Discuss "Ulysses" (Main Thread)

[Mr Mr Eko Eko]

My problem with Ulysses is the literary references. Joyce has such a wealth of knowledge of literatury and literary history and quotes from so many sources that I do not know, so I find it difficult to understand and appreciate a lot of the content. You would have to have read a lot of the reference works to truely appreciate a book like Ulysses and unfortunately I haven't. I have read Dubliners though and really enjoyed that. I'm afraid the closest I get to Ulysses is when I jog past Joyse's old school (Clongowes) every day.

[MegaNice9]

Awesome passage, MegaNice! I like the part around there where Stephen's thinking about how shells used to be used as currency. ^_^

In the next chapter, there's this:
My soul walks with me, form of forms. So in the moon's midwatches I pace the path above the rocks, in sable silvered, hearing Elsinore's tempting flood.
I love it. One of the keys to enjoying Joyce in general is to relax and worry less about understanding everything and more about enjoying the language use for itself. You can read one sentence of his over and over and over again. <3

That's really lovely. I find his writing is very organic, and yet it has great structure too. Also, thanks for the advice on reading Joyce. The language is certainly enough to keep me pressing on through the heavier parts of the book.

[cBoy]

I read the book and it is hard but I didn't worry about trying to understand everything and just try to enjoy. Then I got the audiobook version and listening to Donal Donnelly brought it alive. When I read it, it seemed kind of flat, but the reader brought out a lot that I missed. Joyce doesn't usually identify who is speaking and sometimes more than one person speaks in a sentence and the reader uses different inflections to illustrate that. It's a lot of cds, 40, but worth spending the time listening. The last episode, Molly, is great (female reader). I once heard a reviewer say that Joyce should be listened to and I didn't understand, but after listening, I do.

[Hugo Rocks]

[QUOTE=SeptemberValentine;1411903
If nothing else, read the last chapter (Penelope). You'll thank me. Ulysses isn't the sort of book that's ruined by jumping around in the least. If anything, reading the easier parts first gets you a bit more into the story, which can entice you into reading the rest of it.

.[/QUOTE]

This is so true! I read the book in college and have every intention of rereading again as it's many layers of meaning need to be thought and rethought. The only part I have reread a few times since is the last chapter. It is funny, passionate, inspiring, and absolutely genius. Joyce was brilliant.

[Shane9999100]

Easily one of the most confusing books I have ever read, and yet I am oddly drawn to it. I look forward to finishing it.

[Easy]

I had to read Dubliners for my A Level English and it put me off reading anythign else by Joyce and some of the comments on here haven't encoraged me to give Ulysses a try

but i will look to see if i can find it online anywhere and see how i get on with it

[Mr Mr Eko Eko]

I read the book and it is hard but I didn't worry about trying to understand everything and just try to enjoy. Then I got the audiobook version and listening to Donal Donnelly brought it alive. When I read it, it seemed kind of flat, but the reader brought out a lot that I missed. Joyce doesn't usually identify who is speaking and sometimes more than one person speaks in a sentence and the reader uses different inflections to illustrate that. It's a lot of cds, 40, but worth spending the time listening. The last episode, Molly, is great (female reader). I once heard a reviewer say that Joyce should be listened to and I didn't understand, but after listening, I do.

I have heard that it is a book that should be heard more so than read for exactly the reasons you have stated.

[thebigbosh]

well I reckon I'm officially giving up on this one. I went and bought the portuguese version stupidly and I am struggling horrendously. Still on the first chapter, 50 pages in and I'm procrastinating - something I never do with books. I'm going to put it to the side so I can re-read catch 22 (in english woohoo) to catch up with the club. I reckon if I try again it'll either be in English or with the audio CD.
cheers

[Galesito]

I had to read Dubliners for my A Level English and it put me off reading anythign else by Joyce and some of the comments on here haven't encoraged me to give Ulysses a try

but i will look to see if i can find it online anywhere and see how i get on with it

I loved dubliners, the first time I read it I re-read it immediately and noticed I had a different take on several of the stories the second time around. Joyce gives you the least information he can and lets the reader work out the rest. The dead, two gallants and counterparts are my favourites from that book.


I've also read portrait of the artist as a young man which I also enjoyed but I've yet to tackle Ulysses. I'm also a big fan of Faulkner and would recommend his books to anyone who likes the modernist style.

[OFG]

Hi, new member here, have always loved the book references in LOST.
Is this topic to discuss Ulysses or to discuss why it might have been shown?
I'm up for either.

I too was a dedicated Joyce scholar. I spent nine years in graduate school reading Finnegans Wake (all of it) with a group, and have read Ulysses a few times, including twice with a reading group where we took the time to read it all aloud and go page by page.

That was a decade ago, but I still remember the basics and would love to talk about it.