"In this book, David Pierce blends word, life and image to bring the works of one of the great modern writers within reach of every reader. With a sharp eye for detail and an evident delight in the cadences of James Joyce's work, Pierce proves a perfect companion, always careful and courteous, pausing to point out what might otherwise be missed. Like the best of critics, his suggestive readings constantly encourage the reader back to Joyce's own words. Beginning with Dubliners and closing with Finnegan's Wake, Reading Joyce is full of insights that are original and illuminating, Pierce succeeds in presenting Joyce as an author both more straightforward and infinitely more complex than we had perhaps imagined."--Jacket.