The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham the boston. Written for ardent joyceans as well as novices who want to get to the heart of the greatest novel of the 20th century, the most dangerous book is a gripping examination of how the world came to say yes to ulysses. Jul 06, 2010 birminghams archival work brings to light new information about both joyce and the story surrounding ulysses. The battle for james joyces ulysses, deserves to be on any aspiring bloomophiles shortlist of accompaniments. The battle for james joyces ulysses, those dublin revelations from years ago kept returning to my mind because part of birminghams aim is to show how scholars have examined the novels dense network of allusions, its museum of styles and its insight into the human mind so. Written for ardent joyceans as well as novices who want to get to the heart of the greatest novel of the twentieth century, the most dangerous book is a. Birmingham is also the nations second most dangerous city. The most dangerous book is an elegant combination of criticism, history, and biography relating how ulysses that was the case, however, and kevin birminghams book on how ulysses overcame that to be declared legally fit to publish is terribly interesting, a terribly fascinating story well told. Kevin birmingham is the author of the most dangerous book 4. According to birmingham himself there are around 300 books 50 or so appearing in the last ten years. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyces inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933. The most dangerous book kevin birmingham 9781594203367. Jun 12, 2014 the most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyces inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933. Like most cities parts of birmingham are dangerous but they are easily avoided.
Is birmingham actually as dangerous as everyone says. Before reading kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. The battle for james joyces ulysses casts its nets widely, synthesizing enormous amounts of information and describing in detail the multiple circumstances surrounding the gestation, publication and suppression of ulysses. Jun 20, 2014 for more than a decade, the book that literary critics now consider the most important novel in the english language was illegal to own, sell, advertise or purchase in most of the englishspeaking world.
In the most dangerous book, kevin birmingham chronicles the remarkable saga of a novel that outraged censors and sensibilities in europe and america with its obscenities and sexual. The battle for james joyces ulysses, a rich, detailed, mostly wise account of how the novel. The battle for james joyces ulysses set me to rereading modernisms founding novel for the first time in more than 40 years. Nov 02, 2018 spring hill is the most dangerous street in birmingham, with more offences committed there than anywhere else in the city. Like most of irelands writers, yeats was living elsewhere, but he returned to ireland to stage a play just as joyce was graduating from the royal university in 1902.
Kevin birmingham s imaginative scholarship brings joyce and his world to life. Kevin birminghams the most dangerous book is a splendid addition. The dangerous men every woman in birmingham needs to know about. The most dangerous book is riveting narrative nonfiction, populated with enough real largerthanlife characters and twists to make a fiction writer envious. Jul 16, 2014 before reading kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. Literary historian kevin birmingham follows joyces years as a young writer, his feverish work on his literary masterpiece, and his ardent love affair with nora. Kevin birminghams imaginative scholarship brings joyce and his world to life. The battle for james joyces ulysses by kevin birmingham is the book about the book. Birmingham s archival work brings to light new information about both joyce and the story surrounding ulysses. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyce s inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933.
Here are ten of the most notorious domestic abuse and violence cases from our courts over the past few years. Kevin birmingham sthe most dangerous bookis a splendid addition. Oct 19, 2019 the dangerous men every woman in birmingham needs to know about. James joyces big blue book, ulysses, ushered in the modernist. For more than a decade, the book that literary critics now consider the most important novel in the english language was illegal to own, sell, advertise or purchase in most of the englishspeaking world. Homewood in particular has a lot of young people and is close to amenities, dining, downtown, etc. Modernisms battle against an obsolete civilization, encapsulated in the struggle to publish one tabooshattering masterpiece.
Here in the magic city, 1 in 52 residents were the victim of a violent crime in 2018, and 1 in 15. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyces inspiration in 1904 to the books landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933. Most of these suburbs are predominantly families because birmingham doesnt have many good private schools and birmingham city schools are subpar, most folks go out to the suburbs when they have schoolage kids. An analysis of police street level crime data shows that there were 290. Modernists courted small numbers, birmingham writes. Jun 12, 2014 the most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyce s inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933. The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham overdrive. The most dangerous book, about joyces ulysses the new york. Kevin birmingham has a deep love of the novel, and knows everything about joyce. The battle for james joyces ulysses ulysses o moyase brand. Kevin birminghams new history, the most dangerous book.
Through kevin birminghams masterful voice and impeccable research, this story of a singular book that changed the world proves in dramatic fashion that the history of literature is not a landscape but a battlefield. Jun 26, 2014 there are many heroes in kevin birmingham s new book about the novel that sparked a revolution, but james joyce isnt one of them. The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham, 9781784080723, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Curran, getty images on june 16, 1904, the young james joyce first spent time with. The most dangerous book audiobook by kevin birmingham. The battle for james joyces ulysses by kevin birmingham. Through kevin birminghams masterful voice and impeccable research, this story of a singular book that changed the world proves in dramatic fashion that the history of literature is not. The battle for james joyces ulysses set me to rereading modernisms founding novel for. Birminghams archival work brings to light new information about both joyce and the story surrounding ulysses. The most dangerous book is an elegant combination of criticism, history, and biography relating how ulysses that was the case, however, and kevin birmingham s book on how ulysses overcame that to be declared legally fit to publish is terribly interesting, a terribly fascinating story well told. Kevin birmingham sthe most dangerous book is a splendid addition.
