Behind every great man, there's a great woman...Or so they say...
Nora Barnacle was the wife, lover, friend and foe of James Joyce. They met as most of us do; by coincidence..by fate...and the attraction was immediate. Maybe neither knew of his talent, when they met, they were both in their early twenties. But it wasn't long before success and fame brought along their usual baggage, like cares and woes. Believed to be the "Molly" in Joyce's Ulysses, her influence was certainly relevant in the writer's development. Her youthful emotional experiences are believed to be laid bare in his work,"The Dead and Exiles.
Nora was born in Galway, Ireland in 1884 and lived there until she and Joyce eloped in 1904. On their first walk together, they had an erotic sexual happening, after which Joyce exclaimed to Nora, "You made me a man." Their first ten years produced many highs and lows as well as two children. While Joyce wrote, the family moved, and lived in Trieste, Zurich, and Paris. After finally marrying in 1930, they lived together 'til death did them part, for him that was January of 1941 and for her it was ten years later.
A film was made last year about this very woman and her life, aptly entitled, "
Nora". It depicts their
trials and tribulations and also an incredible heated and intense love. Adapted from the biography of the same name, "Nora" was written and directed by
Pat Murphy, and starred
Ewan McGregor and
Susan Lynch.
http://www.ireland.com/liveviews/buildings/nora.htm
http://bzine.bscene.com.au/entertainment/reviews/n/nora.html
http://www.english.uga.edu/232/joyce.time.html
http://www.sundancechannel.com/popup/?ixFilmID=296