Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#71378 05/26/02 04:12 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
J
old hand
OP Offline
old hand
J
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
In order to experience as much of a dichotomy as possible, I've begun reading Joyce's Dubliners while still working on The Fountainhead.

In the second tale, "An Encounter", I encountered the passage: "He began to talk of the weather, saying that it would be a very hot summer and adding that the seasons had changed gready since he was a boy--a long time ago."

I think I can pretty well understand what it means from context, but I haven't found it in "the dictionary" or by googling. I suspect that it's Irish slang, being Joyce and all. Does anyone know anything about it?


#71379 05/26/02 07:17 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 328
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 328
Might it be a typo for "greatly?"


#71380 05/27/02 01:18 AM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
J
old hand
OP Offline
old hand
J
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
Ah yes, good point. I looked other places and found it both ways, so I believe you're right. Thanks.


#71381 05/27/02 01:28 AM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
I haven't read that story in years, but I'd say that the word meant greatly, but Joyce was writing it as the speaker pronounced it rather than as a typographical error....although that's possible, too, but I'd bet on the odd pronunciation.


#71382 05/27/02 02:44 AM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
J
old hand
OP Offline
old hand
J
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
Speaking of Joyce . . . since, well, we kind of are . . . what experiences have you all had with him? I haven't read too much yet, basically just the first two stories of Dubliners (I've read that it's best to start with his early works and go chronologically), but I'm not quite getting that epiphany that's supposed to be in each story. Is this because of a lack of knowledge about Irish culture, or it is really that complex? What do you think?


#71383 05/27/02 12:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
B
old hand
Offline
old hand
B
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
A good place to dip your feet in is 'A Portrait of ..', if you're going for his early works. I haven't read Dubliners, but Ulysses is a slog to say the least. I read it as best I could. It's a book I'll have to come back to though; I don't have the tools with which to adequately enjoy and comprehend it.


#71384 05/27/02 01:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 320
S
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
S
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 320
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.


#71385 05/28/02 01:15 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
B
veteran
Offline
veteran
B
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
I agree, ST, that Portrait of the Artist is the best introduction to Joyce. Better even than Dubliners. But by all means, Jazzo, once you've read Portrait, do try Ulysses. It's a masterpiece. Joyce's inventive use of the language is truly astounding. I'm not alluding just to the stream-of-consciousness technique, but to his use of words and style. There is a section (the one where Bloom visits the hospital where Mrs. Purefoy is lying in) where he starts in a sort of Ango-Saxon style, using no words with a derivation from anything other than Anglo-Saxon, then segues into a Middle English style, from there to Spencerian, then to late Elizabethan, etc., giving you a short historic tour of the English language. Then there is the part written like advertisements. Many lyrical passages, many linguistic leg-pulls and just having a good old time with language.



Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,621
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 198 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,742
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,933
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5