Dubliners (Abridged): A Selection of Short Stories Audiobook

" I'm indifferent. Some stories we're intresting while others not at all. Still, an overall good book. "

" what surprised me was not how spot-on his description of 1914 Dublin was, but how much this description still valid is in our times, and not only confined to Dublin... "

" Nice how each story is short, easy to read them in one go. Lovely little poignant stories about life in Dublin. "

" What really dragged me in with this book is the way Joyce brought out 19th century Dublin in his setting. While common, there was an additional flare in his writing I haven't found in newer approaches to the contemporary theme. His characters are an odd mix of relateable and out-worldly for us 21st century readers; some were portrayed better than others. Eveline for example I feel was rather diminished in terms of her character; while the metaphor of the caged animal at the end was good, the lead-up towards it had lessened the impact, and not by the sense of predictability (although there was nothing dramatic in that sense with these short stories). My favourite had to be A Painful Case. "

" As ever. Joyce-ian! Missile in each word. Loved it. Araby and Eveline and The Boarding house were my favorite stories from it "

" Couldn't finish it. Definitely "school reading". "

" This book is not one I would recommend anytime soon. I thought it was boring, and there were very few stories that actually took my interest. "

" In 'Dubliners', Joyce weaves moving tales of the ordinary lives (and occasionally deaths) of several inhabitants of the book's namesake city, highlighting the futility and something-else-I-don't-have-a-word-for of this life with well told but occasionally depressing tales. My favourites were Araby, Eveline and A Little Cloud. "

" Great short stories, but not in the modernist style Joyce is known for. So detailed and full of legitimate Irish people and places. This edition had copious notes, which were a tremendous help. Though, even with the notes I'm still a little confused about some phrases like: "a sod of turf under his oxter." "

" "My body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires." Get in! Just read Ulyssees and now need to reread Dubliners to meet some of the characters again. Beautiful. "

" As ever. Joyce-ian! Missile in each word. Loved it. Araby and Eveline and The Boarding house were my favorite stories from it "

" Unless you have a thorough knowledge of Dublin during the period that Joyce was living there (or you read this in class and your professor does- like me), you miss a significant portion of the book. How is the average modern reader supposed to know that the "Umbrellas Recovered" sign is black market code for "the secret shipment of illegal condoms has arrived"? It was a good book, but a true reading requires a lot of background research. "

" Definitely his milieu - you can actually appreciate his artifices in the shorter format "

" Many people just know "The Dead", which is one of the best pieces of short fiction I've ever read, but I read the entire collection of "Dubliners" from start to finish and it made it even more enjoyable. All the preceding stories are great in their own right but they also bring you into the time and place. "

" A set of touching stories...my favourite being "A Little Cloud" "

" James Joyce presents a compelling series of short stories that present an interesting picture of the city of Dublin. Many of the characters have fascinating personalities and the psychology behind their actions is compelling. When presented as a whole, however, the stories almost seem to detract from each other. As they don't have an evident common theme aside from the chronological movement through time with the characters, the audience is left trying to make sense of the plot and isn't able to enjoy what Joyce is presenting as easily. It also seemed as though Joyce dragged out situations that could have been summed up quite simply, with no evident benefits to the plot. While it was an interesting book, it simply isn't the writing style that I would choose to sit down and read for pleasure. "

" I am not the person to talk to about this book. It's...okay? Blah. It's not flowery or pretentious - it just is what it is: a book of short, often sweet stories about the different (but not all that different) lives of people in Dublin. I think my good rating might have more to do with the fact that I am insanely loaded down with work this week, and I kept looking at Joyce and thinking "uuuuugh" when I thought about reading it, because I thought it would inevitably turn out like "In Memoriam" last week - something I had no time to read and therefore had to half-read, while frantically flipping through the poem and trying to squeeze an essay out of it. But no. I sat down and read it all. Quick, riveting and pretty enjoyable. Though I can't tell if my relief is because, thank you God, it's over and I didn't have to kill myself to read it. "

" The story "The Dead" has effected me in ways I never imagined upon first reading it. Now I've re-read that particular story over and over, and I always seem to find new moments in it. I haven't finished all of the stories in Dubliners, mostly because I don't want to feel like I've 'finished' the book. It's something that I always want to be 'currently reading.' "

" I dare you to find a better collection of short stories. Seriously, I dare you! "

" HATED this book of pointless short stories! I am endlessly amazed that one of these 5 page stories - "The Dead" was actually turned into a nearly 2 hour long movie, because there really wasn't much to it. "

" Read this as a gear up for a trip to Dublin. This book was fantastic. Joyce composes some of the best sentences I have ever read. My favorite stories - The Dead and Clay. "

" Most remember Dubliners for "The Dead," but the whole thing is worthwhile. "

" Technically a collection of short stories, but I much prefer thinking of Dubliners, whether Joyce would like it that way or not, as a series of interlaced vignettes about love, loss, and of course, Stephen Daedalus. The style of the prose varies, and not everything relates, but it's by far my favorite work of Joyce's-- and I think, probably his most accessible for a reader who's not familiar with the stream-of-consciousness that became so signature to him. "

" I did not finish the book and I cannot remember whether I was reading it in Czech or in English. "

" Excellent - thoroughly enjoyed it. "

" I may be the only person who thinks Dubliners is Joyce's best writing. Not that I don't appreciate the experimental nature of his later works, but Ulysses in particular wanted, needed, lacked serious revision. "

" Although what he would end up doing with Ulysses is rarely hinted at here Joyce still manages to capture Dublin in a way that we can feel and believe. "

