A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man
by James Joyce
If you’re new to James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man might be the best place to start. We highly recommend the audiobook. What better way to experience James Joyce’s first novel than hearing Colin Farrell, of In Bruges, dive into Joyce’s streams of consciousness with all the natural musicality of his Irish accent?
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“Joyce’s depiction is one of Ireland in the aftermath of the fall of Charles Stewart Parnell.” Read more...
The best books on Modern Irish History
Richard Bourke, Historian
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is not only a great place to start on the books by Irish novelist James Joyce, it’s also recommended by historian Richard Bourke as a way of understanding modern Irish history. He says, “Joyce’s depiction is one of Ireland in the aftermath of the fall of Parnell. At the start of the 1890s, much of Ireland glimpsed the prospect of national unity based around Parnell himself, embodying a national project, whilst offering credible leadership. This, as the Portrait reflects, fell apart under the weight of sexual scandal and ensuing religious polarities.”
