This collection of original, cohesive and concise essays charts the vital contextual backgrounds to Joyce's life and writing. The volume begins with a chronology of Joyce's publishing history, an analysis of his various biographies and a study of his many published and unpublished letters. It goes on to examine how his works were received in the main twentieth-century critical and theoretical schools. Most importantly, it places Joyce within multiple Irish, British and European contexts, providing a lively sense of the varied and changing world in which he lived, which formed him, and from which he wrote. The essays collectively show how Joyce was rooted in his times, how he is both a product and a critic of his multiple contexts, and how important he remains to the world of literature, criticism and culture.

‘Featuring the contributions of thirty-two distinguished scholars of Joyce, Irish literature and history, and modernism, James Joyce in Context is an exemplary introduction to the many contextual influences on the author's career. Not only does this study succeed in elucidating Joyce's historical groundings for the present-day reader, but it departs from the traditional biographical study by focusing on Joyce scholarship as well as primary texts. In so doing, it consistently highlights the contemporary significance of Joyce's works, and by calling attention to scholarly areas that need further research, it also aids in the maintenance and development of Joyce criticism.'

Christopher Devault Source: English Literature in Translation

‘The best introduction to James Joyce scholarship available, John McCourt's James Joyce in Context draws together thirty-two essays that frame the author's works biographically, critically and historically. Its impressive variety of perspectives makes reading it feel like walking into a massive, bustling Joyce symposium where, as our luck would have it, every talk attended is a plenary - a conference of keynotes … This collection will change the way we introduce ourselves and each other to the contemporary field of Joyce studies.'

Spurgeon Thompson Source: Irish University Review: A Journal of Irish Studies

'While reflecting on current critical trends, [this] volume succeeds in being very forward looking, as it lays down a solid foundation for students beginning work in this field, and sows the seeds for new kinds of contextual research within Joyce studies.'

Source: Journal of the English Association