Carlos Ch

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to-read‎ (11)
currently-reading‎ (3)
read‎ (363)

did-not-finish‎ (1)
novels‎ (167)
short-stories‎ (99)

non-fiction‎ (65)
drama‎ (34)
poems‎ (5)

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Carlos is Currently Reading

Carlos Ch is currently reading

De krater

by Gerwin van der Werf

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Sep 14, 2026 04:02AM

Carlos Ch is currently reading

The Pale King

by David Foster Wallace

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Sep 11, 2026 12:12PM

Carlos Ch is currently reading

Dubliners

by James Joyce

bookshelves: short-stories, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in June 2025

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Carlos Ch said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" (This is not a review but rather an attempt at briefly summarizing each story).

In “The Sisters”, after a declining health and some form of paralysis, Father Flynn dies. The evocations his passing away raises are clouded. The narrator, a young lad of (This is not a review but rather an attempt at briefly summarizing each story).

In “The Sisters”, after a declining health and some form of paralysis, Father Flynn dies. The evocations his passing away raises are clouded. The narrator, a young lad of unknown age remembers him as a “maleficent and sinful being” but is appreciative of his mentorship and teachings towards himself; Mr. Cottee, a family friend, as having something “queer” and “uncanny” about him, and not feeling comfortable about him being around children. The narrator’s aunt on the other hand is confident Father Flynn’s gone to his “eternal reward”; Father Flynn’s sister remembers him as “scrupulous” and confiding his priesthood duties may have taken a toll on him. A story that offers some cues and frugal suggestions , but little certainty and many questions and room for the reader to fill out the voids. One event is known, though , where a Christian symbol suffers an accident and there is speculation about this being the start of Father Flynn’s downfall.

“An Encounter” is the account -or the memory of it- of a man during his school days. He and his school friends liked to read and play out Wild West stories, which “opened doors of escape”. The narrator then lusted for adventure, that is, real adventure and resolved it must be sought outdoors. He and his friends decided to skip school for a day; they wandered around Dublin and even took the ferry across the Liffey. An old man approached them and started talking oddly about young girls with white hands and soft hair. The old man suddenly left and when he re-appeared, the narrator was left alone with him . This unsettled the narrator , who eventually called out for his friend and was relieved when he came and joined him, effectively rescuing him from the old creep.

In “Araby” , a young boy lives in a mundane neighborhood with little thrill other than playing in the street with fellow neighbors and staring at and fantasizing about one of the neighbor’s sisters. Despite this infatuation, the boy never dared speaking to her, except one day she was the one who initiated conversation with him. In the brief exchange the girl shared she had wanted
to go to a bazaar but couldn’t and encouraged the boy to go. Seizing the opportunity, the boy promised to bring her something from the bazaar if he goes.
In the subsequent days, the boy has no room in his mind nor his life for anything other than eyeing the prospect of the bazaar. On the much anticipated day, however, he has a bad premonition. In any case, the boy follows through and due to factors beyond his control only manages to get there close to closing time. He is sorely disappointed, not by the delay but by the bazaar itself.
This is the story of a double awakening. The first one is a romantic and innocent “confused adoration” for a girl he barely knew. The second one is the sunken feeling that what he had experienced was not falling in love, but a disappointing and derisory “vanity”.

The story of “Eveline” is one of departures. Hers is imminent. She is due to elope with her lover (Frank) to Buenos Aires and is reminiscing her house as she prepare to leave, hopeful of her future ahead. Her mother is dead; one of her brothers too. Some neighbors and also a local priest have left abroad. Her other brother works somewhere out in the country. Eveline works , struggles to make ends meet and even cares for two children of parents not disclosed in the story. Her father is abusive and now aging but “sometimes (…) could be very nice”. Music coming from an (Italian immigrant) organ player in the streets reminded Eveline of the promise she made to her late mother of keeping the home together as long as she could. She ultimately goes to the Dublin dock, where her lover is waiting and calling for her. She is hesitant, prays for an answer -leaving or staying-, visualizes (or receives a response to her prayer of) Frank drowning her and stays, as the boat is about to leave.

In “After the race”, Jimmy is a Dublin son of a newly rich family who made their wealth through butcheries. He had been sent to study in England and “see a little life”. His father valued his son moving around social circles of well off people. Jimmy and a few foreign friends go out to see a race, then dress up smartly, go out for dinner and play card games. Jimmy gets splendidly drunk and loses a significant sum of money. He is reassured “he would regret it in the morning” and we are not entirely sure if he refers to the hangover or the loss of money (or very likely both of these). He feels content nonetheless.

Corley and Lenehan are the “Two Gallants” of this story and are presented as some lowly socialites of sorts. Corley goes on a date with a young servant and Lenehan, who is said to be Corley’s disciple, waits for their encourner to end before reconvening with his friend. Lenehan is aware Corley is cooking something with the girl he’s dating.
Lenehan wanders about and there is hint that he is not in the mood to meet girls like he normally would. Instead, he realizes he is soon to be thirty one, has no job nor home of his own. He yearns to settle down if he were to meet a good woman with “a little of the ready”.
When Lenehan finally meets Corley in the evening , he realizes Corley had persuaded the girl into stealing money from the family she was working with and handing it down to him.

In “The Boarding House”, what appears to be a simple, organic affair between a young man (Mr. Doran) and a young woman (Polly) becomes, to say the least, a blur. The affair does not stops at being the business between two consenting adults, but rather the topic of meddling of the watchful, traditional, Catholic Dublin society as well as of the bystanders in the boarding house, most notably Polly’s brother (Jack) who may recourse to violence to protect his sister’s honour and Polly’s mother, who after some thought (or perhaps even contrivance) will have a strong opinion and influence over what needs to happen next.

Little Chandler is in “A Little Cloud” a Dublin local who was to meet his pal Ignatius Gallaher at a fancy pub. Ignatius is visiting after being away 8 years and is now working as a journalist in the London Press. Little Chandler was proud of his friend and admired him to be brave enough to leave Dublin. On his way to the meeting , Little Chandler fantasizes about living in London himself and becoming a poet. At the bar, Ignatius incidentally invites Little Chandler to go to London, or better yet, to Paris. He says he will continue to live a bachelor life and if he ends up getting married, he will settle down with a rich German or Jewish woman. Little Chandler invites Ignatius for dinner at his place, so that he could meet his wife and baby boy. Ignatius turns down the invitation, claiming he already has plans and is leaving Dublin soon. Little Chandler feels Ignatius is patronizing him by being friendly and even patronizing Ireland with his visit. When Little Chandler comes back home, “a dull resentment against his life awoke within him”. As he was carrying his baby, who started to cry, Little Chandler loses his temper and targets his temporary frustration at the baby, shouting at him to “stop”, only making things worse. His wife comes to take the baby away from Little Chandler and console him, reprimanding Little Chandler for the state of the baby. Little Chandler feels remorse and sheds some tears. ...more "

Aug 06, 2026 03:36AM · see review