What influenced James Joyce to write?

Answer 1

James Joyce is most famous for telling a story parallel to Homer's Odyssey in contrasting literary styles in the novel Ulysses. Ulysses takes place in Dublin, Ireland, and throughout his career, Joyce wrote extensively about the city and those that inhabit it.

Answer 2

James Joyce was influenced by a variety of factors, including his Irish heritage, his experiences growing up in Dublin, his exposure to European literature and philosophy, and his search for new ways of expressing the complexities of the human experience. He was also influenced by his own personal relationships, particularly with his wife Nora Barnacle. These elements came together to shape his unique writing style and thematic interests.

Answer 3

The young Joyce dreamed of becoming a great tenor but Henrik Isben, the great Norwegian playwright, moved the young James Joyce's artistic soul so profoundly that he had to abandon singing for the literary vocation. Joyce is known to have said and believed that Isben was a greater playwright than Shakespeare. Isben subtle and psychological works influenced Joyce works like Dubliners and his play Exiles. At the age of eighteen, Joyce wrote an admiring review of Isben's play "When We Dead Awaken" in the Fortnightly Review and to Joyce's surprise Isben wrote a intimate Thank You letter to the young Irishman. Isben remains one of Joyce's strongest influences and an inspiration for him to write the chronicles of the human soul.