Some reflections on the background to Joyce’s novels

Abstract

HAVE you ever asked anyone what happens when they read a novel? Naturally, all sorts of responses are possible. Some might answer that in a novel they explore another world and escape into it. Some might say that they react with the characters in it, identifying closely with them, maybe responding to their actions, morally or emotionally perhaps. Others are absorbed by the plot, avidly following and anticipating its turns, while others again savour the background or the setting. And there are those too who rave about the language or the author’s style.