This life of James Joyce will send readers back to his own classic fiction. To those who have never read it, or to those who have previously tried and failed, Edna O'Brien's evocation of Joyce's classic "Ullyses" will be the guide. Edna O'Brien has long been an admirer of Joyce's work. Here she tells how his life and his writing intertwined. Her understanding of the strange personality of this charismatic genius illuminates the reader's understanding of his writing. We see Joyce travelling Europe, seeking loans wherever he may and all the while writing. Sharing something of the same Irish background, Edna O'Brien is uniquely suited to write this short biography.