To my own surprise, I did not find the novel itself all that difficult. The plot, major themes and symbols (or maybe they are motifs…I should consult a dictionary) are really easy to identify. That is, of course, assuming I didn’t completely overlook something…
For anyone unfamiliar with A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, here is as brief a summary as I can provide…
Stephen Dedalus is the oldest son in a strict Catholic family in Ireland at the turn of the century. Simon Dedalus, Stephen’s father, either doesn’t make any money or can’t properly handle it because the family is constantly moving to slummier and slummier places and Stephen must attend progressively less prestigious (and eventually free) schools. Throughout the novel, Stephen becomes more and more alienated from his family and struggles with his religious beliefs. While living in Dublin, Stephen loses his virginity to a hooker. While immediately guilt-stricken, Stephen chooses to ignore this guilt and goes on a sin bender which lasts until he attends a three day religious retreat during which he hears sermons on judgment and the torments of hell. These sermons scare Stephen back into not just a pious life, but one of such extreme devotion that he is offered a career in the priesthood. While considering this option, Stephen is checking out some girl who’s chillin on the beach and has an epiphany. He decides to devote his life to art and the pursuit of beauty. Disregarding religion and his family’s wishes, Stephen attends a university where he forms his ideas of art and aesthetics. While at school, he has a seriously long conversation about aesthetics with a friend of his; there were a lot of propositions and I couldn’t follow. Desirous of a life completely free from the constraints of society, Stephen ultimately decides he will leave Ireland to pursue his life as an artist.
After a friend of mine suffered some recent author backlash I’m a little nervous to continue…but I doubt James Joyce will come back from the dead to tell me I’m an idiot so here come my issues…
• Stream of consciousness. I’m not going to be able to accurately explain my problem, but I have one. And I know it will continue to rear its ugly head because I still have to read Ulysses and more Virginia Woolf and a craptastic (don’t stone me) bunch of Faulkner, so hopefully I can get it all out now. I guess I just have a really hard time buying it. I do understand that Portrait is largely Joyce’s autobiography and he is the only one who can authentically narrate Stephen’s inner monologue. So maybe it is the third person narration. I know I bring my own mistrust of the narrator to any story I read, so perhaps that is what causes my dislike of stream of consciousness. Hell if I know.
• Is it just me, or is this novel way too easy to figure out? Theme: The Downfalls Religious Extremism. Stephen’s upbringing leads him to go from a sin binge to religious fanaticism, neither of which stick. Theme: Irish Sovereignty. Or rather, the need for it. Near the end of the novel Stephen discusses how English is a borrowed language; he refuses to accept the position of his ancestors and realizes he must leave Ireland in order to find his/Ireland’s true identity and voice. Theme: Evolution of Individual Perspective. I’m not sure that’s a correct name, but Stephen spends the novel developing his own mind/thoughts/beliefs/individuality. As Stephen develops and matures, so does the language of the novel. Theme: The Function of the Artist. To become a true artist Stephen must leave everything behind and form his own artistic voice. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with these themes; as far as fundamental ideas of a novel go, these are some great ones. But they are so obvious that I was left searching for some deeper meaning.
• Reading Portrait is exhausting! Part of that has to do with the style in which it is written. Stream of consciousness narration is designed to be confusing and difficult to understand. The reader must piece apart the internal monologue of the character in order to stay abreast of the action in the novel. That takes work and concentration that I just don’t often have. Also, several years pass during the course of the novel and it is left to the reader to determine the time lapses. I don’t like working that hard for my literature.
On the subject of things I did enjoy…
• I appreciate the significance of Stephen’s name. His full name, Stephen Dedalus, is a play on the two sides of him. Several times throughout the novel Stephen repeats his name as if searching for his identity. This too is incredibly obvious but I can dig it.
