James Joyce, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, is best known for his groundbreaking work Ulysses, a novel that reinvented the possibilities of language and narrative. But Joyce himself was as complex and eccentric as his literary creations.

Born in Dublin in 1882, Joyce had a razor-sharp intellect, which was evident from an early age. By the time he was 6 years old, he was already reading Shakespeare! His love for Dublin, despite living most of his life abroad, shines through in his works, with Ulysses being a virtual map of the city.

One of the more quirky aspects of Joyce’s personality was his deep fear of thunderstorms, which bordered on superstitious. He believed that thunder represented God’s wrath, a fear he attributed to the teachings of the Catholic Church from his childhood. It was so intense that he would often hide in closets or under furniture during storms, as though the divine fury could be avoided by crouching behind a chair.

Joyce also had notoriously bad eyesight. In fact, he underwent over a dozen surgeries on his eyes, and even while writing his most famous works, he was nearly blind. He wrote in large crayon letters on giant sheets of paper, sometimes only producing a few words a day.

Despite his eyesight, Joyce had a keen eye for life’s details, which is evident in his work. His writing style was revolutionary, using stream-of-consciousness narration, intricate wordplay, and internal monologues to capture the chaos of the mind. Ulysses was banned in many places for its explicit content, but Joyce persisted, knowing his work was ahead of its time.

One quirky fact many people don’t know is that Joyce was also a talented singer. He even considered becoming a professional opera singer before turning to writing full-time. His love for music permeates his works, and musical references are woven throughout his novels.

Joyce’s relationships were also intriguing. His longtime partner, Nora Barnacle, was not only his muse but the inspiration for many of his female characters. Their love letters, some of which were explicit and playful, reveal a different side of the often serious and brooding writer.

James Joyce was a man full of contradictions—brilliant yet superstitious, nearly blind but able to paint vivid literary pictures, and a rebel with a deep connection to his Irish roots. His life, much like his works, was an intricate puzzle, with layers of meaning waiting to be discovered.