Dubliners is James Joyce’s debut book of fiction. This collection comprises fifteen short stories centered around everyday individuals in Dublin during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The stories explore themes of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Several of these tales were initially published in an Irish magazine in 1904 under the pseudonym "Stephen Dedalus." The final and most renowned story, "The Dead," was completed in 1907, but the book’s publication was postponed until 1914.

The character Stephen Dedalus reappears in Joyce’s 1922 novel, Ulysses, a cornerstone of literary modernism. The novel’s events unfold over a single day, June 16, 1904, which is notable as the day Joyce met his future wife, Nora Barnacle. The narrative follows Stephen, a newspaper advertising agent named Leopold Bloom, and Bloom’s wife Molly as they navigate their daily lives in Dublin. This intricately structured novel mirrors Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. Each chapter employs a unique prose style, and Joyce extensively uses the stream-of-consciousness technique.

The Country Girls, Edna O’Brien’s first novel published in 1960, establishes her as Ireland’s most prominent female author. The story follows two girls who leave their rural Irish homes for Dublin in search of freedom from their strict Catholic upbringing and to find adventure. The book sparked significant controversy upon its release due to its feminist perspective and candid depiction of adolescent female sexuality.

William Trevor’s Fools of Fortune (1983) tells the story of a tragic love affair during the Irish civil war through the eyes of a young boy. Born in Ireland in 1928, Trevor is celebrated as one of the finest Irish writers of his era, particularly noted for his touching short stories.

Christopher Nolan’s Under the Eye of the Clock (1987) is an extraordinary autobiography by a young Dubliner who is severely physically disabled and unable to speak. Nolan triumphed over tremendous challenges to author a book that critics have likened to Joyce’s work.

Richard Ellmann’s James Joyce (1959, revised 1982) stands as the definitive biography of the author.

For a different perspective on Joyce’s life in Europe, consider reading Nora: The Real Life of Molly Bloom by Brenda Maddox. Published in 1988, this book illustrates how Nora Barnacle supported Joyce as he endeavored to create monumental literature despite financial and personal struggles.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland, edited by R. F. Foster and published in 1989, serves as an excellent introduction to Irish history. Chapter Six, “Irish Literature and Irish History,” authored by Declan Kiberd, offers a valuable overview of Irish writers and their cultural context. Among the many fascinating images is a photograph of James Joyce at the piano.