James Joyce is probably the single most influential author of twentieth-century literature and certainly one of its most radical innovators. In less than four decades he went through every stage from symbolism through realism to modernism and postmodernism in 'fast forward' mode, creating some of the greatest works in literary history, such as Dubliners (1914), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1914-15), Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939). Characterized by an extraordinarily rapid development, these works have to a large extent determined the face of literary modernism and left a decisive mark on much of the ensuing literature.

James Joyce was the oldest son of John Stanislaus Joyce and

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First published 21 March 2002

Citation: Van Hulle, Dirk. "James Joyce". The Literary Encyclopedia. 21 March 2002.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5181, accessed 20 November 2009.]