52 WEEKS::The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man

He was unheeded, happy and near to the wild heart of life.

~ James Joyce, The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man

Portrait of the Artist is Joyce’s reworking of the classic coming of age story (the German term is bildungsroman), and it mirrors the author’s life up to age 20, when he left Dublin for Paris. Its challenging attitude to family, homeland, and the Catholic Church all gave the novel (and Joyce himself) quite the reputation when it was published. Joyce treats youth with a directness and honesty that’s pretty remarkable. (Schmoop)