Dubliners: SparkNotes Literature Guide

June 26, 2017
Actor Sheridan proves an excellent choice to interpret Joyce’s classic story collection, first published in 1914. He brings an authentic Irish accent and an air of gravitas to the 15 tightly observed scen­­es of ordinary people around Dublin. He infuses life into Joyce’s numerous and wide-ranging characters, from an adolescent boy’s stifling infatuation with the girl who lives across the street (“Araby”) to the husband and wife whose marriage is haunted by the death of the wife’s former lover (“The Dead”), easily handling the shifting points of view from story to story. Each character is given a distinct personality and individual voice. But it is with Joyce’s rich descriptive prose that Sheridan’s skills shine brightest. His thoughtful and heartfelt delivery captures the full emotional weight of the stories, and by the end the listener has been transported to Joyce’s Dublin.