Reader discussion: Ulysses

Public reader discussion about Ulysses in the WeRead Catalog by James Joyce.

Re-joyce by Frank Delaney. A podcast read through of James Joyce's Ulysses.

By NeedleRusty5

I’m Irish, Dublin born and raised, so there was no way I wasn’t going to end up hearing about James Joyce and Ulysses. I’m even in a house on Brighton Square in Rathgar right now, where he grew up, so it’s kind of everywhere. I’ve always meant to read it, but I honestly thought it would be way too much for me. I’m terrible at spotting themes or all the little tricks people talk about. I also never really liked that whole “you have to figure it out yourself” vibe—I much prefer the “here’s how it works” side of things, not the magic trick. Then I found this podcast. Frank Delaney (Tipperary native, total Joyce nerd) reads it out and goes through each sentence properly. He’ll basically pull it apart and make it make sense without dragging it out. The episodes are also short—like 5 to 15 minutes—so it never feels like filler. I’ve never been so entertained by it. I’m about 24 episodes in and only around 10 pages into the book, which feels a bit ridiculous, but in a good way. It sucks that he passed away around episode 300, but I’m still excited to keep going with the rest of it. It’s genuinely changed how I see books. I’m only 10 pages in and for the first time I can actually feel the beauty in literature. Now I want to go back to stuff like Shakespeare, 19th century philosophy, and Irish nationalism—everything that shaped the whole thing. Highly recommend. Quick extra thing I forgot to add: I was living abroad for about 5 years and I only recently got out of a 6.5 year relationship. A lot of my friends feel more like acquaintances now, and I was starting to wonder what I was even doing here. This novel/podcast is the first time since I came back that I’ve felt genuinely happy to be home. I’m excited to wander around Dublin again and maybe find that spark Joyce seems to be pointing at.

Struggling with Ulysses annotations

By basilcomet77

Hey, I started Ulysses yesterday—I’ve got a paperback based on the 1939 text with about 9,000 annotations—and I was really into the first section. But now I’m halfway through Proteus and it’s honestly getting harder to keep going. There are just so many notes that I keep getting bogged down and reading turns into a slow slog. Still, I don’t really want to drop the annotations completely, because otherwise I’m probably going to miss a lot of the theology stuff and Irish terms. Any ideas for how you all handle the annotations without grinding your pace to a halt?

James Joyce’s “Ulysses”: Dirty words -- The troubled birth of a modernist masterpiece [Review of 'The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce’s “Ulysses”' by Kevin Birmingham

By Humble-Marten

What I like most about how Ulysses came out is that it was serialized for a good chunk of it—up through Nausicaa, anyway. Before that, stuff like the cheating and the whole bathroom business was basically tolerated, even if it wasn’t really what people wanted to see. I kind of wonder if the obscenity stuff that came after Nausicaa actually helped Joyce in a weird way, since the later parts feel way more experimental and willing to push right up against the line. Still, it’s kind of a gamble to bank on things eventually loosening up instead of getting stricter. P.S. I’m planning to keep working on Joyce for years (I’m in my PhD right now), and some of the comments on the Economist site really bum me out. Like, sure, Joyce isn’t for everyone, but if the best you can do is complain about punctuation, it feels like you didn’t get the point at all.

Next read: Can we please put up Ulysses by James Joyce up for vote to try and read it?

By Bookmark_Cricket

Okay, I’ll be the annoying devil’s advocate for a sec: - It’s like 800+ pages but only 18 chapters, so doing the usual chapter-a-day thing won’t really work. If people actually want to nominate *Ulysses*, someone’s gotta put in some work and help the mods out with a real reading schedule. - Also, *r/bookclub* did *Ulysses* back in 2014, and looking at the old posts, most of the threads barely had like 3 or 4 comments. That kind of pace feels like it would kill the vibe of any discussion space. Overall though, I feel like it fits *r/bookclub* more, since they do those weekly check-ins. Or maybe you’d be better off starting your own sub for the read. There’s a ton of interest lately too—Project Gutenberg apparently had like 13,000 downloads of *Ulysses* last month. If you could make it a “year of” type thing (and maybe tack on *Dubliners* or *A Portrait of the Artist*), I’d be tempted, like, maybe even for 2023. But those “yearof” subs like r/ayearofwarandpeace and r/yearofannakarenina seem pretty dead, unless you actively promote it and bring in a bunch of people.

