James Joyce remains a mysterious figure, and yet his books concern his own life: his friends, loves, and above all the city of Dublin.

Professor Chester Anderson here examines Joyce as one of the greatest modern writers, but also explores his life, visiting all the places where he lived and worked, and showing how closely all these biographical details are related to Joyce's four great books: Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake.

This unity of work and life is illuminated by passages quoted from these masterpieces and from Joyce's letters and other writings.

The fascinating photographs of Joyce, his family and his surroundings cover every phase of his life.