So I've clearly taken a hiatus from this reading challenge. After spring break I had to buckle down and after finals all I could bring myself to read was Laura Ingalls Wilder (for the 197,874th time). This book was not the right choice for restarting the challenge.
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS: I'd heard nightmare stories about Joyce's writing and guess what? They're all true. Yes, I get that he was modern and trying new stuff out and guess what? I don't care. Is there anything wrong with having a plot? It doesn't even have to be told chronologically. Just SOMETHING happening besides gaining self-awareness would be DELIGHTFUL. There was a particularly awful section about religion that lasted about 60 pages in the 4th chapter which made me happy I don't think too hard about religion. I probably missed a few of the clever classical allusions but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Some of the religious discussions later on between Stephen and less insane characters were more accessible. The only bright spot of the somewhat strange narrative structure was when the main character thought about food. Joyce totally nailed those passages (on mutton and carrots: "Stuff it into you, his belly counselled him"). Maybe I'm too shallow too appreciate great literature. Or too hungry. Plus, I get sick of all the woman-hating.
SPOILER ALERT: Stephen grows up. (Nothing happens so there's nothing to spoil.)
MUSINGS: I have never been happier that I am not an artist and/or a young man.
GRADE SHEET:
Narrator's Likeability: ??? Who was the narrator? I'm going to go with a D for style.
Pace: C
Readability: C
Satisfying Ending:
Explanation of Irish Politics: D- (Seriously, how was there not more of this? I'm sure it would be interesting.)
Schoolboy Antics: B+
I loved this book. Read it when I was in between freshman/sophomore year of college - most of the time I read it while I was doing my laundry in the laundromat. I wasn't going to say this before, but you just said it on gchat - "Stop being a whiny biatch". This is definitely not the worst to come :)
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