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Why did James Joyce learn Dano-Norwegian?
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James Joyce
Irish writer James Joyce.
James Joyce learned Dano-Norwegian because of his great admiration for the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. He specifically wanted to read Ibsen's play When We Dead Awaken in its original language.1
This linguistic effort proved successful, as Joyce subsequently published a review titled "Ibsen's New Drama" in the London Fortnightly Review in 1900. This early achievement helped solidify his resolve to pursue a career as a writer.1