The top ten most dangerous streets in birmingham have been. The most dangerous book book windsor public library. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of james joyces inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity trial in 1933. Kevin birminghams book on ulysses and censorship the new. Jun, 2014 the most important part of birminghams book may not be the part dealing specifically with ulysses, but rather the authors explaining the historical context of the battle. The battle for james joyces ulysses, by kevin birmingham. There are many heroes in kevin birminghams new book about the novel that sparked a revolution, but james joyce isnt one of them. The most dangerous book book tulsa citycounty library. Spring hill is the most dangerous street in birmingham, with more offences committed there than anywhere else in the city. James joyces big blue book, ulysses, ushered in the modernist era and changed the novel for all time. The most important part of birminghams book may not be the part dealing specifically with ulysses, but rather the authors explaining the.
Literary historian kevin birmingham follows joyces years as a young writer, his feverish work on his literary masterpiece, and his ardent love affair with nora barnacle, the model for molly bloom. The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham kirkus. Aug 24, 2014 i thought of this line often while reading kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. Written for ardent joyceans as well as novices who want to get to the heart of the greatest novel of the twentieth century, the most dangerous book is a gripping examination of how the world came to say yes to ulysses. It is vast in its scope covering joyce and his contemporaries, the book ulysses, the trials and tribulations of publishing, and the history of americas suppression of vice. This is a deeply fun work of scholarship that rescues ulysses from the superlatives and academic battles that shroud its fundamental unruliness and humanity. I thought of this line often while reading kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. I hope that kevin birmingham plans to enter the pu this year in nonfiction for the most dangerous book because it certainly is worthy of it. You dont need to be a bloomsday devotee to enjoy or profit mightily from it. The battle for james joyces ulysses ulysses o moyase.
The battle for james joyces ulysses, kevin birmingham details the history of the infamous books publication, recalling a nowquaintseeming time when words were. Joyce, along with some of the most important publishers and writers of his era, had to fight for years to win the freedom to publish it. After russell arranged a meeting, the two writers sat in the smoking room of a restaurant on oconnell street, dublins main thoroughfare. The dangerous men every woman in birmingham needs to know.
The most dangerous book npr coverage of the most dangerous book. But i loved kevin birminghams the most dangerous book anyway. The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham examines the history of james joyces masterwork, ulysses. The strength of the most dangerous book lies in its subtle details. In his sharp, wellwritten debut, birmingham history and literatureharvard univ.
The bloomsday 2014 publication of the most dangerous book was preceded and followed by presentations in new york by its author kevin birmingham, a harvard lecturer, for an audience of mostly academics in may at columbia, and the general public in. Kevin birmingham, author of the most dangerous book. Sep 18, 2014 kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. Louis menand, pulitzer prizewinning author of the metaphysical club for more than a. The battle for james joyces ulysses, however, may be that of the arrival of a significant young. The most dangerous book is an elegant combination of criticism, history, and biography relating how ulysses that was the case, however, and kevin birminghams book on how ulysses overcame that to be declared legally fit to publish is terribly.
Kevin birminghams book on ulysses and censorship the. But i loved kevin birmingham s the most dangerous book anyway. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of joyces inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal obscenity. As i read kevin birminghams the most dangerous book. Too obscene to print kevin birmingham tells the story of those for and against a notorious novel. A great storyhow modernism brought down the regime of censorshiptold as a great story. The most dangerous book by kevin birmingham the boston globe. Literary historian kevin birmingham follows joyce s years as a young writer, his feverish work on his literary masterpiece, and his ardent love affair with nora. You don t need to be a bloomsday devotee to enjoy or profit mightily from it. Jun 20, 2014 the most dangerous book by kevin birmingham examines the history of james joyces masterwork, ulysses. Count that the initial mark of this outstanding critical works success.
The most dangerous book the battle for james joyces ulysses book. The most dangerous book, about joyces ulysses the new. The most dangerous book tells the remarkable story surrounding ulysses, from the first stirrings of james joyces inspiration in 1904 to its landmark federal. As birmingham writes in one of his many terrific summaries of the books challenges.
850 1332 897 33 573 775 1615 1004 459 765 54 826 1043 398 1455 901 849 287 708 928 203 364 1117 976 1113 132 1049 183 1288 1607 1431 1554 893 909 1498 604 734 952 100 925