• The language progression of the novel. As Stephen matures, so does the writing. Because Joyce employed stream of consciousness, it seems obvious that Stephen’s inner monologue and descriptions would progress as he does, but this must have been an incredible task for Joyce. I appreciate it.
Reading Portrait now, out of a college atmosphere and with the time to absorb and consider what I was reading, I definitely liked the novel more that I remember. Sadly, that’s not saying a whole lot. I feel like throwing up my hands and saying, “I don’t get it!” Except that I do. I definitely do. It’s not that difficult to get. What I don’t get is the awesomeness of it. I don’t think it’s awesome. I think it’s tiresome. On the upside, I know where to go for a fantastic description of the fiery torments of hell. And everyone needs a good hellfire sermon every now and then.
Slaughterhouse Five, anyone?
Showing posts with label stream of consciousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stream of consciousness. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The First 8
In case anyone reads this and has something to say about the ones I've already read, here's a quick Allyson-take on them. Future books will have more depth :)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
I actually read this about a month before I got this crazy idea to read all the books ever so I decided it had been recent enough and I didn't need to re-read it. I love me some Hemingway, always have and always will, and I'm happy to say that my 2 favorites of his are on my list! A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical story of Hemingway's time fighting in World War 1 and his intense, yet ill-fated romance with Agnes von Kurowsky. The novel tells the story of Frederic Henry, a Lieutenant in the Italian Army, who falls in love with a British nurse, Catherine Barkley, while healing from an injury. I think part of the reason I love this story so much is because it is so very simple. There is no discussion of the past, the reader never learns anything about Frederic or Catherine before the novel starts. The other characters are mostly unnecessary. It is a tragic love story, as pure and as simple as they come. Because it is set during WWI, the intensity of the love story is amplified that much more. They have to say everything, mean everything, and feel everything between them because it could quite literally be their last day together. Also, I'm a sucker for both love stories and heartbreak stories, and A Farewell to Arms has both in spades. LOVE. THIS. NOVEL. If you have never read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. This is not the angry misogynist that some mistake Hemingway for. I promise you'll like it.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I got so excited when I saw this on the list! I've loved the Narnia Chronicles since I was a kid, but hadn't read any of them in SO long. While the first published (and most famous) of the Chronicles, it falls second in the series' chronology. I want to refrain from saying very much about this story because I think it is one that everyone should read; and because it is so short, I don't want to give away too much. It's a great series to read to children. Any adult can easily make it through LWW in one day. And watching any of the movie adaptations does not do it justice. Once I read LWW I went back and read the rest of the series for good measure. There are some stories that are timeless and can still get you even as an adult. This is one of them!
Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler
This is where I hit my first issue. The novel is about the trial of Rubashov, who had been a high-up Bolshevik revolutionary but is eventually imprisoned and tried for treason against the Communist government he was instrumental in creating. I read the entire novel fairly quickly, but am not sure I got anything out of it. Perhaps because I left all my knowledge of Russian history back in 9th grade. Or perhaps because, at least in my opinion, literature about the Russian Revolution begins and ends with Animal Farm. I'm looking forward to reading that one again. Anyway, I feel like I needed to be taught what was important in Darkness at Noon. What I can say is that if you like prison stories, personal ideological struggles, and people (not pigs) with Russian names, you will probably dig this one.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
A freebie!!!!! This has been my favorite book since my mom's best friend gave me my first (and, until recently, only English copy) when I was 15. I have read it more times than I can count and am always floored by it. This is THE novel that defined the Beat Generation. The story is completely autobiographical and revolves around Sal Paradise's (Kerouac) several trips across North America from 1947-1950. And that is all I'm going to say about that. But seriously, read it. Or better yet, I will lend you my copy. It's already got all the best stuff underlined.
Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
This is another semi-autobiographical novel. On the surface it is about John (somewhere between 12 and 14 I think) and his relationship to his preacher stepfather (and the Christian church in general) while he is growing up in Harlem in the 1930s. The story moves backward and forward through time to tell the histories of the several characters as they are important to the events of the present. The reader learns the personal stories of all of the adults in the novel, presumably so as to better understand their relationship to John (who both opens and closes the novel) as well as their relationship to each other. The novel also addresses racism, rape, abuse, and salvation. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I got everything out of this novel that I should. After finishing this one I realized that I probably could have simultaneously read Cliff's Notes online to get a better handle of what I was supposed to be taking from the story. Oh well. By the time I was finished I had already thought too hard. On to the next, I thought!
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Topping out at about 1500 pages, this was the second time I made it all the way through the monster novel. I doubt that many people would actually read it based on my recommendation, especially if they can't quite make it through the 4 hour film version. But it really is a phenomenal story. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, I recommend it even more. There is so much more plot and emotion in the novel. The novel conveys so much more of Rhett and Scarlet's tortured love story, and a great deal more of their hidden emotions for each other, than is possible to show on film. Truly one of the great American love stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This book could have fit perfectly in several of my college courses and I am disappointed that I hadn't read it until now. I did some research after finishing the novel and apparently it was NOT received very well when first published. However, it is now considered a cornerstone of both African American and women's literature. TEWWG is the life story of Janie Crawford, as told in a flashback that spans all but the very beginning and very end of the novel, set in Florida at the beginning of the 20th century. It is primarily a story of how drastically her life changed when she married each of her three husbands. It is an incredible story of the resilience of the human spirit. My only issue with the book is also one of my praises. Hurston used phonetic spelling when the characters speak (one example is using "Ah" instead of "I"). The cool thing about this is that you can actually HEAR the characters talking in your head. The drawback for me was that I am a very fast reader and I had to slow waaaaay down to make sure I knew what was going on. This one surprised me and I highly recommend it.
And finally...
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
This is a day in the life of middle-aged Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party she is throwing that evening. Intertwined with hers is the story of Septimus Smith, who suffers from severe PTSD from WWI. Clarissa and Septimus never meet, but the activities of their day are juxtaposed throughout the novel. I remember reading this in college and liking it...and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Maybe I thought I was supposed to cause I'm a chick. Either way, it is a LOT of work for an ending that I really don't like. I also tend to have a hard time with stream of consciousness writing, which this is. If that's your cup of tea, then go for it! I really don't have much to say in either direction about this novel. If you want to hear from someone that likes it, talk to my friend Jenny.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
I actually read this about a month before I got this crazy idea to read all the books ever so I decided it had been recent enough and I didn't need to re-read it. I love me some Hemingway, always have and always will, and I'm happy to say that my 2 favorites of his are on my list! A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical story of Hemingway's time fighting in World War 1 and his intense, yet ill-fated romance with Agnes von Kurowsky. The novel tells the story of Frederic Henry, a Lieutenant in the Italian Army, who falls in love with a British nurse, Catherine Barkley, while healing from an injury. I think part of the reason I love this story so much is because it is so very simple. There is no discussion of the past, the reader never learns anything about Frederic or Catherine before the novel starts. The other characters are mostly unnecessary. It is a tragic love story, as pure and as simple as they come. Because it is set during WWI, the intensity of the love story is amplified that much more. They have to say everything, mean everything, and feel everything between them because it could quite literally be their last day together. Also, I'm a sucker for both love stories and heartbreak stories, and A Farewell to Arms has both in spades. LOVE. THIS. NOVEL. If you have never read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. This is not the angry misogynist that some mistake Hemingway for. I promise you'll like it.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I got so excited when I saw this on the list! I've loved the Narnia Chronicles since I was a kid, but hadn't read any of them in SO long. While the first published (and most famous) of the Chronicles, it falls second in the series' chronology. I want to refrain from saying very much about this story because I think it is one that everyone should read; and because it is so short, I don't want to give away too much. It's a great series to read to children. Any adult can easily make it through LWW in one day. And watching any of the movie adaptations does not do it justice. Once I read LWW I went back and read the rest of the series for good measure. There are some stories that are timeless and can still get you even as an adult. This is one of them!
Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler
This is where I hit my first issue. The novel is about the trial of Rubashov, who had been a high-up Bolshevik revolutionary but is eventually imprisoned and tried for treason against the Communist government he was instrumental in creating. I read the entire novel fairly quickly, but am not sure I got anything out of it. Perhaps because I left all my knowledge of Russian history back in 9th grade. Or perhaps because, at least in my opinion, literature about the Russian Revolution begins and ends with Animal Farm. I'm looking forward to reading that one again. Anyway, I feel like I needed to be taught what was important in Darkness at Noon. What I can say is that if you like prison stories, personal ideological struggles, and people (not pigs) with Russian names, you will probably dig this one.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
A freebie!!!!! This has been my favorite book since my mom's best friend gave me my first (and, until recently, only English copy) when I was 15. I have read it more times than I can count and am always floored by it. This is THE novel that defined the Beat Generation. The story is completely autobiographical and revolves around Sal Paradise's (Kerouac) several trips across North America from 1947-1950. And that is all I'm going to say about that. But seriously, read it. Or better yet, I will lend you my copy. It's already got all the best stuff underlined.
Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
This is another semi-autobiographical novel. On the surface it is about John (somewhere between 12 and 14 I think) and his relationship to his preacher stepfather (and the Christian church in general) while he is growing up in Harlem in the 1930s. The story moves backward and forward through time to tell the histories of the several characters as they are important to the events of the present. The reader learns the personal stories of all of the adults in the novel, presumably so as to better understand their relationship to John (who both opens and closes the novel) as well as their relationship to each other. The novel also addresses racism, rape, abuse, and salvation. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I got everything out of this novel that I should. After finishing this one I realized that I probably could have simultaneously read Cliff's Notes online to get a better handle of what I was supposed to be taking from the story. Oh well. By the time I was finished I had already thought too hard. On to the next, I thought!
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Topping out at about 1500 pages, this was the second time I made it all the way through the monster novel. I doubt that many people would actually read it based on my recommendation, especially if they can't quite make it through the 4 hour film version. But it really is a phenomenal story. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, I recommend it even more. There is so much more plot and emotion in the novel. The novel conveys so much more of Rhett and Scarlet's tortured love story, and a great deal more of their hidden emotions for each other, than is possible to show on film. Truly one of the great American love stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This book could have fit perfectly in several of my college courses and I am disappointed that I hadn't read it until now. I did some research after finishing the novel and apparently it was NOT received very well when first published. However, it is now considered a cornerstone of both African American and women's literature. TEWWG is the life story of Janie Crawford, as told in a flashback that spans all but the very beginning and very end of the novel, set in Florida at the beginning of the 20th century. It is primarily a story of how drastically her life changed when she married each of her three husbands. It is an incredible story of the resilience of the human spirit. My only issue with the book is also one of my praises. Hurston used phonetic spelling when the characters speak (one example is using "Ah" instead of "I"). The cool thing about this is that you can actually HEAR the characters talking in your head. The drawback for me was that I am a very fast reader and I had to slow waaaaay down to make sure I knew what was going on. This one surprised me and I highly recommend it.
And finally...
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
This is a day in the life of middle-aged Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party she is throwing that evening. Intertwined with hers is the story of Septimus Smith, who suffers from severe PTSD from WWI. Clarissa and Septimus never meet, but the activities of their day are juxtaposed throughout the novel. I remember reading this in college and liking it...and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Maybe I thought I was supposed to cause I'm a chick. Either way, it is a LOT of work for an ending that I really don't like. I also tend to have a hard time with stream of consciousness writing, which this is. If that's your cup of tea, then go for it! I really don't have much to say in either direction about this novel. If you want to hear from someone that likes it, talk to my friend Jenny.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)