>he starts by saying "I THINK..."

That's fine .. okay, it IS opinion, it might be mistaken for something else though<g>. I for one find it a shame that someone as well schooled in Joyce as yourself and others here choose to only speak irreverently of him - even if it is somewhat in jest. Though I do understand this is not the place to pick apart books in detail.

>I do also note that you simply assert the rank of Joyce

Well, that was kind of my point, that he is an odd case ...seemingly out of nowhere (or magically:-) his works became 'modern classics'. Ulysses was practically admitted into the canon upon publication. Are there any other modern authors who have been critically received in this way and have maintained that position to this day?