I am reading “Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Man” by James Joyce for our book group. This is considered to be one of the greatest books of the 21st Century. BY WHO??? Why is there such a spectacular difference between what the academics decide is a top read compared to Joe Public? Normally it isn’t that difficult to write a review of the book after we’ve had our meeting. We can usually find things to say. But with this book, it seems that most of us are struggling.
I am only a quarter of the way through (after over a month) and would be very interested to know if there’s anybody out there who can reassure me that it is going to get better.
So far, my review consists of:-
“I have no idea what he’s talking about. It appears to be a load of old bollocks interspersed with some interesting observations about the lightness or paleness of the sun”.
Happy to be wrong here. Please help.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Too funny! I nearly botched a college admissions interview many years ago by expressing a similar opinion (but managed to be admitted after all, and even went on to study English literature – go figure).
Can’t help you out with Joyce, though – sorry. Quite an ambitious book club you have there.
March 12th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I know people love it and that it’s supposed to be the most accessible of Joyce’s books but for me, it didn’t get any better. And I will never get those days back in my life.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:15 am
I think you are supposed to pretend you read it and found it was fabulous. So on behalf of everyone who has ever tried to read a book because they have been told it is wonderful and a classic, and found out it was a load of crap, I salute you.
March 14th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Sounds like Villette by Charlotte Bronte… Was supposed to study it for English Lit A-level but it was so crap I never finished it. Didn’t get the story, couldn’t identify at all with the heroine and could never motivate myself to read it.