Dubliners
James Joyce
Dubliners
17 chapters
3.83from 184,995 ratingson Goodreads
Fifteen stories of ordinary life in the city at the turn of the century: a boy at a dead priest's wake, a clerk who beats his son after a bad day, a woman at the quayside unable to board the ship. Each turns on a moment of sudden self-knowledge that changes nothing, and the last of them, The Dead, is among the finest short stories in English.
About the book
Dubliners is James Joyce’s 1914 collection of fifteen short stories portraying everyday life in Dublin—from childhood through adulthood and public life. The stories often culminate in an “epiphany,” when a character suddenly recognizes something uncomfortable about themselves or their circumstances. The best-known stories include “Araby,” “Eveline,” “A Little Cloud,” and especially “The Dead.”
Characters
Gabriel Conroy — The Dead
A teacher and writer attending his aunts’ annual party, where private unease shadows social confidence.
Gretta Conroy — The Dead
Gabriel’s wife, whose response to a song draws her attention towards a memory from her youth.
Eveline Hill — Eveline
A young woman weighing family duty and familiar hardship against the possibility of leaving Dublin.
Little Chandler — A Little Cloud
A clerk and aspiring poet whose meeting with an old friend sharpens his dissatisfaction with his life.
Farrington — Counterparts
An office clerk frustrated by humiliation at work and by the limits of his circumstances.
Maria — Clay
A gentle laundry worker spending an evening with people she has known since their childhood.
The boy — Araby
An unnamed schoolboy whose romantic fixation gives a Dublin bazaar intense personal importance.
About the author
James Joyce (1882–1941) was an influential Irish novelist, short-story writer and poet, widely regarded as one of the most important authors of the twentieth century. Born in Dublin, he drew heavily on the city’s people, streets and social life, even after spending much of his adulthood abroad. Joyce became known for his innovative language, experimental narrative techniques and profound exploration of memory, identity and everyday experience. His best-known works include Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.
Chapter summaries
3. THE SISTERS
A young boy learns that Father Flynn, an elderly priest and his former mentor, has died. Conversations after the death suggest that the priest had suffered a psychological or spiritual breakdown.
4. AN ENCOUNTER
Two boys skip school in search of adventure. Their outing becomes disturbing when they meet a strange older man whose conversation makes them uncomfortable.
5. ARABY
A boy becomes infatuated with his friend’s sister and promises to bring her something from the Araby bazaar. When he finally arrives, he recognizes the vanity and foolishness of his romantic fantasy.
6. EVELINE
A young woman plans to escape her difficult Dublin life by leaving with her lover, Frank. At the last moment, fear and obligation prevent her from boarding the ship.