Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Ulysses
1001 Monthly Group Read
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April {2020} Discussion -- ULYSSES by James Joyce
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Apr 18, 2020 08:56AM
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Ulysses Summary
Without that, I still could have just sat back and reveled in the word play, the alliterations, the rhymes, the changing styles... But it was even more fun getting a full grip on what those changing styles were and the story going on underneath. I actually surprised myself when I finished an episode and went back to the summary only to learn that I had gotten a lot of it.
My overall impression: James Joyce is a genius! His attention to details amazed me. His wordplay was fascinating.
Episode 17 was the best. I loved his detailed description of water. That was amazing. That whole episode I had to go back and read twice. It was parts like this that kept me reading. I couldn't wait to see what type of trick he was going to play next.
If you are not reading it because it's just too hard or too confusing, just do it. Use the summary for help or just enjoy the words and don't worry so much about the parts you don't understand. That's my advice!
Love your comments and agree with them. I’m just starting my third read (this time using The Folio Society illustrated edition - beautiful book physically) and as I read “Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead...” a smile comes to me in anticipation of another great read.
I have three all time favourite books and Ulysses is one of them. A work of pure genius that:- is not as difficult as everyone thinks it is
- is the funniest book ever written (but incredibly depressing, too)
- is a page-turner
- even though it has the reputation of being an "obscene" book, by today's standards it's quite tame
For anyone reading it for the first time, The New Bloomsday Book is a very good companion. Have fun!
I'm a big fan too. I've read it twice over the past couple of years (once audio, once print), and I loved it even more the second time around.I agree it's really not that difficult. For some people the stream-of-consciousness parts may take a little getting used to, but I found once I got the hang of them, they were oddly soothing!
My def this year. I just couldn't read it. Maybe try again another time. I have been amazed how I have loved the books picked so far. I just couldn't focus on this type of writing.
I started this one years ago, got maybe 50 pages into it, put it down and haven't managed to make myself go back to it. I wasn't disliking it, but neither was I liking it.
I have read this a couple of times. Sort of. But recently, I had some help with this AMAZING "guide"... https://www.amazon.com/Read-Love-Jame...DO IT. It will make this incredible novel simply jump off the page.
