My Brother's Keeper ― James Joyce's Early Years

Stanislaus Joyce was more than his brother's keeper: he was at various times his brother's touchstone, conscience, and biggest fan. The two shared the same genius, the same childhood influences, the same literary instinct - but in Stanislaus that instinct was channeled into sober academic pursuit, while in James in evolved into gaiety, wild whimsy, and at times sodden despair.
Covering the first twenty-two years of James Joyce's life in Dublin and Trieste, My Brother's Keeper is a window onto the drama that was his youth. Thanks to Stanislaus's superb memory and sure hand, here we find the Dublin of Dubliners: the streets, neighbors, churches, and unforgettable eccentrics. Here we see the model for Ulysses's Simon Dedalus: James Joyce's father, a dour and violent figure when in his cups. Here are the Joyces in their own home, and the minor characters that pepper A Portrait of the Artist: Eileen, Leopold Bloom's comely daughter; Mrs. Riordan, the surly teacher; Mr. Casey, the political agitator. And finally, here is Trieste, a place of exile for Stanislaus but a retreat for James.
In My Brother's Keeper, Stanislaus Joyce has fashioned both an invaluable primary source for his brother's masterpieces and a loving memoir of his brother's early life.

Stanislaus Joyce (1884-1955) was a professor of literature in Trieste.