James Joyce's first book, Dubliners, is a collection of stories that present Irish middle class life in Dublin. It took nearly ten years for Joyce to get Dubliners published -- never before had a book depicted Irish life in such a realistic manner. Published as Irish nationalism was hitting a fever pitch, the stories are considered some of the most important ever to emerge from the country, both in terms of literary innovation and the diverse experiences described. Some of the characters from the collection would later reappear in Joyce's literary masterpiece, Ulysses.