Prose on par with Ulysses

By BookishReads

So where do you even find it? The very last bit of *Ulysses* is some of the prettiest writing I’ve come across.

Is Ulysses a bad book because you need outside knowledge to understand it?

By pinkcougar

This book feels pretty controversial, mostly because it seems like you need a lot of extra literary background to really get what’s going on—stuff like Greek poetry, Shakespeare, and even some Irish history. But then again, I’m not sure. It also doesn’t seem to have a super clear plot structure besides those hourly chapter bits, and the trading parts are pretty hard to follow. So it kind of makes me think it’s one of those books you shouldn’t really tackle unless you’re in an academic setting. What do you all think?

Any tips for reading Ulysses?

By ReaderWild2006

I keep meaning to start this, but I just haven’t been able to get into it. Everyone says it’s amazing, so I really want to be able to read it, but every time I start, I lose momentum. I’m comfortable with older/classic stuff and the wording doesn’t really bother me. I just feel like nothing “hooks” me yet—maybe I’m waiting for something to actually happen and it never quite does (at least not where I’ve gotten to). Am I maybe missing the point? Like, is there supposed to be some bigger symbolic/allegorical thing I’m not picking up? Curious how you all approached it—did anyone else struggle at first and then it finally clicked? Any advice would be great.

[Discussion] Bonus Book: Ulysses by James Joyce- Discussion 1

By wise_island7124

“History, Stephen said, is this awful nightmare I keep trying to wake up from.” Anyway, welcome to Joyce’s Dublin on June 16, 1904—should be a pretty wild day, bouncing around the whole human and geographic mess. Here we’re checking in with Stephen Dedalus again, but in this new stage of his life. This novel is packed with references to other books and real history stuff, plus a bunch of religious bits and specific places. And the writing is… not made to be super easy to follow. It doesn’t really “digest” itself for you, and that’s kinda the fun of it. You don’t have to feel intimidated. You can take the bits that grab you, or just chase whatever rabbit hole you end up in. Just let Joyce’s language wash over you a bit. Also, Ulysses is turning 103 this year, and it had a rough start—seriously got treated like a legal problem right from the beginning. It was banned in the US and UK, copies got seized and thrown out, and Joyce basically had to find a better situation in France, where it was printed through Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare and Co. I’ve got some history stuff in Marginalia, but heads up: there are spoilers in there about what’s explicit and why it got banned. (And yeah, it fought the law in the US and won around the same time Prohibition ended. In the UK it kept getting challenged for years after that.)

Can someone explain James Joyce?

By mochaPage

I grew up in the internet age, and over the years I’ve noticed people recommend Ulysses a lot when they’re talking “great literature,” but I’ve also seen Infinite Jest thrown into the same conversation pretty regularly. I grabbed a copy of Ulysses like seven years ago, and I’ve tried to read it a bunch of times. Lately I even went looking up stuff about it, thinking maybe that would make it click, but it honestly hasn’t. People act like it’s supposed to be one of the greatest books ever. I’m not expecting it to be a quick, fun read, but I thought I’d be able to slowly work through it and figure it out like I’ve done with Shakespeare. Instead, I just can’t seem to get into it at all. So for now I’m sticking with Ulysses since I already own it—though I also don’t really get Joyce in general. Like what’s the point of it? What is it even about, story-wise? Why do people hype him so hard when, from where I’m sitting, it feels kind of disconnected from anything tangible. And I’m not saying this to be dramatic, but I genuinely don’t know what the book is about. Is it about his life at home after the potato famine? Is it about identity? Because every article I read seems to tell a different story about what it’s “really” about.

Advice before reading Ulysses by James Joyce?

By paperbackmarket2003

I’m thinking about finally reading *Ulysses*. I keep hearing it’s one of the greatest books in English, but also that it’s kind of a monster—like you’re supposed to look things up as you go and basically annotate constantly. I already have a copy, and I’m hoping to start this weekend. Any tips before I jump in?

Why is Ulysses so difficult?

