James Joyce and Sexuality

by Richard Brown

This highly original study seeks to correct the critical misapprehension that James Joyce was a figure who remained aloof and disengaged from the intellectual and social concerns of his time. By exploring Joyce's interest in sexual questions, Dr Brown shows that, on the contrary, his work represents a more complex and subtle kind of engagement with such concerns. There are four main areas of interest. The first is Joyce's extensive reading on the question of marriage and its impact on his work, a subject invested with greater interest through Joyce's elopement with and delayed marriage to Nora Barnacle. The second is Joyce's responsiveness to the new sexual ideology as expounded in the writings of Freud and Havelock Ellis. Thirdly, Dr Brown considers the feminist dimension of the oeuvre and explores Joyce's profound concern with twentieth-century discussions of sexual divisions and difference, a topic hitherto neglected in the classic critical treatments. Finally, the book argues for a new type of Joycean aesthetic in which the major works are analysed as responses to readings of other texts. Dr Brown offers a substantial and original account of Joyce's work as modern in its social ideas as well as in its literary form, and suggests how the stylistic modernity itself may be seen to arise in part as a response to the difficulties of dealing with sex.

Genres: Literary Criticism

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

amazon.co.uk description -
Richard was a primary school teacher and advisory teacher for literacy for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer of children's books and books for schools. He is the author of many picture books and poetry anthologies for younger children, many of which have been adapted for the teaching of English overseas. He has written two best-selling collections of poetry for more than one voice, 'The Midnight Party' and 'Whisked Away', many short chapter books including 'Rachel's Mysterious Drawings', 'Setna's Journey' and 'Johnny's Blitz'. He is the author of the acclaimed 'Golden Armour' series of fantasy novels and two ghost novels for older children. He lives near Cambridge, writes poetry and teaches adult poetry writing classes.

Reviews

[Michael Jarvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful book that addresses and corrects some misconceptions in earlier criticism vis a vis Joyce and sexuality.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit underwhelmed by this, to be honest. Some bits are interesting, but I felt that ultimately Brown could have made more exicting connections between socio-historical developments and Joyce's work. The bit on conception was really really good though and might have (had? I don't know how this book was received) revolutionary implications shaping a new reading of Ulysses. If everything had been as good as that section, this would have been great.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

the writing was way too dry and boring for me, but there were times or more specifically subjects that "turned me on" (thought irony doesn't hurt here, since the title is sexuality). What interested me specifically were two sections of the book, Specific and generic onanism and the whole section on women. I wish there was more to this book, maybe a more in depth sociological insight or comparative look in sexuality in different works Joyce's contemporaries.