James Joyce: biography, literary heritage

James Joyce, whose biography is described in this article, is the most famous representative of modernism from Ireland. His literary work had a huge impact on the entire world culture of the 20th century.

Childhood and youth

Joyce was born in 1882 in the south of Dublin, in the Rathgar area. His family was very big (fifteen children). Father John Joyce was originally engaged in the family business - the wine trade. But since he was poorly versed in business, he quickly burned out. He had to get a job in the tax service. In general, the work was not dusty, but there John did not last long. After that, he often changed jobs. Together with his wife, Mary Jane, they had to move often, so James in early childhood lived in almost every part of Dublin.

In fact, the whole responsibility for the family lay on the shoulders of the mother. She had a modest pension, to which everyone lived. John the reveler was not at all embarrassed by this state of affairs. This greatly influenced all the children in the family, who had a disgust for their own father. Later, in the works of Joyce, these feelings will be reflected.

Despite the poverty and disorder of the family, the boy managed to get a good education. At the age of six he was sent to the Jesuit college by Klongouz Woods. And at eleven years they transferred to Belvedere. In 1897, after receiving a secondary education, James Joyce entered the University of Dublin (Royal), who graduated in 1902.

First publications

James Joyce, whose biography proves that he is undoubtedly the most talented of writers, loved school literature and language. It was immediately clear that this is not just a hobby.

He worked on writing small James before entering the Jesuit college. But at the age of nine he created a poem that amazes with its straightforwardness and openness. He dedicated it to Charles Parnell, the leader of the liberation movement in Ireland, and his companion Timothy Healy, who betrayed his comrade, as a result of which he perished.

The poem was reproduced by the writer's father, but the copies, unfortunately, did not survive.

While studying at the University, Joyce writes an essay about his favorite writer Henri Ibsen "Drama and Life." It was a small review of creativity. And a year later Joyce began to print in the prestigious London magazine "The Two-Weekly Review." His first publication was an article about Ibsen's play The New Drama. The novice writer received a decent fee, but the most valuable for him was the praise of the playwright himself.

In the same year of 1900 he wrote the play "A Brilliant Career". It is nothing more than imitation of Ibsen.

In connection with the death of Ruskin, Joyce's article "The Crown of the Wild Olive" was published in the magazine, where the writer discusses the fate of the famous Englishman.

Since 1901, he was mainly engaged in translations (for example, "Before the Sunrise" Hauptmann).

In October 1902, James was able to meet with Yeats. As the latter remarked, our novice writer was very arrogant. Indeed, Joyce was characterized by such behavior, but this did not prevent him from being merciful and kind to people.

Paris

So, Joyce graduated from the university. Before him a dilemma arose: what to do next? After reflecting for a while on this, he decided that he wanted to practice medicine. It was for this that he went to Paris in early December 1902.

James Joyce, whose biography sometimes surprises, in the most romantic city of the world quickly forgot about the purpose of his arrival. Medicine literally vanished from his mind.

He becomes a regular at the National Library, reads and pondered a lot. From these meditations, the result was a poetic collection of "Chamber music" and prose works, which James Joyce himself called Epiphany. Briefly this concept is reflected in "Heroes Stephen" (novel of the writer) and is characteristic for the early aesthetic theory of Joyce.

In addition, James sent materials and book reviews to the island, they were printed in the Dublin Daily Express.

In the middle of 1903, Joyce's mother dies. Last months the son was with her in Dublin. But because of disagreements on religious grounds (Joyce denied religion), after leaving the mother felt guilty and began to choke it with alcohol.

Since 1904, he began to work on the first major work - the novel "Hero Stephen." In parallel, he works on poetry, which later will be included in the collection "Dublin".

June 10th happens a fateful meeting in the life of Joyce. He meets his future wife Nora. At that time she worked as a maid at the hotel. Since that day, they almost never parted.

During this period, James writes and publishes many stories in magazines. And at the end of the year, together with Nora, he leaves for Europe, to the mainland.

In 1905, in Trieste, the couple had a son, Giorgio, and in 1907 - the daughter of Lucia. It is noteworthy that the girl was born in a hospital for the poor. The Joyce was in a difficult financial situation, despite the fact that the father of the family worked hard and hard. The Dublinites did not want to publish a collection, especially in Ireland. He was considered unpatriotic, and the publisher, under the pressure of the public, ordered the burning of the circulation already ready for sale.

Zürich

Because of the start of World War I, Joyce is forced to leave for Zurich, where they will stay until 1919. James has already begun work on the most important novel in life - "Ulysses."

Life in Zurich was remarkable for the fact that here the writer was finishing work on one of his best works - the book "Portrait of an Artist in Youth". Some chapters already saw the light, but the whole edition was not ready.

"Portrait of an artist in his youth"

This novel by James Joyce is autobiographical. It is redesigned from the previously written "Hero of Steve".

For the first time the book was published in 1916 in America, thanks to the efforts of a friend of Joyce Harriet Weaver, the former editor of the journal Egoist. Then it was published in Austria and other countries.

The author describes the formation of a hero named Steven Dedalus, who in the future will appear in the novel "Ulysses". James Joyce speaks of the character as his alter ego. Daedalus doubts in the same way the truth of the postulates of Catholicism and the correctness of the structure of modern society in Ireland.

"Ulysses"

Until 1922, some magazines published chapters from a new novel by Joyce. But soon even in the US it was banned for release. In Britain, the moratorium lasted until 1936. As a result, the book was published in Paris. It was released on February 2 - the birthday of the author.

Could the writer have dreamed that it was his work that would be called the pinnacle of modernism, that this "Ulysses" would receive this high rank? James Joyce did not doubt it at all! He created an incredible polystylistic work, filled with historical, philosophical, general cultural and other elements. Despite the simplicity of the plot, the novel is truly amazing and unique.

Two schemes for his understanding was James Joyce. The chronological table was published in 1931 by S. Gilbert in the study "Ulysses" by Joyce. "

"Finnegans Wake"

In 1923, the writer begins work on his last major work. He himself called this work "Thing in the work."

James Joyce, whose biography was constantly reflected in his books, stated that he was writing a history of the world. Since 1927 separate chapters of the new novel have been published.

In July 1931, James officially marries Norah (and this is after 27 years of relationship!). And six months later they have a grandson named Stephen.

In 1939 saw the light of an experimental novel written in the technique of "flow of consciousness." Naturally, his author was James Joyce. The reader did not meet the books more surprisingly. "Wake of Finnegan" consist entirely of puns, sets of neologisms, the author uses many languages in writing, so that you will not understand at once what is at stake.

Formally, the action takes place during one night in Dublin, on a symbolic level - this is the whole of world history.

Impact

In January 1941, after an operation to eliminate the stomach ulcer, James Joyce dies. Quotations from his books are printed in all magazines, only now in the section of obituaries. This was a hard blow for the family and for all the fans of the writer.

His life and work he had a huge impact on such outstanding artists as John Updike, Borges, Beckett. His literary work was assessed ambiguously both during his lifetime and after his death. But one thing remains unchanged - James Joyce has made a full-fledged revolution in world culture.