Books
My plan for the summer was to read a ton of books. Since mid-may, I've completed 7. So, I thought it would be a good idea to post reviews/my thoughts on the books I have read thus far. The first book I completed, it took me one day, was Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I found the book in my school's cafeteria. It had been
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there is, in fact, a linear plot to "portrait..." but it is far less emphasized than the techniques he uses to get you in the head of his young man---techniques which are far more realized in "ulysses" which came after the aforementioned work. neither of these books though, should be read without an annotated edition, at least the first time or 3 through. they're LOADED, and i mean that in every sense of the word possible. we're lucky they're in english, so we can at least potentially get all the nuances without learning a second language (e.g. heidegger in english sucks).
bottom line: i'd try "portrait..." again when you're not coming at it cold, and when you have some time to study all the stuff that surrounds it and is locked in it.
beyond that, don't even worry about the wake until you've dealt with ulysses. i've spent months INTENSELY involved with ulysses, and i mean writing masters thesis calibre paper(s) on it, and i still really can only begin to tangle with the wake. joyce is a freaking genius. wow.
by the way, if you've gotten this far, i have the radio show before you and i happened to look a the journal you were reading right when you came in. that's how i found you.
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