[lit-ideas] Re: Joyce on Rome
- From: Robert Paul <robert.paul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:15:27 -0700
Irene wrote:
James Joyce once likened Rome to "a man who lives by exhibiting to
travelers his grandmother's corpse." In addition to which, Rome was a
brutal, brutal society. Is that what they've done for us?
I wrote:
Joyce was talking about contemporary Rome, the city, not about the Roman
Republic.
Irene replied:
'Possibly, in which case it makes less sense than if he were talking
about ancient Rome. It really doesn't make any sense.'
Not possibly. Was. Ancient Rome wasn't like 'a man who lives by
exhibiting to travelers his grandmother's corpse.' The Roman Republic
was for many years a robust, expansive empire. Joyce was talking about
the city he knew, the city of tourists and ruins, living on the past.
'In addition to which…' is another thought entirely.
Robert Paul
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