The Joyce Girl

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Pub Date 16 Jun 2016 | Archive Date 14 Apr 2017

Description

1928 Avant-garde Paris is buzzing with the latest ideas in art, music, literature and dance. Lucia, the talented and ambitious daughter of James Joyce, is making her name as a dancer, training with some of the world s most gifted performers. When a young Samuel Beckett comes to work for her father, she s captivated by his quiet intensity and falls passionately in love. Persuaded she has clairvoyant powers, Lucia believes her destiny is to marry Beckett. But when her beloved brother is enticed away, the hidden threads of the Joyces lives begin to unravel, destroying Lucia s dreams and foiling her attempts to escape the shadow of her genius father. 1934 Her life in tatters, Lucia is sent by her father to pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung. For years she has kept quiet. But now she decides to speak. Inspired by a true story, 'The Joyce Girl' is a compelling and moving account of thwarted ambition and the destructive love of a father.

1928 Avant-garde Paris is buzzing with the latest ideas in art, music, literature and dance. Lucia, the talented and ambitious daughter of James Joyce, is making her name as a dancer, training with...


Advance Praise

‘Here is a powerful portrait of a young woman yearning to be an artist, whose passion for life – and rage at being unable to fulfil her talent – burns from the pages.’ – Anita Sethi, The Observer

 

‘This is a hugely impressive debut. Annabel Abbs has brought to life an extraordinary cast of characters - Joyce, Beckett et al - and painted their rackety, bohemian world in vivid technicolour.’ Lisa O’Kelly, Literary Editor, The Observer

 

‘A cohesive and compelling account of Lucia’s life’ – Natalie Xenos, Culture Fly

 

‘One of those hidden gems of a novel… both sad and enthralling’ – Judith Griffith, Nudge Books

 

‘The Joyce Girl is ambitious, insightful and fascinating on so many levels. I have never felt so akin to writers of the past I thought I knew! A stunning insight into some great literary minds.’ Susan Heads, The Booktrail

 

‘Abbs shows great affection for Lucia in her debut novel, sympathetically re-imagining her … striving to bring her own artistic expression to life through dance.’ - Irish Times

‘Here is Lucia Joyce, vibrant, passionate and alive, telling her own story. Profoundly moved by Lucia’s tragic life, Annabel Abbs has crafted a moving tale of thwarted ambition and personal tragedy.’ Mary Talbot, author of the Costa Biography Award 2012 winner Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes

‘A captivating debut about love, creativity, and living in the shadow of genius. Annabel Abbs recreates the extraordinary story of Lucia Joyce - James Joyce’s daughter and gifted dancer in her own right - in language as sensuous and richly alive as Lucia’s dancing.’ Louisa Treger, author of The Lodger

‘Abbs has found a gripping and little-known story at the heart of one of the 20th century’s most astonishing creative moments, researched it deeply, and brought the extraordinary Joyce family and their circle in 1920s Paris to richly-imagined life.’ Emma Darwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Secret Alchemy, and The Mathematics of Love



 ‘A breathtakingly beautiful novel; it will linger in your mind long after you have finished reading’ -  Rather Too Fond of Books

 

‘From the very first page I was captivated by Lucia, the beautiful, elegant, graceful Joyce Girl. It is brave, it is bold but most of all it is beautiful.’ - Reflections of a Reader

 

‘An incredibly feeling and insightful glimpse into a previously overlooked yet significant life. A must-read for anyone interested in Irish literature’ - Food for Bookworms

 

‘A story that invades your soul and stays there… quite simply, stunning’ -  Linda’s Book Bag

 

‘Enthralling. It captured my imagination with its charm and energy… truly an impressive debut’ – Lit Nerd

 

‘A beautifully crafted story… a poignant read…’ – Jera’s Jamboree

 

 

‘The Joyce Girl broke my heart, it entranced me, it educated me too. Lucia is such a compelling character, I fell in love with her and I felt for her too. Annabel’s writing is, quite simply, stunning and is matched by wonderful storytelling.’  Rebecca Saunders, Fiction Publisher at Hachette Australia

‘A heart-breaking book about devastating betrayals and broken dreams.’ Caroline Ambrose, The Bath Novel Award

‘I found The Joyce Girl engrossing. It had a very clear voice, and the subject matter was unusual and thought-provoking.’ Wendy Bough, Chair of Judging Panel, The Caledonia Novel Award

 

‘Here is a powerful portrait of a young woman yearning to be an artist, whose passion for life – and rage at being unable to fulfil her talent – burns from the pages.’ – Anita Sethi, The Observer

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Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781907605871
PRICE £8.99 (GBP)

Average rating from 2 members


Featured Reviews

A very poignant and emotively written narrative focusing on the life of Lucia Joyce, daughter of the Irish writer James Joyce. From the very beginning of the novel the angst is evident and the force of the writing never lets up until the end. The first person narrative allows the reader to see into the hidden psyche of the very troubled and complicated Lucia, through her journey and final descent into mental illness, and exploring her complex and destructive relationship with her family: the contrasting love and frustration between her and her father; her anger, bitterness and eventual hatred between her and her mother; and the controversial exploration of her relationship with her brother.
Throughout the novel the biographical details are presented to the reader, focusing chronologically on the years 1928-1934, with Lucia telling her story of the events of these years, interspersed with episodes when she is under the care and guidance of Carl Jung at his psychiatric clinic in Zurich. Reading her story and imagining walking in her shoes gives the tale a sense of urgency and focus that makes it impossible not to spiral into the madness of the world she exists in: the affairs which never really take off; the imaginary and, ultimately, unrequited dreams of love and marriage; the complexity of the family unit and their inscrutable way of life; the talent for dance that just fades into nothing. All of these things combined cannot fail to move the reader and make us feel a deep sense of sorrow at what seems to be a pointless and unfulfilled life, leading to a feeling of deep dissatisfaction by the end of the novel - not as a result of the excellent language, descriptions, and overall style of the author, but at the sheer pointlessness of a life that never seems to go anywhere, despite such promise.

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