READING

James Joyce
James Joyce was a famous Irish writer. His novel Ulysses is probably the most famous novel of the
20th century.

James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882 in Dublin, Ireland. He came from a big family. He was
the oldest of ten children born to John Stanislaus Joyce and his wife Marry Murray Joyce. His father
was a talented singer, but he liked to drink and the Joyces never had much money.

James was a very intelligent child. He had a gift for writing and a passion for literature. He spent his
free time reading and studying. He was educated by Jesuits and then went to University College
Dublin, where he studied modern languages.

Joyce left Ireland for a new life in Paris, where he wanted to study medicine. He returned when he
learned that his mother had become sick. She died in 1903. During his stay in Ireland, he met Nora
Barnacle. In 1904, James and Nora moved to Pula and then to Trieste. Joyce earned money by
teaching English. He and Nora had two children, Giorgio and Lucia.

In 1914, James Joyce published his first book, Dubliners. It is a collection of short stories. Two years
later, he published his second book, the novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. During World
War One, the Joyces moved to Zurich. Eventually, they settled in Paris. In 1922, James Joyce
published his most famous book, Ulysses.

Ulysses was published in Paris and it was banned for several years in the UK and in the USA. The
story takes place during a single day in Dublin. The date: June 16, 1904, the same day that Joyce
and Barnacle met. There are three main characters in the book: Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom
and Molly Bloom. They are modern versions of Homer’s Telemachus, Ulysses and Penelope.

In 1939, James Joyce published his last novel, Finnegans Wake. It is even more difficult to read
than his previous work. A year after the book was published, the Joyces had to move again because
of the Nazi invasion of Paris. Eventually, the family ended back in Zurich.

James Joyce died at the age of 59 on January 13, 1941.

1 Read the text and answer the following questions.

1 What did James Joyce study at University College Dublin?
He studied modern languages.
2 What did James Joyce want to study in Paris?
He wanted to study medicine.
3 When did James Joyce’s mother die?
She died in 1903.
4 How did James Joyce get money when he was in Pula and Trieste?
Joyce earned money by teaching English.
5 Where did James Joyce live during World War One?
He lived in Zurich.
6 When does Ulysses take place?
Ulysses took place in 1922.e
7 What is James Joyce’s last novel?
Finnegans Wake was his last novel.

2 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1 James Joyce came from a small family.F
2 James Joyce’s father was a talented writer.F
3 James Joyce was a smart kid. T
4 James Joyce had two children. T
5 Dubliners is a novel. F
6 Ulysses takes place in Dublin. T
7 James Joyce died in Paris. F

SOURCES: https://www.biography.com/people/james-joyce-9358676,