Dubliners 100: Fifteen New Stories Inspired by the Original by Edited by Thomas Morris (5-Jun-2014) Paperback

by Thomas Morris

Thomas Morris’s Dubliners 100 invites new and established Irish writers to create ‘cover versions’ of their favourite stories from James Joyce’s Dubliners.Dubliners 100 is a timely conversation with Joyce’s classic short story collection one hundred years after its publication. It serves to bring together ambitious new writers, like Elske Rahill, with well-known voices, like Patrick McCabe, looking in, reacting to and reinterpreting Joyce. Dubliners 100 is a celebration, an invitation, a tribute, and a wonderful collection in John Boyne, Sam Coll, Evelyn Conlon, Michèle Forbes, Andrew Fox, Oona Frawley, John Kelly, Eimear McBride, Patrick McCabe, Belinda McKeon, Mary Morrissy, Peter Murphy, Paul Murray, Elske Rahill, and Donal Ryan.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Ireland, Classics, Irish Literature

Unknown Binding

First published June 5, 2014

Reviews

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published by independent Irish publishers, Tramp Press, to mark the century since the appearance of Joyce's short story collection, and features 15 contemporary Irish writers, including some very big names, writing stories inspired by the Joycean originals.

I reread the original text a month ago to refamiliarise myself with the stories, it having been 7 years since I'd read it previously, and I have to say that, sacreliguous or not, this new collection is of much greater relevance to the contemporary reader who reads simply for pleasure than the original.

Some stories stick closer than others to the original 'script', including carbon copy character names etc, many tackle issues faced by the contemporary Dubliner, and only a couple are what I would call 'weak'-the version of 'The Dead' by Peter Murphy confirmed my desire, after his last novel, never to read another word written by him again.

All told however, there are many stories that I thoroughly enjoyed-in particular, I'll mention John Boyne's version of 'Araby', Oona Frawley's version of 'The Boarding House' and Paul Murray's version of 'A Painful Case'-and while I'm not a massive fan of the short story as such, the book is well worth reading for anyone who enjoys Irish interest books.

[Steve Petherbridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this immediately after re-reading James Joyce's original "Dubliners", after seeing it being promoted in my local bookshop here in Dublin.

2014 is the the 100th anniversary of the well fought for publication of James Joyce’s celebrated, and ageless in my opinion, short story collection, Dubliners, including "The Dead", regarded by many as one of the greatest short stories ever written.

This book is intended as both a celebration of the original and a reimagining or literary re-engineering of the 15 original stories by a range of already eminent and established writers, to varying degrees within and outside the Country, and some of Ireland's more promising younger writers.

Joyce casts a wife shadow over all Irish writers. This new collection sees 15 modern writers shine some light on this shadow and tackle him head on. The reputation of writers on board is first class in most cases and most of the stories are honest and brilliant in and of themselves. Each author takes a different tack in referring back to or associating with Joyce's original. In my amateur opinion, some are not quite successful, but, that may be just my concentration levels at the time and my requiring to reread them, which I will do. Others are entertaining, innovative, fascinating and imaginative. The new publication is a good read in itself.

God only knows what the megalomaniacal and over-protective Joyce Literary Estate thinks of this book, but, it is a brave and, in general, well worked undertaking paying homage to a master of literature. James Joyce is revered and seminal in English literature and his works are a renowned area of academic study and of continuous interpretative debate. So considering these burdens, as an anniversary celebration, this publication does indeed honour Joyce and is a modern interpretation of "Dubliners", set in a modern a Dublin.

The stories also show that there are enough up and coming writers to demonstrate that the Irish short story genre is in good health and in good hands. I think Joyce would be satisfied with this and the prospect of reading the present and future works of some of the the recently emerged writers, such as Belinda McKeon, Paul Murray, John Boyne and Donal Ryan, who are carrying his torch forward!

How was the iconic and, in many people's opinion, the perfect short story, "The Dead", tackled? Well, the well established Peter Murphy knew the task (and risk of criticism from those deemed worthy to criticise while not necessarily brave enough to write!) he was taking on in tangling with this almost sacred work and he does so obliquely and in a clever prose style. I think he is successfull.

