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Dubliners is considered a champion among books written in the English language. James Joyce's characterization of not only the people in the stories, but of Dublin itself, demonstrates his great ability as an author. Dubliners is not a book with a normal story line, a plot, and a definite climax and resolution. Instead, it is more of a setting, an atmosphere, an "epiphany" as Joyce called it. To understand the book, it is recommendable to …

… paralysis.(Budgen, pp.172) Story after story, Dubliners becomes a manifestation of art. It is not simply a compilation of short stories. It is not merely a descriptive piece of what Dublin is either. It reaches into the hearts of the characters and the heart of Dublin. Joyce ingeniously blends the culture and the history into an exceptional book. It not only sparks interest into our opinion of Dublin, but also an opinion about ourselves.