I'm new to the forum and just finished reading the comments re. Chapter 4.

I'm sure I read "Portrait " while in college many years ago but I remembered virtually none of it. Joyce's discussion of religious instruction made me recall some parochial school classes and his questioning of many tenets/teachings is reflective of discussions I often have with my wife and friends. Even if you knew nothing of Joyce the course of his subsequent life was absolutely predictable.

The impression left with me was of a brilliant young man who made every effort to prove to his reader just how brilliant he was. In many respects Portrait... seemed the converse of "7 Storey Mountain". I'm looking forward to taking another shot at "Ulysses".

Billycro