I would recommend reading Joyce's masterful original before tacking this book.

As a point of interest, this book Is only the second publication by a new Dublin publishing house, Tramp Press, co-founded by Davis-Goff, who discovered and championed Donal Ryan’s excellent publishing debut "The Spinning Heart", which won the Guardian First Book Award, while Davis-Goff was working for Lilliput Press. Bravely launching in these recessionary times, Tramp Press will be deserving of keeping an eye on. I didn't purchase the book cheaper on-line!

Other more professional reviews that may be of insight and interest:
Dubliners 100: 15 New Stories Inspired by the Original – review
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...

New Dubliners by KEITH HOPPER of the TLS
http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/public/a...

[Come Musica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alcuni racconti sono molto belli, altri un po' meno. Tra l'altro non ricordo Dubliners di Joyce. Devo assolutamente riprenderlo.

[Sara Cantoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ammetto di essere stata incuriosita da quest'antologia sin da quando è uscita, ormai qualche anno fa, in occasione del centenario dalla pubblicazione dei Dubliners di James Joyce.
Ammetto anche che Gente di Dublino è sicuramente una delle mie opere Joyceane preferite e che alcuni dei racconti originali rientrano nel novero dei miei preferiti di sempre.
Ho trovato piacevole e interessante questa raccolta. Come sempre mi succede con le raccolte di racconti, soprattutto quando sono scritte da penne diverse, ho apprezzato di più alcune composizioni e meno altre. Ho certamente apprezzato il fatto che, seppur si tratti di riletture/riscritture gli autori abbiano scelto di trarre solo ispirazione dai temi dei racconti di Joyce, creando racconti inediti e differenti dagli originali e non semplici riscritture o riadattamenti.

[Nelliamoci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma protagonista di Dubliners 100 è soprattutto l’Irlanda e tutti i profumi che la caratterizzano: le pagine di James Joyce e dei suoi discendenti sanno di pub, di birra scura e di moquette. Sanno di pullman vecchi e inquinanti, di porti affollati e di gente accalcata in Temple Bar nelle giornate umide e piovose. Sanno di vecchi dischi, di whisky e di legno scricchiolante. Sanno di vento che in questi anni ha continuato a soffiare rendendo il Nord così attraente agli occhi di tutti, con i suoi immensi prati verdi e i cieli azzurri dipinti da nuvole bianche nelle giornate più belle.


https://justanotherpoint.wordpress.co...

[Rachael Gilkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic achievement by editor Thomas Morris, in tribute to the 100 year anniversary of the publication James Joyce's story collection DUBLINERS. Each story from the original was given to an Irish writer to write a "cover," interpreted how each individual saw fit, and what comes from it is a collection as unique and enjoyable as any well-curated anthology. Particularly delightful is the selection of authors living not only in Ireland, but living abroad, and thus setting stories in cities like New York. As a cheat sheet for a list of best writers coming out of Ireland, its not too bad, either.

[Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The youngster, relying on life for his hope, tufts his hair up and scoots on out the door while the drinkers’ mouths break down their wine and long around for more.” With Bloomsday still fresh in the world, the tail-end of this week seemed the right time to read Dubliners 100, fifteen short “cover version” stories edited by Thomas Morris, paying tribute to James Joyce’s Dubliners (and to begin the final stretch of my Tramp Press completionist read-through...). There was one story I skipped as I’m not a fan of the writer, but the other fourteen were varied and all honoured Joyce and his landmark fiction debut in their own separate ways. I loved Eimear McBride’s ‘Ivy Day in the Committee Room’, and Belinda McKeon’s darkly comic and exquisitely modern, topical ‘Counterparts’; Donal Ryan’s ‘Eveline’ had a discomforting brilliance to it, and Paul Murray’s ‘A Painful Case’ was a messy gut-punch in swirling prose. Oona Frawley’s ‘The Boarding House’ was another glittering gem, and Peter Murphy’s take on ‘The Dead’ which closed the collection was perfectly unsettling and ghostly and mournful. I loved the stories which felt wholly original and detached as much as I loved the ones which overtly concerned themselves with Joyce and his legacy - each had their strengths and earned a place in this charming and stylish testament to Joyce’s pioneering collection of short fiction!