By marginSnow85

I’m only like 300 pages into *Ulysses* and yeah, it’s been tough. I keep having to pause and look things up—Latin stuff, bits of Greek mythology, religious/ecclesiastical references, even Irish history. I don’t mean that as a complaint though. Honestly, I like that part of it. But I can’t shake the feeling that it’s made to be hard on purpose, kind of to get at a bigger theme—being cut off from other cultures and not really knowing what you’re looking at. The funeral scene with Leopold Bloom is where it really hit me: he’s at this Catholic thing and you can tell he doesn’t fully get all the rituals. After that, I kept noticing the same vibe in other parts. Does anyone else feel that way? Or do you think that interpretation doesn’t really hold up?

Why is the 1922 edition of Ulysses now considered to be the preferred text?

By hiddenbird1640

I saw this in the blurb for the new Penguin Modern Classics release, so I’m not totally sure.

In the Aeolus Section of Ulysses, James Joyce Breaks A Rule of Narration, But It Really Works

By MidnightEclipse7

I’m new here, but I keep thinking about how Joyce “breaks the rules” and somehow it ends up doing good stuff, not just being annoying. Like in the Aeolus part of *Ulysses*, when Bloom goes to the newspaper office and the whole thing kind of drops him out of the center of it. It’s weird—almost like the story is showing you how unreliable his own idea of himself as a writer is, because he’s basically absent from the exact conversations where you’d expect him to matter. And he doesn’t even seem to realize it. I’ve always been told that switching viewpoints (the whole head-hopping thing) is a total no-no—pick one narrator/POV and stick to it or you confuse people and it looks tacky. Joyce does not care at all. Still, I’m kind of glad he ignores it here, because Bloom’s absence makes him feel more real somehow. In the earlier episodes, Bloom is doing a lot of the thinking, and you can see him wanting to write down everything he notices—trolleys, women, dogs, newsboys, whatever. He’s not portrayed as some polished writer, but you still see the spark when he’s watching and noticing. So I figured when he gets to the church service and then heads to the newspaper office, he’d finally be in his element. But it’s like nobody takes him seriously. He gets treated like an outsider—interrupts a discussion about a bad Cicero translation and it basically just ends. Nobody explains anything, he’s kind of ignored, and then later he’s only remembered when he goes to place his little ad or whatever. After that, the men go on and on about writing and literature—translations, songs, poetry, big memories of past journalism. But when Bloom calls, he gets basically shut down. Then he’s framed more like someone who delivers other people’s stuff or handles money for ads, not as a real writer at all. So I’ve got a few questions that I’m genuinely not sure about: - Is Joyce kind of saying that thoughts in your head are already “good enough” without being shaped and cleaned up for other people? - Why does everyone else’s writing get treated like it matters in that section, but Bloom’s doesn’t seem to count for anything? - Does Bloom come off like a tragic hero here—he has all the romantic writer energy, but none of the proof? Like his whole flaw is that he isn’t really known for writing. If anyone’s read about Joyce and can point me toward the right angle (or any books to check out), I’d love that. I’m leaning into Joyce lately because I’m writing my own novel and I got told to look at his work—especially the whole stream-of-consciousness narration thing.

how did the book ulysses come into your lives and what do you think?

By story_fish

I’m pretty curious about this one—I’ve had it on my mind for ages and I’m about to finally start it. I’ll admit I really like the title. I’m a Homer fan, and I’ve always found modernist stuff interesting. When I’m at bookstores I’ll sometimes flip through a few pages just to get a feel for the writing style, and this one seemed like a real challenge. I’ve heard people mention it here and there in conversations, but they never seem to talk about what it’s actually like to read or whether it really stuck with them—like, is it something with real impact, or more of an “experience of living” kind of art thing?

Just Finished Ulysses - What Do I Do Now?

By RainyTableWren

The title pretty much says it all. I kept delaying *Ulysses* for years—like over a decade—because it’s got that huge reputation and I figured I’d never get through it. I finally started it like a week ago and honestly it’s been the opposite. I can’t stop reading it, and once I started I didn’t really have a choice. It’s been all over the place in the best way, like it’s throwing you around from one thing to the next, but I’ve loved every second of it. So now what? I do want to re-read it later, but I feel like I need something to calm me down right now. Should I jump into Shakespeare, or try the Iliad/Odyssey, or the Bible? Or is the answer just… go to Dublin? Or maybe I should just watch or listen to something instead? Sorry if this is kind of ramble-y—I don’t know who else to ask. I’ve never had a book hit me like this before.

