Dubliners

I was so giddy to actually finish something by James Joyce, even though I know this is absolutely nothing like Ulysses in either style or function. What it is, is a telling little portrait of Dublin, rife with pederasty and poverty and mean-spiritedness, mostly, but sometimes nice things, maybe, sometimes.

3/5

Once

I appreciate Once's absolute refusal of many of the romantic tropes it could have easily fallen into, but in sacrificing that, and yet still remaining somewhat sentimental, Once loses both the romance and the edge it could have contained. Once sacrifices the romance but not the sentimentality, and as a result, it is somewhat muddled as an effort.

2.5/5

First Love and Other Novellas

Samuel Beckett upsets me with his abilities. These were originally in French, Beckett’s second language, though I read the versions translated by him. And even in translation, they have a flow and style that feels unique, and very Beckett. Beckett loves the destitute and the men who never quite fit in, and he does them wonderful service in these four tiny stories, each containing much more than that which their page count would attest. These are dense, and they are lovely. However, Beckett does fall down occasionally, and eventually these stories began to blend, as Beckett sticks quite closely to themes. While he is a great stylist, he should look into a new subject sometime.

3.5/5

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This was my second time reading Wilde’s magnum opus, and it stands up well to a second reading. Wilde writes fiction in a lush, heady manner, immersing the reader in the aesthetics he espouses via his characters. There is so much talent put into this it is insane. However, despite all this, I still can’t entirely fall into this book; I always remain at the edges, far too alert for my own good.

3.5/5