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So, this marks my second attempt to read Joyce's magnum opus. Almost two weeks after beginning I am further than I made it before in six weeks. I was reading along at quite a nice pace until I began my current chapter: Oxen of the Sun. Just a quick question: is this the most difficult passage to get through or has the challenge just begun? On several occasions Joyce seems to lead you into a false sense of security and then pounce on you with plodding, difficult passages. Thanks!
Due to the varying styles of the English language in the Oxen and the Sun episode, I could see how it could be difficult. Just read slowly...For me the hardest episode would have to be Aeolus, so it just depends on the reader, I suppose. Circe, Ithaca, and Penelope (upcoming episodes) are relatively easier than some of the others, like Proteus, the aforementioned Aeolus, and maybe even Scylla and Charybdis due to the numerous allusions, but you're almost done, it'd be a pity if you stopped now!
Hi RowJimmy,Quote:
Originally Posted by RowJimmy
I've just finished reading the "Oxen of the Sun" episode and I think you're right, it is one of the most difficult chapters in the book and Joyce does seem to lull you into a sense of security before pouncing on you with difficult passages, something I think he does throughtout the book. Another way of looking at it is that he could be rewarding the reader with easier passages after he/she gets through the more difficult ones. But, then again, some people would say the difficulties of the book become its pleasures the more you read it. But getting back to the "Oxen" episode, you have to really know what Joyce is up to, what is going on in the episode in order to make it a much more enjoyable read. Use a guide if you have to but I think they take a lot of the pleasure out of the book so I wouldn't become reliant on them. But sometimes when joyce leaves you completely in the dark they are necessary. Basically, in the "Oxen" episode, Bloom and Stephen with his drinking buddies are in a waiting room in a hospital out of concern for a Mrs. Purefoy, who is having difficulty giving birth. The language of the episode grows in an analogy with the growth of an embryo. At first the language is overrationalized, like a law document. It is deliberately almost impossible to read as it represents the death of language. Joyce is starting at the end because life and death are cyclical, one follows the other. Then he takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through the various stages of the growth of the English language, from Anglo-Saxon to the 19th.cent, incorporating many pastiches and literary styles along the way.
So what's so great about this? What's the point?
The point is nobody ever told a story like this before. And this is true of most of Ulysses. Joyce is saying why not tell it this way or that way? Why do we need an omniscient narrator when there is no such thing?
As for whether it is the most difficult episode, I'd say no. For me "Scylla and Charabdis" is the most difficult. But a lot of people give up whilst trying to read the third episode, "Proteus".
I've literally just finished reading 'Ulysses' for the first time, and am now reading 'The New Bloomsday Book' by Harry Blamires to see what I missed!
I found 'The Oxen of the Sun' very hard going, and the following chapter ('Circe') was also very demanding and obscure (and long!). It does get easier again (relatively speaking!) for the final three chapters. I think what sustained me through those difficult bits is that I really enjoyed the preceding three chapters (especially 'The Sirens').
When I read the notes for 'Oxen' (after finishing the chapter), I found that I had missed various bits of plot (for example, Stephen hurting his hand). I'd definitely advise you to have some notes handy whilst reading it - I had the York and Spark notes; both are available free on the net.
Where do you find spark notes for free?
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