A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

James Joyce''s coming-of-age story a tour de force of style and techniqueThe first shortest and most approachable of James Joyces novelsA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Manportrays the Dublin upbringing of Stephen Dedalus from his youthful days at Clongowes Wood College to his radical questioning of all convention. In doing so it provides an oblique self-portrait of the young Joyce himself. At its center lie questions of origin and source authority and authorship and the relationship of an artist to his family culture and race. Exuberantly inventive in style the novel subtly and beautifully orchestrates the patterns of quotation and repetition instrumental in its heros quest to create his own character his own language life and art: to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.This Penguin Classics edition is the definitive text authorized by the Joyce estate and collated from all known proofs manuscripts and impressions to reflect the authors original wishes.For more than seventy years Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1700 titles Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.