A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Jul 25, 2025 8:47 PM

Author:James Joyce,Hans Walter Gabler

Discover James Joyce's impressionistic portrait of a young man finding his artistic voice in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, reissued to coincide with 100 years since the first publication of his epic masterpiece, Ulysses

EDITED BY HANS WALTER GABLER; WITH INTRODUCTIONS BY DR DIETER FUCHS AND JOSEPH O'CONNOR

Against the backdrop of nineteenth century Dublin, a boy becomes a man: his mind testing its powers, obsessions taking hold and loosening again, the bonds of family, tradition, nation and religion transforming from supports into shackles; until the young man devotes himself to the celebration of beauty, and reaches for independence and the life of an artist.

Reviews

Joyce's depiction of the early Dublin life of Stephen Dedalus towers over modern literature, providing a stylistic blueprint and creative touchstone for artists young and old

—— Guardian

It's damn well written

—— Ezra Pound

There is nothing more vivid or beautiful in all Joyce's writing. It has the searing clarity of truth...but is rich with myth and symbol

—— Sunday Times

James Joyce is my favourite novelist...Once I had read [this] I knew that I could never create anything that even came close to Joyce's magic

—— James Patterson , Sunday Express

A story which could have emerged from a Bronte novel. A man haunted by his failures is trapped by the secrets of a sequestered household and drawn to his own decline in flinty, lilting prose...A beautiful re-imagining

—— Metro

A wonderfully edgy piece of wartime noir

—— D.J. Taylor , Independent

Macabre twists keep the pages turning

—— James Urquhart , Financial Times

A masterly, highly evocative, multi-layered tale

—— Mail on Sunday (Eire)

Fabulously atmospheric

—— Bookseller

Edric's world, though often unsavoury, is also curiously compelling. Lured into its shady precincts, you're unlikely to want to leave.

—— David Grylls , Sunday Times

A darkly disturbing novel

—— Hull Daily Mail

Previous Article：Sanctuary Next Article：The Truce

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.