Just finished Ulysses

By owlcreek33

The James Joyce one. Honestly, I don’t even know how to put what I’m feeling right now into words, so I’m just gonna break it up: Relieved—like, I finally made it through one of the toughest novels in English. It was brutal at times, but it really felt worth it in the end. Happy/Satisfied—without spoiling anything, the ending is one of the most satisfying things I’ve read. It also leaves me wanting answers so badly, but somehow I’m okay with that too. Blown away—I still can’t believe someone could write something that’s this much better than anything else I’ve ever read. And I’m an English major, so I’ve tried the “classics.” Nothing I’ve read comes close to Joyce like this. Kind of bummed—because now I can’t read it fresh ever again. I’ll miss getting hit with all the big turns for the first time. Already determined—I know I’m going to want to reread it again and again. Like, for the rest of my life if I have to, because I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. And yeah, I get why people call it the greatest novel ever written. It absolutely deserves every bit of that hype. It feels like one of the best things any person has ever done. Read it.

Any literary journals in which the next Ulysses is being published in?

By ApronFish38

I’m not sure if subscribing to one is even worth it.

How to Read Ulysses

By shorespring1991

Hi everyone, I’m a freshman in high school, so I’m still pretty new to a lot of the classic stuff. I like pushing myself a little, so I figured I’d try Ulysses by Joyce. I’ve already read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which was hard, but by the end I really did come to appreciate it, and I think I got the main ideas at least (I think. Like the whole conflict between sin and being a devout Catholic, and then rejecting both, sort of a figurative martyr thing for art, and the way the writing starts off really plain and childlike but gets more complicated and the thinking becomes more organized by the end. I’m not trying to say that’s all the book is, though, I’d honestly like to talk about it more. I ended up discussing it a lot with my dad since he’s into this kind of thing, and talking things out usually helps me make sense of these books.) I’ve also read the Odyssey, so I’m hoping that will help with the references. Anyway, I went off on Portrait a bit, but back to Ulysses. I’ve read Joyce before, but since this one is so much longer I’m kind of worried I’ll get lost. I really want to understand it and actually appreciate it. Any advice for how to read it and keep up with what’s going on? I’ve heard there are a lot of layers to it. Thanks. Also I’m on mobile, so sorry this is just one giant block of text.

What’s the crack with Ulysses?

By coupletAmber

Just finished the first chapter of *Ulysses* and wow—this is basically a total slog. I can’t really make sense of what’s going on, and it’s honestly super frustrating. I went back and looked for whether it gets better later, and it seems like most people say it’s funny and clever but also still really hard on purpose. That’s what I don’t get. Why push through like a thousand pages of something that’s designed to be difficult? Is there some point where it actually clicks, or is the “hard” part basically the whole gimmick? Also, if you have to kind of zone out and not read the words directly to enjoy it, how does that even work? Has anyone got any advice on whether I should keep going or just put it aside? I could really use some guidance.

Recommendations for starting Ulysses?

By Prologue_Pink

I’m a former English major, and I genuinely love prose, but I don’t have the time to really take a class or anything, and I know that’s probably going to make this harder. I’m fine with difficult writing in general—I love Pynchon, Nabokov, Beckett, etc.—so it’s not like I’m totally new to the style side of things. But I’ve never really studied Joyce, and I found Wolff’s *Jacob’s Room* super hard, so I’m worried this might end up being too much if I don’t end up loving it or “getting” the plot. Plus, I’m seriously pressed for time: I can only swing like an hour a day at most. I work in law, and yeah, it has to come first (for my own sanity and for my clients, unfortunately). That said, I know from Pynchon that I can enjoy it even if I don’t catch every single detail—I just need to understand what’s going on well enough to keep reading. I’m hoping this will be similar. So, what’s the best way to tackle it on my own? Are there any editions I should avoid? And do you know any guides that give references/context without basically telling me what I’m supposed to think? I’d rather not use one, honestly—I’d just like to read, enjoy, and make quick notes so I can look things up later on the web. THANK YOU kindly!!!! THANK YOU kindly!!!!!!