This second edition is revised and enlarged from Notes for Joyce: "Dubliners" and "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man".

W. B. Yeats was Romantic and Modernist, mystical dreamer and leader of the Irish Literary Revival, Nobel prizewinner, dramatist and, above all, poet. He began writing with the intention of putting his 'very self' into his poems. T. S. Eliot, one of many who proclaimed the Irishman's greatness, described him as 'one of those few whose history is the history of their own time, who are part of the consciousness of an age which cannot be understood without them'. For anyone interested in the literature of the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century, Yeats's work is essential. This volume gathers the full range of his published poetry, from the hauntingly beautiful early lyrics (by which he is still fondly remembered) to the magnificent later poems which put beyond question his status as major poet of modern times. Paradoxical, proud and passionate, Yeats speaks today as eloquently as ever.

Book 1: Enter the complex world of self-discovery with “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce.” James Joyce presents the bildungsroman of Stephen Dedalus, exploring the challenges of identity, religion, and artistic expression. Witness Dedalus' intellectual and emotional journey as he navigates the societal expectations of early 20th-century Ireland. Book 2: Explore the rich tapestry of Dublin life in “Dubliners by James Joyce.” James Joyce masterfully captures the essence of everyday existence in a collection of short stories. From tales of love and loss to poignant reflections on the human condition, Joyce weaves a nuanced portrait of Dublin and its inhabitants. Book 3: Immerse yourself in the epic modernist masterpiece, “Ulysses by James Joyce.” James Joyce reimagines Homer's Odyssey in the streets of Dublin on a single day, June 16, 1904. With experimental prose and intricate symbolism, Joyce explores the inner thoughts and experiences of three characters—Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom, and Stephen Dedalus—creating a groundbreaking work that continues to challenge and captivate readers.

Leading Joyce scholar argues that Joyce's work can only be fully understood in the context of his unbelief

Commentary on Joyce for the average reader.

Imagine an author who has become a legend in his own lifetime - all because of the novel he wrote in the first flush of youth. Novelist Eugene Pota is a cultural icon of the twentieth century, struggling to write what will be the last novel of his career. But what to write about when, like so many noted authors before him, all of Pota's output since that first, landmark novel has been scrutinized and dissected - and found wanting? PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST, AS AN OLD MAN follows Pota's efforts to settle on a subject for his final work. In his search, Heller - through Pota - pays homage to his favourite authors and discusses the problems that have plagued so many writers whose later works failed to live up to the successes of their first: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, Jack London, Joseph Conrad, to name but a few. It is a rare and enthralling look into the artist's search for creativity, a search that comes at a point in life when impotence - both sexual and spiritual - has become a frustrating fact. Joseph Heller must have known that this would be his final novel; it stands as a fitting testament to the life and works of a leading light in modern literature.