Just read this for the first time and was blown away by it. I

>>9114875
Some parts of it were really good, but overall I didn't really find it very enjoyable. The preacher's sermon in the middle was a chore to get through.

I read Dubliners in high school but didn't get much out of it. I'll probably reread it someday.

>>9114909
The extensive religious passages were probably the only things I did not enjoy either, but ultimately they are forgetable if you look at the whole of the work. That of course does not make it much better that they're there though.

>>9114875
Now read the sequel.

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>>9114933
https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Artist-Young-Chopped-Screwed-ebook/dp/B01MURDLPW
I agree, read this gem

Yes OP I had a similar experience. I went to a boarding school as well so I could relate a lot to Stephen.

Dubliners I enjoy but not as much as Portrait. I've heard people who say this switched for them as they grew older, though.

yeah m'boy its good craic

>>9114875
Were you raised Catholic, or in a religious family? I actually think that people who have had this experience are more likely to really enjoy 'Portrait', as patently it would be easier for them to empathize with Stephen (specifically young Stephen, at school).

I wasn't really, and felt like I wasn't affected as heavily by some chapters (cf. the Sermon/Retreat chapter). I still liked it though, and have heard 'Ulysses' towers over it and as such am quite excited to read it.

By the way, I particularly enjoyed the penultimate chapter/section when Stephen was explaining why he wanted to leave. Him telling on the teacher/prefect was also a great chapter. Overall a pretty wonderful novel.

>>9115345
Yeah, I was raised catholic, obviously not as strict as a child in Stephen's times would have been but my family and the people around me weren't exactly laissez faire in terms of religion.

Like I said I could empathize with many of Steven's emotions, also his shame and need to attone before god and the church for "sinful acts and thoughts" :^) though never as severely as Steven took it. However I do feel he, and by extension Joyce must have been a person of extremes..