to start with Dubliners and see how that went before diving into another one of his and I’m glad I did. Even though I approached it with trepidation, I really enjoyed it. I’m sure I’m not supposed to say this, but Dubliners reminded me of Maeve Binchy’s short story collections. Her books, The Return Journey and London Transports, give glimpses of the lives of Irish and English people going about their daily lives and this book does the same. Both Dubliners and Binchy’s collections give readers well-written characters that they care about by the end of the story. The difference, of course, is that Joyce’s writing it much more poetic, but still, they have a similar feel. It’s odd to think about how controversial this book was when it was first released. Its content seems so tame compared with today’s standards, but at the time publishers were turning him down because it was too “lewd” because there were references to drunks, etc. I think my two favorites in the selection were “A Little Cloud,” a grass-is-always-greener story, and “The Dead.” To me, Joyce managed to blend the three vital elements of a great short story: good characters, an interesting look at their lives and beautiful prose. Here are a few examples of Joyce’s wonderful way with words…“A dull resentment against his life awoke within him.”“But we are living in a skeptical and, if I may use the phrase, a thought-tormented age: and sometimes I fear that this new generations, educated or hyper-educated as it is, will lack those qualities of humanity, of hospitality, of kindly humour which belong to an older day. ““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.”If you’ve been thinking of trying this author out, but aren’t sure where to start, I’d pick this one up and go from there.

[chadmarsh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Though it sounds cliche to say it, The Dead is probably the best short story I've ever read. I've rated the whole of Dubliners at four and a half stars instead of five only because some of the earlier stories read like beginning efforts on the young Joyce's part - which, granted, they are.

[sloopjonb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The rating is for 'The Dead', the only story I have so far read, which was an incredible piece of writing. If only Joyce had carried on this vein, and not vanished up his own fundament, the show-off.

[jackmessenger-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I reread this every few years and am always amazed. It culminates with The Dead, one of the most evocative stories I know. John Huston?s film of The Dead is similarly masterful.

[boekenwijs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't think the fifteen separate stories in this book will stick in my mind, but the general feeling most likely will. The feeling of Ireland around 1900, seen from different positions in society. Teenagers skipping school, boys and girls in love, workers, politicians, religious disputes, elite dinners. An interesting book.

[catrionaolding3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Dead is quite the most moving love story I've ever read. For anyone who's lost someone.

[kirmuriel-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As they say, the last one was the best. Things useful to know before reading: in Ireland there are two main groups in religion: catholics and protestants and in politics: Nationalists and Unionists. Nationalists are separatists and want the 'Home Rule'

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two things that struck me about these short stories. One, the writing is so vivid. Mr. Joyce focuses a tight lens on the details - and everything comes alive. Two, these stories are less stories in the sense of narrative than stories in the sense of catching a glimpse of a life - like looking through a window at a moment or two in an on-going story. The trick in this is that the window catches just that moment that tells the whole story.

[richardwise · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have owned Joyce's Ulysses since I was 17 and have yet to get past the first thirty pages. I found his earlier book, however, to be quite readable.Characters and pacing, both brilliant. Exceptionally well crafted. I finally realize why Joyce is counted among the great writers.

[fuzzy_patters · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dubliners is a collection of short stories about the Irish middle class. Each story is about a different person or group of people, and they are not really connected to each other in theme until you get to the last two pages of the book. At that point, you come to realize Joyce's purpose in writing this collection, and it all comes together for you.This is one of those books that I could not put down, had a profound affect on me emotionally at times, and yet, I doubt there is any one moment or character that will stick with me. In a way, that's the genius of it in that it perfectly captures the prosaic life of the middle class. In the end, one begins to lament the meaninglessness of his own life and the fact that most of our lives are not really worth telling stories about. Joyce celebrates this commonality in a moving way by telling it to us straight with little flourish, which would serve to make it maudlin. Come to think of it, I guess this book might just stick with me a little longer than I thought.

[hazzabamboo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed all but a couple of these stories. Dublin, the time and the characters come through fully formed. Apart from a couple - 'Ivy Day in the Committee Room' for example, though that was partly because I don't know enough the history of Irish politics. 'The Dead' is celebrated according to my edition, and it's easy to see why, though not by describing its plot. That's the strength though - it's a dinner party with dancing, nothing more dramatic than that on the surface, but there are many more stories subsumed within, and you can't help but share some of Gabriel's feelings as time goes on.

[hjjugovic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I ended up liking this book by the end, despite hating it in the beginning. Joyce writes a series of short stories about the characters of Dublin - some of which feel like the end of the story was chopped off. Until I got used to the rhythm and the structure, it was hard to enjoy this book. I enjoyed some of the portraits more than others. Although it has the setting of a historical fiction, this is not the type of book I would typically like. Recommended with reservations. I read this book using DailyLit's email service.

[sbszine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When he wanted to, he could really write conventional fiction. Great stuff.