Go Back   Horror.com Forums - Talk about horror. > Horror.com Lobby > Horror.com General Forum
Register FAQ Community Calendar

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #11  
Old 06-16-2009, 01:49 PM
Roderick Usher's Avatar
Roderick Usher Roderick Usher is offline
HDC Sole Survivor!!

 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Underneath the Bed
Posts: 7,012
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferretchucker View Post
Why is it so important?
Joyce intentionally created somthing to be puzzled over and studied for centuries. The form is everything.

The story is of a man lamenting the infidelities of his wife while engaging in a few of his own...all the while strolling the streets (and pubs and brothels) of Dublin.

The novel is structured to mirror Homer's The Odyssey, except the incidents in this novel aren't epic...the prose is.

One section is written as a play with stage directions. Another HUGE section is written with less than a handfull of punctuation marks. Yet another section about the birth of a child is written as a punny evolution of the english langauge, starting in Anglo-Saxon and Latin then leading to Middle-English then contemporary (for turn-of-the-century) Irish slang.

Points of view shift (and the theme of parallax is explored in depth), characters hallucinate, the church is mocked and anti-semitism is confronted... all with an odd comedic touch.

It is a novel that also revels in an accute awareness and acceptance of human sexuality - this coming from Ireland in the early 1900s - that was a precurser to Henry Miller's sexually charged prose.

it is far from my favorite novel, but as a point of study it is fascinating and as a landmark in modern writing it is unparalleled.
__________________
"Little, vicious minds abound with anger and revenge, and are incapable of feeling the pleasure of forgiving their enemies."
Earl of Chesterfield

"A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well."
Francis Bacon
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 06-16-2009, 03:29 PM
Doc Faustus's Avatar
Doc Faustus Doc Faustus is offline
Mephistophiliac

 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,999
Send a message via AIM to Doc Faustus
I can't believe I missed this! One of my favorite books ever. The Walpurgisnacht section was a big influence on horror and the concept of the night journey at large. Joyce has influenced my writing more than any other writer besides Burroughs and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'll make sure to open my copy today. Thanks Joyce, Rod, Leopold, Stephen.
__________________
Horror and Bizarro novelist and editor
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 06-17-2009, 03:05 AM
Ferox13's Avatar
Ferox13 Ferox13 is offline
Innsmouth Swim Team Coach


 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,975
iwillmakeallmypoststomdaywithoutanypunctionuationi ncelebrationofagreatirishnovel
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 06-17-2009, 04:41 AM
Haunted's Avatar
Haunted Haunted is offline
The Queen of Swords
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Zira
Posts: 5,699
Send a message via AIM to Haunted
I want to read "The Dead," by Joyce. It's based entirely on Irish mythology. The Goddess features prominently, but only as Joyce understood Her, not as She is understood today.

Thanks for this thread, Rod. Sounds like a literary adventure that one will have to partake when school is over.
__________________
By the time you're twenty-five they will say you've gone and blown it. By the time you're thirty-five I must confide you will have blown them all
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 06-17-2009, 05:26 AM
urgeok2's Avatar
urgeok2 urgeok2 is offline
Top Of The World Ma!!

 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,950
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Faustus View Post
IJoyce has influenced my writing more than any other writer besides Burroughs ....
on eof my favorite authors ..

i collect his books, the older the better.

I have the origional 2nd,3rd,4th,5th tarzan books in hardcover. (1st editions)

not mint - none have dust covers, but still pretty cool to have
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 06-17-2009, 05:50 AM
Papillon Noir's Avatar
Papillon Noir Papillon Noir is offline
Zydrate Anatomy
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 2,368
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roderick Usher View Post
Joyce intentionally created somthing to be puzzled over and studied for centuries. The form is everything.

The story is of a man lamenting the infidelities of his wife while engaging in a few of his own...all the while strolling the streets (and pubs and brothels) of Dublin.

The novel is structured to mirror Homer's The Odyssey, except the incidents in this novel aren't epic...the prose is.

One section is written as a play with stage directions. Another HUGE section is written with less than a handfull of punctuation marks. Yet another section about the birth of a child is written as a punny evolution of the english langauge, starting in Anglo-Saxon and Latin then leading to Middle-English then contemporary (for turn-of-the-century) Irish slang.

Points of view shift (and the theme of parallax is explored in depth), characters hallucinate, the church is mocked and anti-semitism is confronted... all with an odd comedic touch.

It is a novel that also revels in an accute awareness and acceptance of human sexuality - this coming from Ireland in the early 1900s - that was a precurser to Henry Miller's sexually charged prose.

it is far from my favorite novel, but as a point of study it is fascinating and as a landmark in modern writing it is unparalleled.
That's sounds rather interesting, Rod. I had heard of the book before, but didn't know anything about it. I'll have to check it out on my next library run.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 06-17-2009, 06:48 AM
Doc Faustus's Avatar
Doc Faustus Doc Faustus is offline
Mephistophiliac

 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,999
Send a message via AIM to Doc Faustus
Quote:
Originally Posted by urgeok2 View Post
on eof my favorite authors ..

i collect his books, the older the better.

I have the origional 2nd,3rd,4th,5th tarzan books in hardcover. (1st editions)

not mint - none have dust covers, but still pretty cool to have
William not Edgar Rice. But the Tarzan books are great golden age pulp.
__________________
Horror and Bizarro novelist and editor
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 06-17-2009, 07:09 AM
urgeok2's Avatar
urgeok2 urgeok2 is offline
Top Of The World Ma!!

 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,950
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Faustus View Post
William not Edgar Rice. But the Tarzan books are great golden age pulp.

i wondered how exactly ER would have been an influence ..

i have a signed william s burroughs 1st edition as well ...
probably my best find of all times
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 06-17-2009, 04:24 PM
Doc Faustus's Avatar
Doc Faustus Doc Faustus is offline
Mephistophiliac

 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,999
Send a message via AIM to Doc Faustus
Wow. That's really cool. What book is it?
__________________
Horror and Bizarro novelist and editor
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 06-18-2009, 03:05 AM
urgeok2's Avatar
urgeok2 urgeok2 is offline
Top Of The World Ma!!

 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,950
Cities of the Red Night ...


if it was NAked Lunch it would probably be worth a small fortune.


(not that i would ever sell it)
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:52 PM.