I’ve always wanted to read Dubliners, but it was more of a mixed bag than I thought it would be.

It was an enjoyable read for me. Some of the stories spoke to me in a heartfelt way. Others, not so much.

2.5 stars

James Joyce's Dubliners is a collection of Irish short stories written at the beginning of the 1900s. The stories are not connected, but are all set in Dublin and share a similar pattern of each one ending with a moment of realisation or epiphany. At first the endings felt quite abrupt to me, but once I realised what Joyce was up to I found it an intriguing concept.

In general, I don't like short stories. Each one feels like starting a new book and having to get used to new characters each time. Then just as you're getting used to them the story ends. Because of this, I just simply didn't engage with some of the stories. The only one that had some real meat on its bones was The Dead, and that was probably just due to its sheer length.

I'm never going to pretend I like a classic just because it's a classic. I have no doubt Joyce is a great writer (and this did come through on many occasions), but I'm not sure if the short story was the best place for him to shine. Sometimes I was bored. Sometimes I was amazed at a turn of phrase. A mixed bag.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the last story in the book. But the rest felt half done, introducing characters that dwindled off the page. I wanted and expected more.

This is in the pantheon of great short story collections for a reason. There is tremendous depth and insight in these stories that mostly take up only a minute part of their characters lives. And it is easily the most digestible Joyce you are going to find. This is the book that Joyce decides to play by the rules and still manages to outpace everyone around him. The Dead is one of the greatest short stories written in the English language. Highly recommended.

Dubliners by James Joyce, first published in 1914, is a collection of fifteen short stories that quietly and powerfully captures everyday Irish life during a pivotal time in Ireland's search for its own identity. Each story centers on characters experiencing 'epiphanies' that offer the narrative a thoughtful arc — a subtle tilt toward resolution, which can be unusual in short stories. Joyce's characters are softly displayed and gently handled as he turns them over, examining them from all sides. The standout story, The Dead, is the final entry in the collection — a novella and, by far, my favorite.

What I love about Dubliners, along with its quiet, meditative storytelling (and the brilliant audiobook performances), is imagining the through line from Joyce to a contemporary Irish author like Claire Keegan. While Joyce captured early 20th-century struggles with a focus on social constraints and masculine sensibilities — even with his female characters — Keegan offers a modern view with more natural nuance. Her work balances both male and female perspectives, filling in the feminine sensibilities that Joyce wasn't able to fully access. She portrays resilience and stoicism through a lens attuned to present-day values, creating a more cohesive portrait of existence. Irish storytelling is layered and rich with knowable characters, people you can see and feel. These two authors, separated by a century, are bookends of Irish literature that each reflect evolving cultural values and literary focuses, giving us a compelling, continuous portrait of Irish life and identity.

Meh. Much more interesting considering which “types” are left out of this book. Were they beyond Joyce’s notice, comprehension, imagination?