Awards

• Winner of National Comic Prize 2012 (Spain)

Overview

A complete account of the life and times of James Joyce in the form of a graphic novel. From his earliest days and school career, through to meetings with all the literary greats of the day, this story is dotted with anecdotes, as well as a captivating and beautifully drawn journey through the cities of Dublin, Trieste, Paris and Zurich, where this universal Irishman left traces of his life. A stunning one-of-a-kind publication about Joyce's life.

Full Product Details

9781847173638

Table of Contents

Reviews

sings out at you from a grey-scale wash -- girlslikecomics.com the most humorous and heartfelt of the recent Joyce-inspired graphic novels ... Zapico draws gorgeous close-ups with his thick, rough outlines and minimalist details in a cartoon format. He reinterprets famous scenes many Joyceans know by heart and presents them in a fresh way ... Zapico's work has a cinematic quality, and, in many ways, reading his book is like viewing a pleasurable documentary ... charming and thoroughly worthwhile -- James Joyce Quarterly this lively, beautifully drawn portrait of the writer is among the best recent graphic novel biographies ... The strong cartooning is what makes this work. Zapico's art teems with details of architecture, and the characters are looser but bursting with emotion-both elements are indispensable to understanding Joyce's peripatetic life. The art not only establishes a sense of place, but shows how these places were unable to contain an indomitable spirit like Joyce: save for Dublin, which, of course, contains his soul. An early candidate for the Best Of lists for 2016 -- publishersweekly.com a playful book, and a colourful break from the business of Joyce ... the hero of the comic though is Zapico's drawing. His jaunty line captures the arrogance and frenzy, the drunkenness and the frustration but most of all the comedy of Joyce, his light touches drawing out his own humour and that of Joyce the trickster as he traces the recognisable odyssey of Dublin, Trieste, Zurich and Paris, with welcome stops in Cork, Pola, Rome and London - for Jim and Nora's wedding. His streets are as noisily melodic as Joyce sang them into being, with a grey-wash backdrop that wouldn't be out of place for a walk-on part for a pair of gallants, say. Zapico's pen and ink follow Joyce through his life with obvious affection for his creation ... Zapico, and his translator's contribution ... opens the way ... to returning Joyce and his work to the city and citizenry that begot him, or at least those with a sense of humour -- Dublin Review of Books his portrayal of the writer's ancestors, relations, friends, teachers, benefactors, and so on are witty and recognisable as are his interpretations of the politically famous such as Gladstone and Parnell -- Books Ireland lively and credible ... will be welcomed by those who see the graphic medium as a serious and valid one -- Books Ireland sophisticated, amusing, stylish and very readable -- Books Ireland a consistently humorous and unpretentious touch -- Books Ireland well researched -- Books Ireland in future we'll look at graphic books with greater interest, but also ... much more critically now we've seen what is possible -- Books Ireland it is possible for a literate adult to read this biography with pleasure and interest -- Books Ireland it doesn't skimp on ANYTHING -- girlslikecomics.com Alfonso Zapico tossed out the panels in moments of fluid genius -- girlslikecomics.com this is a work that was perfected and honed and smoothed for years -- girlslikecomics.com as charming visually as it is narratively, it really does bring the general debauchery of Joyce's life to the fore -- girlslikecomics.com charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post a visually compelling and utterly charming biography of one of Ireland's most iconic literary sons -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk Zapico breathes life into the author [Joyce] -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk the historical detail captured within the art is a joy -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk '[Zapico] has created a wonderful piece of work in a subtle black, white and grey scale wash -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk a comic book artist at the top of his game -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk graphic biography brings our greatest novelist to life -- Irish Independent the life of James Joyce - and his all-consuming love for Nora - are brought spectacularly alive -- Irish Independent a remarkable depiction of the Dublin of Joyce's time, his family, his friends, his travels in Europe and how he overcame poverty, rejection and ill-health to create some of the greatest work in the English language -- Irish Independent uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent online this is an astonishing work of art -- Mark O'Halloran it's absolutely extraordinary -- Mark O'Halloran I loved every single moment of it -- Mark O'Halloran felt like I really knew him from this -- Mark O'Halloran brilliant portrait of Dublin at the time -- Mark O'Halloran just brilliant ... I could not recommend this highly enough -- Mark O'Halloran so fresh ... brilliantly written ... it just zings -- Mark O'Halloran the drawings are just divine -- Mark O'Halloran I highly highly recommend everyone to buy it -- Mark O'Halloran blown away -- thecomiccast.com this is a James Joyce I can get on board with -- thecomiccast.com wonderful cast of characters -- thecomiccast.com go out and buy this -- thecomiccast.com hands down the best comic book that O'Brien have put out -- thecomiccast.com a kind of Where's Wally for Joyce scholars -- North West Telegraph a tad Beanoesque, but Joyce, with his visual and cinematic instinct, would I'm sure, have approved -- North West Telegraph

uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent online this is an astonishing work of art -- Mark O'Halloran it's absolutely extraordinary -- Mark O'Halloran I loved every single moment of it -- Mark O'Halloran felt like I really knew him from this -- Mark O'Halloran brilliant portrait of Dublin at the time -- Mark O'Halloran just brilliant ... I could not recommend this highly enough -- Mark O'Halloran so fresh ... brilliantly written ... it just zings -- Mark O'Halloran the drawings are just divine -- Mark O'Halloran I highly highly recommend everyone to buy it -- Mark O'Halloran blown away -- thecomiccast.com this is a James Joyce I can get on board with -- thecomiccast.com wonderful cast of characters -- thecomiccast.com go out and buy this -- thecomiccast.com hands down the best comic book that O'Brien have put out -- thecomiccast.com a kind of Where's Wally for Joyce scholars -- North West Telegraph a tad Beanoesque, but Joyce, with his visual and cinematic instinct, would I'm sure, have approved -- North West Telegraph

sings out at you from a grey-scale wash -- girlslikecomics.com this visually delightful graphic novel does not shy away from James Joyce's negative qualities, but those are just one thread among many of the tapestry of his story ... Zapico's scribbly, active art with the pen strokes and washes of ink dashing across the page, alternately portrays the beauty and elegance of the European cities that Joyce visits, as well as the shock and violence of the Irish uprising and the two world wars ... although Joyce may frustrate us at times, he has moments of likability that increase in number as the story progresses. Zapico has created a well-rounded and honest portrait of a controversial yet brilliant writer, and the genius as well as the artistic temperament shines through on every page -- portlandbookreview.com James Joyce's life, like much of his work, can be something of a mystery, a puzzle to untangle. Alfonso Zapico gives a thorough and masterful pictorial retelling of Joyce's life in ... a graphic novel that goes far toward illuminating the enigmatic author -- Foreword Reviews though breezy isn't a term generally associated with the author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, artist Zapico (Cafe Budapest, 2008, etc.) remains true to the life and spirit of the Irish master while appealing to readers who might not have the patience for either Joyce's novels or a standard, more exhaustive biography ... A solid account of the development of a writer not easy to encapsulate -- kirkusreviews.com Readers familiar with James Joyce only through his dour dust-jacket photos are in for a big surprise in this warts-and-all graphic biography of Ireland's best-known and most divisive writer ... the black-and-white, ink-wash illustrations are surprisingly expressive, capturing Joyce's jocular manner and rabble-rousing with an indulgent yet objective hand. Because it reveals its subject without sensationalizing or glamorizing him, readers will close the book with a better understanding of a complex man and his influential work -- Booklist the most humorous and heartfelt of the recent Joyce-inspired graphic novels ... Zapico draws gorgeous close-ups with his thick, rough outlines and minimalist details in a cartoon format. He reinterprets famous scenes many Joyceans know by heart and presents them in a fresh way ... Zapico's work has a cinematic quality, and, in many ways, reading his book is like viewing a pleasurable documentary ... charming and thoroughly worthwhile -- James Joyce Quarterly this lively, beautifully drawn portrait of the writer is among the best recent graphic novel biographies ... The strong cartooning is what makes this work. Zapico's art teems with details of architecture, and the characters are looser but bursting with emotion-both elements are indispensable to understanding Joyce's peripatetic life. The art not only establishes a sense of place, but shows how these places were unable to contain an indomitable spirit like Joyce: save for Dublin, which, of course, contains his soul. An early candidate for the Best Of lists for 2016 -- publishersweekly.com a playful book, and a colourful break from the business of Joyce ... the hero of the comic though is Zapico's drawing. His jaunty line captures the arrogance and frenzy, the drunkenness and the frustration but most of all the comedy of Joyce, his light touches drawing out his own humour and that of Joyce the trickster as he traces the recognisable odyssey of Dublin, Trieste, Zurich and Paris, with welcome stops in Cork, Pola, Rome and London - for Jim and Nora's wedding. His streets are as noisily melodic as Joyce sang them into being, with a grey-wash backdrop that wouldn't be out of place for a walk-on part for a pair of gallants, say. Zapico's pen and ink follow Joyce through his life with obvious affection for his creation ... Zapico, and his translator's contribution ... opens the way ... to returning Joyce and his work to the city and citizenry that begot him, or at least those with a sense of humour -- Dublin Review of Books his portrayal of the writer's ancestors, relations, friends, teachers, benefactors, and so on are witty and recognisable as are his interpretations of the politically famous such as Gladstone and Parnell -- Books Ireland lively and credible ... will be welcomed by those who see the graphic medium as a serious and valid one -- Books Ireland sophisticated, amusing, stylish and very readable -- Books Ireland a consistently humorous and unpretentious touch -- Books Ireland well researched -- Books Ireland in future we'll look at graphic books with greater interest, but also ... much more critically now we've seen what is possible -- Books Ireland it is possible for a literate adult to read this biography with pleasure and interest -- Books Ireland it doesn't skimp on ANYTHING -- girlslikecomics.com Alfonso Zapico tossed out the panels in moments of fluid genius -- girlslikecomics.com this is a work that was perfected and honed and smoothed for years -- girlslikecomics.com as charming visually as it is narratively, it really does bring the general debauchery of Joyce's life to the fore -- girlslikecomics.com charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post a visually compelling and utterly charming biography of one of Ireland's most iconic literary sons -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk Zapico breathes life into the author [Joyce] -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk the historical detail captured within the art is a joy -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk '[Zapico] has created a wonderful piece of work in a subtle black, white and grey scale wash -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk a comic book artist at the top of his game -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk graphic biography brings our greatest novelist to life -- Irish Independent the life of James Joyce - and his all-consuming love for Nora - are brought spectacularly alive -- Irish Independent a remarkable depiction of the Dublin of Joyce's time, his family, his friends, his travels in Europe and how he overcame poverty, rejection and ill-health to create some of the greatest work in the English language -- Irish Independent uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent online this is an astonishing work of art -- Mark O'Halloran it's absolutely extraordinary -- Mark O'Halloran I loved every single moment of it -- Mark O'Halloran felt like I really knew him from this -- Mark O'Halloran brilliant portrait of Dublin at the time -- Mark O'Halloran just brilliant ... I could not recommend this highly enough -- Mark O'Halloran so fresh ... brilliantly written ... it just zings -- Mark O'Halloran the drawings are just divine -- Mark O'Halloran I highly highly recommend everyone to buy it -- Mark O'Halloran blown away -- thecomiccast.com this is a James Joyce I can get on board with -- thecomiccast.com wonderful cast of characters -- thecomiccast.com go out and buy this -- thecomiccast.com hands down the best comic book that O'Brien have put out -- thecomiccast.com a kind of Where's Wally for Joyce scholars -- North West Telegraph a tad Beanoesque, but Joyce, with his visual and cinematic instinct, would I'm sure, have approved -- North West Telegraph

uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent online this is an astonishing work of art -- Mark O'Halloran it's absolutely extraordinary -- Mark O'Halloran I loved every single moment of it -- Mark O'Halloran felt like I really knew him from this -- Mark O'Halloran brilliant portrait of Dublin at the time -- Mark O'Halloran just brilliant ... I could not recommend this highly enough -- Mark O'Halloran so fresh ... brilliantly written ... it just zings -- Mark O'Halloran the drawings are just divine -- Mark O'Halloran I highly highly recommend everyone to buy it -- Mark O'Halloran blown away -- thecomiccast.com this is a James Joyce I can get on board with -- thecomiccast.com wonderful cast of characters -- thecomiccast.com go out and buy this -- thecomiccast.com hands down the best comic book that O'Brien have put out -- thecomiccast.com a kind of Where's Wally for Joyce scholars -- North West Telegraph a tad Beanoesque, but Joyce, with his visual and cinematic instinct, would I'm sure, have approved -- North West Telegraph charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post graphic biography brings our greatest novelist to life -- Irish Independent the life of James Joyce - and his all-consuming love for Nora - are brought spectacularly alive -- Irish Independent a remarkable depiction of the Dublin of Joyce's time, his family, his friends, his travels in Europe and how he overcame poverty, rejection and ill-health to create some of the greatest work in the English language -- Irish Independent uniquely accessible and depicts the tumultuous life of Joyce as never before -- Irish Independent charming ... very accessible -- Sunday Business Post a visually compelling and utterly charming biography of one of Ireland's most iconic literary sons -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk Zapico breathes life into the author [Joyce] -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk the historical detail captured within the art is a joy -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk '[Zapico] has created a wonderful piece of work in a subtle black, white and grey scale wash -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk a comic book artist at the top of his game -- forbiddenplanet.co.uk

Author Information

Alfonso Zapico is a Spanish graphic novelist. His first book Café Budapest (Astiberri 2008, Timof, 2010) was awarded the Josep Toutain del Salón Internacional del Cómic de Barcelona Prize in 2010. A great artist and researcher, he has spent months in Dublin and other of Joyce’s home. Alfonso Zapico is a Spanish graphic novelist. His first book Café Budapest (Astiberri 2008, Timof, 2010) was awarded the Josep Toutain del Salón Internacional del Cómic de Barcelona Prize in 2010. A great artist and researcher, he has spent months in Dublin and other of Joyce’s home.

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