Joysprick: An Introduction to the Language of James Joyce (A Harvest book, HB 303) [Paperback]

Anthony Burgess (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt; First Thus edition (March 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156465612
• ISBN-13: 978-0156465618
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,045,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anthony Burgess (25th February 1917-22nd November 1993) was one of the UK's leading academics and most respected literary figures. A prolific author, during his writing career Burgess found success as a novelist, critic, composer, playwright, screenwriter, travel writer, essayist, poet and librettist, as well as working as a translator, broadcaster, linguist and educationalist. His fiction also includes NOTHING LIKE THE SUN, a recreation of Shakespeare's love-life, but he is perhaps most famous for the complex and controversial novel A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, exploring the nature of evil. Born in Manchester, he spent time living in Southeast Asia, the USA and Mediterranean Europe as well as in England, until his death in 1993.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Burgess at his best, April 27, 2006

By 

Reader and Writer "Chris" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joysprick: An Introduction to the Language of James Joyce (A Harvest book, HB 303) (Paperback)

Now I'll probably get every hard-core Joyce scholar upset but this is a great work by a great author. The more I learn about Burgess, the more I find him a real genius. This book is no exception. He's written two books on Joyce, this and ReJoyce. Skip the other. This was written later, a play on Joyce Speak, sprechen (german) past tense sprach I think -- it's been a while. Or pun it as you will, a fun little title conjuring up playful associations that is at the heart of much of Joyce. Burgess sees Joyce, even in Finnegan's Wake, as completely readable and this book shows us how. Burgess also expounds upon what he considers the two types of literature, the bad-plot-driven-ugly-writing stuff and the literature where the author pays attention not only to plot etc, but to language. Burgess once said Nabokov (I paraphrase) didn't have anywhere near the talent of Joyce. Whoa! How to make such a bold statement. Well the book teaches us many things. It's a true gem, this book. If you love Joyce you'll love this. I am still, three weeks after reading it, framing the world and other literature by his insights.