[ValdiVic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading the original "Dubliners" when I was doing my BA, and falling in love with some of the stories. As soon as I saw this book, I knew I had to give it a go (I'm a sucker for cover songs so... Why not cover stories?).

I love most of the stories here. They're not really rewritings of the originals by James Joyce, more like inspirations, starting point and so on.

I'd say my favourites were "Araby", "Eveline", "Counterparts", "Clay" and "A Painful Case", and funny enough, these were the ones that also caught my attention in the original book (as well as the stunning "The Dead").

This collection is highly recommended if you like short fiction, Dublin and Ireland, and of course, James Joyce.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection, which is an endeavor to have modern authors create literary remixes inspired by the 15 stories in James Joyce's Dubliners, gets major points from me as an idea. Joyce's collection of literary epiphanies lends itself perfectly to this sort of thinking and literary endeavor. The problem for this book comes both from the unevenness of the writing, and the bizarre selection of a Welsh man with one book under his name who studied briefly in Dublin being named as the editor. I think that a better editor and a more established stable of writers would have done this collection a great deal of good.

[Emma Getz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this reimagining of Joyce’s Dubliners, a collection I loved when I read it last semester. This collection features a different Irish author writing a “cover” of each original Joyce story. My favorites in this collection were “An Encounter,” “Araby" (which I already read in John Boynes short story collection but it’s worth acknowledging twice), “After the Race,” “Two Gallants,” “The Boarding House,” “Counterparts,” and “A Painful Case” (which was definitely my favorite).

[T P Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not a bad little book but suffers from the unevenness that bedevils this kind of anthology. Commissioning some of the best and the brightest to provide companion stories to Joyce sounds like a great idea. However, these stories suffer in comparison with the volume that inspired them. With Joyce, there's always a driving force that's affirmative. Many of these stories are negative and almost despairing in tone.

[Big Hard Books & Classics · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a "retelling" of Joyce 's Dubliners, by contemporary writers, with most of the original characters (and plot lines!) kept pretty much tightly intact, while others of the stories are "gender bent" or the outcomes now appear ever so slightly askew or the plot lines are COMPLETELY changed about!

If you're a Joycean, or just a mere fan of Mr Joyce, you too will enjoy this new version.

* Thanks Maria @ MH Books in Dublin for the Buddy Read!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Sisters" has long been a personal favorite; the new version was probably my favorite of this bunch. The new "Eveline" didn't quite have the emotional wallop of original, but still a poignant one. Went back and forth on the new "The Dead" -- disappointing on first read, but improved some with second read. Maybe a third read will cinch it, but for now, I've lost the motivation to test it. Regardless, overall, if you're a Joyce fan, I think you'll enjoy this one.

[Isabel Sandoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a book of short stories with bitter endings. I usually don’t enjoy readings where characters face bad odds or have sad stories. Nevertheless, it was a good way to start understanding Irish culture and slang.

[weemahony]

“A chill comes ore my boned to think of it, for even as I speak I feel full sure that ye can hear my cockle-shells still ringing with the prating of them vagrant dead.”

[Anna]

I've Only read a painful case

[Zachtookthem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painful Case is again the best among its peers. A Little Cloud is difficult to read, for the right reason. A fun remix that speaks in time to the original!

[brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected. This is presented as a book of "cover versions", but that's selling the material short a bit. Each story here is not so much a cover version as a complete re-imagining. Different authors take a single short story from Joyce's original Dubliners and offer their own individual take on it. It's a brave undertaking, one that's almost sure to ruffle the feathers of many dedicated Joyceans - not that that's a bad thing. (Though, in retrospect, it's hard to imagine the typical 'career Joycean' reading books outside of their beloved canon in the first place.)

My favourites here were Belinda McKeon's modern day take on 'Counterparts', and Patrick McCabe's new riff on 'The Sisters'. Both take different approaches to the original material, and they succeed not only on that count, but also by dint of being good stories in their own right.

