Dubliners

Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce from 1914. The stories are about the
life in Ireland in the early 20th century. It is famous as a portrait of middle- and working-class life in
Ireland during a complicated period, when the country wanted independence from England and its
citizens were searching for an Irish identity.

The first three stories are about the life of child in Dublin, and they are about failure and
dissapointment. For example, in the story „Araby“, a boy wants to buy a gift for for his girlfriend, but
fails. Or „An Encounter“, where two boys that wander streets of Dublin meet a stranger that
frightens them.

The next stories are about young people and adults, and they also have the same theme of failed
plans or projects. For example, in the story „Eveline“ the main character has to decide if he will go to
Argentina with his girlfriend, but she abandons him at the critical moment.

The last group of stories are about institutions: “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” is about politics, “A
Mother” is about the musical world of Dublin, and “Grace” is about religion.

At the end, in the last story „The Dead“, melancholic middle-aged man attends a party and thinks of
his life. He decides to leave his country and go to the west.

I liked the book because the writing was good and I learned something about the life in Ireland at
that time.
Dubliners

Dubliners je zbirka petnaest kratkih priča Jamesa Joycea iz 1914. Priče su o životu u Irskoj početkom
20. stoljeća. To je poznati prikaz života u srednjoj i radničkoj klasi u Irskoj tijekom kompliciranog
razdoblja, kada je zemlja željela neovisnost od Engleske i njeni građani su tražili irski identitet.

Prve tri priče odnose se na život djeteta u Dublinu, a odnose se na neuspjeh i razočaranje. Primjerice,
u priči „Araby“, dječak želi kupiti dar za svoju djevojku, ali ne uspije. Ili „Susret“, gdje dva dječaka koji
lutaju ulicama Dublina sreću stranca koji ih preplaši.

Sljedeće priče su o mladima i odraslima, a imaju i istu temu neuspjelih planova ili projekata.
Primjerice, u priči „Eveline“ glavni lik mora odlučiti hoće li sa svojom djevojkom otići u Argentinu, ali
ona ga u kritičnom trenutku napušta.

Posljednja skupina priča govori o institucijama: “Bršljanov dan u prostorijama odbora” odnosi se na
politiku, “Majka” se bavi glazbenim svijetom Dublina, a “Grace” govori o religiji.

Na kraju, u posljednjoj priči „Mrtvi“, melankolični sredovječni muškarac ide na zabavu i razmišlja o
svom životu. Odlučuje napustiti svoju zemlju i otići na zapad.

Knjiga mi se svidjela jer je pisanje bilo dobro i naučio sam nešto o životu u Irskoj u to vrijeme.