Armin Arnold offers a concise and knowledgeable introduction to the life and works of James Joyce, but he is not a “Joycean.” He does not revere the Irish expatriate, although he acknowledges and enjoys his unique talent.
In describing and analyzing each of Joyce’s writings, he offers clear guides to interpreting those sometimes difficult-to-comprehend works. Joyce, Mr. Arnold suggests, enjoyed the role of martyr, and in his writings mocked those persons, institutions, and organizations that he felt had offended himn.
This fresh approach will help the reader to appreciate the humor in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. He will also be equipped to approach – and appreciate – those writings that moved so far from previous conventions of the novel, and to grasp something of the influence Joyce has exerted upon the writers who came after him.
Source- Goodreads.com
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