" Collection of bright haphazards, it's like Joyce was trying to sneeze during a yawn. But I enjoyed it anyway. A storyteller tells a story. "

" Dark interesting short stories in Dublin. "

" This is a collection of stories that I've been meaning to read for some time, now, and it finally happened. Having read Ulysses beforehand, it was not overwhelming but pleasant, in a recollecting sort of manner. Nice train riddance times. "

" I am interested to read this book because my favourite author (frank mccourt) read this too aside from the fact that james joyce is really a great writer of his time. "

" Another one of my all-time favorites. Gritty, realistic, wonderful. Through this collection, James Joyce truly captures the not-so-glamorous aspects of Ireland's middle-class industrial under-belly. "

" Many of these stories feel ordinary, pointless, dull. The major exceptions are three masterpieces: Eveline, A Painful Case, and The Dead. "

" I know it may be a blasphemy to rate it with only three stars, but this is just the first time I read it, and thus have not yet got deeper into the beauty of each tale. I did like many of deep as to rate them with five, but right now, the overall impression was not completely effective meaning-wise. "

" In some of these stories nothing much happens, at least not on the surface. However, the characters are interesting to get to know, and the relationships between them often provide an insight into our own lives. "

" These are the best short stories you can find. That is all I can tell about this book. The narration is so smooth and heavenly that leaves you flabbergasted. No words can describe this book. "

" Absolutely amazing, 'The Dead' alone puts the collection in a 5 star position. "

" Lovely. Really nice to read after having visited there. "

" Good picture painting of Dublin, but I didn't find myself being drawn into the Dubliners' world. I simply saw it as a spectator and nothing more, though I did enjoy my time in the audience. "

" Not my cup of tea, really. I'm desperate to like Joyce, but these short stories were a bit too stale. Little, faithful portraits of life in Dublin. I hope Ulysses is better! "

" The best book of short stories I've ever read. Never read a better description of a foreign time and place the Joyce's stories of Dublin in the first couple years of the 20th century. A must for any true literary person. "

" This book, actually a collection of short stories, was good, but not great. Maybe James Joyce's later books are literary classics but this book wasn't anything special. After reading the book, I didn't think there was anything remarkable about any of the characters or the city of Dublin. "

" Many of these stories feel ordinary, pointless, dull. The major exceptions are three masterpieces: Eveline, A Painful Case, and The Dead. "

" Loved it - each chapter a brief look into a character's life. Thoroughly enjoyed it. "

" A beautiful, haunting collection. Some favorite stories include 'A Painful Case', 'Counterparts', 'Eveline', and 'The Dead'. "

" In some of these stories nothing much happens, at least not on the surface. However, the characters are interesting to get to know, and the relationships between them often provide an insight into our own lives. "

" Probably a 4 1/2, "The Dead" ends the collection on a very high note. "

" for sure I loved The Dead and An Encounter, the rest were ok, but some I couldn't finish at all... "

" Need to re read was probably too young to appreciate it "

" I did not finish reading this book; just because I did not realize it was not the stories, but commentaries on the stories. I think I want to try reading the stories first, but I would've felt bad to give this book a low rating based on the fact that I did not read the whole thing. "

" The copy I read - and have not seen since - had unusual pagination; p. 1 facing p. 1. The original text was on the right, with exquisite annotations on the left. "

" Recently (10/11) listened to this book. Read it with book group back in 1995. Appreciated it more after some 15 years of additional reading. "

" I don't like short stories, but i enjoyed these. "

" The first few stories are well executed but lack the style, intrigue, and punch of Joyce at his peak. In sum, they are only read and readable because he wrote them. However, the last few stories, especially The Dead, are wonderful. I highly recommend the free Project Gutenburg edition. "

" The Dead, the final story, is superbly written. "

" A rather difficult read due to my unfamiliarity with the background circumstances and grim backdrop, but a collection of great shots nevertheless. I did not know that so much atmosphere and character could lend themselves so beautifully to so few words. "

" I've read this before and it stands the test of time. I am enjoying it for my third time and know I will revisit it in the future. "

" Great read, but one that takes FOREVER. The stories are subtle and beautiful, though, so it was worth it. "

" "The Dead" makes me cry. The rest are kind of snoozy "

" Reading this was like reading something that I could have understood if I had been alive in or just after while Joyce was alive. "

" Joyce's simple stories keep one gripped. Wonderful collection and a great introduction to Joyce. "

" This is collection of short stories, which I've found more tolerable to read than other Joyce works. Still, all places, emotions and names of the characters are repetitive. Not to mention how sad, unhappy and frustrated are all people in those stories. It's rather depressing. Good for one read. "

" Needless to say, I am very biased when it comes to books set in Ireland, and in particular in Dublin... but Joyce is Joyce and a brilliant author who deserves to be in the top 3 of Ireland's best authors ever! "

" Kisah-kisah 'dear dirty Dublin' yang santai dan tenang. "

" These short stories are off the hook! "

" Great collection of stories, all of them were good--Eveline and The Dead were absolutely amazing "

" Joyce's writing is so good, but this honestly could have been about five stories less. I look forward to reading his novels in the near future. "

" the ways in which both the social interactions of daily life are portrayed as well as the human psyche of the participants were both excellent and original. The stories themselves were sometimes a bit dry for my taste, but the imagery was brilliant. "

" nice short stories about dubliners. as you might guess. like the public house scenes, and the lack of reliance on plot. "

" The Dead, The Sisters and Araby are great! The rest are so-so. "

" Although there are no plots to speak of, the characters are clearly described. Joyce is able to transport you to that time and place through dialogue and description. "