I agree that A Portrait of the Artist,,, is a proper vehicle into the Joycean realm--the atmosphere is all there, but the reader can penetrate it without any real disorientation. Ulysses and especially Finnegan's Wake demand much more of an investment , but are well worth the effort for anyone who loves words. There are some valuable books written by Joyce scholars, delving into the author's quirky genius with vocabulary.

Best of all for the reader just getting into Joyce is, I think, Dubliners. I find The Dead a deeply moving story. I also loved John Huston's filmed version. As I recall, it was his last movie--a wonderful epiphany.