Monday quote by James Joyce (1882-1941)

James Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet and short story writer.

Born on February 2, 1882, in Dublin, Ireland, Joyce was one of the most revered though controversial writers of the 20th century.

Joyce’s relationship with his native country was a complex one and after graduating he left Ireland for a new life in Paris where he hoped to study medicine.

James Joyce was born in the 19th century when Ireland was still a part of the United Kingdom and he lived through the earlier attempts at gaining Irish independence. The Republic of Ireland became officially independent in 1949 and a member of the European Union in 1973.

He left Ireland in 1904 but he somehow never really left since all his work is set in Dublin despite him living in Italy, France and Switzerland. To earn money, James Joyce became a language teacher.

Joyce taught English and learned Italian, one of 17 languages he could speak, a list that included Arabic, Sanskrit and Greek!

Ulysses, his most famous novel, is a modern retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, with the three main characters serving as modern versions of Telemachus, Ulysses and Penelope.

Joyce never saw the conclusion of World War II and never came back to Ireland. Following an operation, the writer died at the age of 59 on January 13, 1941, in Zurich, Switzerland.

His critical depiction of Irish society made him a controversial figure. Exile was a key element in his writing but now Dublin wants Joyce back. In 2019, some Dublin city counsellors asked the Swiss government to repatriate Joyce’s remains to Dublin.

(ESL learning : for educational purposes only.)