That's not to damn the efforts of the other writers with faint praise either. There is plenty of new talent here and I'll be keeping an eye out for future efforts by these writers too.

As a 'recovering Joycean' myself I'd be interested to hear how this book goes over with people who've never read Joyce before at all. For the most part, most of these stories seem worth reading on their own merits, but then as a fan of the original, I'm too biased to be truly objective on this. Thoughts?

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are various stories associated with Dublin writers - that they are frightened to write in the shadow of Joyce; or that every Dubliner is currently working on a novel. Well this book suggests the first is false and the second is possibly true. As I recall, Joyce was not content merely to publish a set of short stories - in Dubliners, he set out to perfect the art form and in The Dead, especially, many would accept that he accomplished his goal. In the face of that benchmark, these writers are fearless and every one writes extremely well. As for matching The Dead - don't be daft; a creative writer just has to find a way of constructing a shrine to greatness.

The many cross references to the original stories opened up an interesting sideline, asking how people and things have changed in the intervening hundred years. School children still learn to avoid the unwanted attentions of sexual predators long before learning much about sex. Decent mortals still endure the tyranny of bullying employers. Unpleasant young men are still heirs to unearned fortunes and learn the wasteful ways of the wealthy. Alcohol still blights lives and old age remains a tribulation. Artists still work to transform ordinary Dublin lives into stardust.

[Vivian Valvano · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
I understand the effort, but I was generally underwhelmed. The technique of prefacing each story (all with Joyce's original titles) with a sentence or two from Joyce's DUBLINERS, with but a few exceptions of meaningful connection, usually leads nowhere. In my estimation, a few of the stories are quite interesting; some have possibilities; some are efforts that unfortunately fall flat; some are embarrassingly poor. The short introduction by the editor is terrible. On a first reading, the stories that I found to be the most interesting/best of the group are: "An Encounter" (expresses in a few pages complications of friendship/possible danger); "Araby" (queers the basis of the original, sometimes poignantly); "A Painful Case" (queers elements of the original, sometimes imaginatively).

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of short stories, named for and to different degrees based on the short stories in James Joyce's Dubliners.

I started these stories first reading a Dubliners 100 story and then the original, then I moved on and read the original followed by its modern version - and then I decided I was being a complete anorak, and finished the last stories by themselves.

They compare very well in terms of atmosphere, each of the authors captured the atmosphere of the original excellently.

Some stories were better than others, but that's what I love about short story collections - you can judge the writers on an even field. I have also been introduced to a few writers that are new to me, and I look forward to reading more of their work.

[Etnagigante]

Nuove promesse e affermati scrittori irlandesi si cimentano nella riscrittura dell'opera di Joyce, riprendendo i suoi Dubliners in chiave moderna e lasciandone intatti lo spirito di fondo e la fatalità del popolo irlandese.
Quindici storie, tra Dublino e New York (dove gli Irlandesi sono di casa e spesso osannati), in cui i protagonisti sono spesso sconfitti anche quando hanno già vinto, dove la natura è compagna di vita anche dentro una città metropolitana e il senso di appartenenza alla propria terra è forte nonostante tutto.
Ne viene fuori una bella prova corale, considerando la difficile sfida e il confronto.

[Yasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously not as good as James Joyce himself but there were a few stories that could stand on their own. It was interesting to see what each author decided to focus on as the takeaway message of the story that he or she had to "cover". The resulting collection lacks the overall cohesion of symbols and imagery that Dubliners has but in its place is a reflection of how applicable and relevant Joyce still is today: the Dubliners he wrote about 100 years ago are still very much in existence in 2014.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would now like to read the original Dubliners by James Joyce, to fully appreciate this collection. A couple of stories just didn't click with me at all, but others such as the Boarding house and A Painful Case were brilliant. I loved that the first and last stories involve a congregation around a fire of sorts. 'The Dead' gave me the shivers.

[Ewan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to contemporary Irish writing - the stories by John Boyne and Michele Forbes stand out for me.