I've been reading Ulysses...

...and I must say, it's wonderful! After a brief hiatus from it for about a month, today I picked it back up and got through two episodes; I'm now at the beginning of Wandering Rocks (my edition doesn't label the episodes, but I've been using the online text as a guide).

I've been interested in Joyce's work ever since, about a year and a half ago, I, as a timid little ember of a reading enthusiast, picked up A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Little did I know what I was doing. After trudging through the beginning, I started picking up momentum, understanding it more and more as I went on, and by the end found myself craving more. Soon after finishing it, I went to the bookstore and bought Dubliners, and read it all in a short time span; but, still I wanted something more.

So, in August, I purchased Ulysses.

So far, I've been just going along with what I've read and trying my best to understand what's happening (and I'm doing a fairly decent job at it, I think) until I finish it. After finishing it, I'm thinking of doing a more thorough job of reading it, but for now, I'm just intent on finishing it.

I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's nice to see somebody who doesn't mind being confused every once in a while, because I'm tired of seeing most people when they read it throw their hands up and say that it's nonsense the first ambiguity they encounter.

About a third of the way through Circe, now. The little trial he went through where all the women came to testify against him had me laughing on every page (nearly). There's been alot in this novel that I've kind of had to do a double take with.

My schoolfellows all think I'm crazy for reading this, but I don't really see why; despite the unconventional writing style, there's very little I've found unpleasurable about reading this. I am anxious (as with everything else) to get to the end, but it's less of an "Oh, let me be through with this book" feeling and more of an "I can't wait to see how it all comes together and is wrapped up" feeling.

It ends beautifully, like the end of a long and perfect day as the sun rises from a restless night.

I'm even more anxious now; I got through Circe today--a great episode, I might add. One of my favourites so far--and I'm going to see if I can't at least get through the first episode of part three tomorrow. After that, two episodes (roughly 120 pages) will be all that stand between me and my goal.

...You know, I'm not sure what I'll do after finishing Ulysses. I have Dostoevsky's The Idiot lined up to read next, but while Dostoevsky is probably one of my top three favourite writers, and I'm always eager to read more of his material, I have this feeling that Ulysses is going to be a hard act to follow.

Okay; I have Molly Bloom's Soliloquy now as the only obstacle dividing me from finishing the book. I'm excited to finally be so close to the end, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about reading it...

Alright, I'm finished reading Ulysses! I feel proud of myself for sticking to it, and I feel as though I might have read one of the greatest books I ever will in my life.

These are inspiring stories. I graduated in Humanities from a prestige
college nearly 50 years ago. Over the years, I have picked up and
put away "Ulysses" maybe five or six times, including a couple of
bookstore browses. This time, I was determined to
have it read before my time's up.
I read with dogged persistence. On October 26th, I noted the current
page number, twenty-nine. Then, I looked at the sales slip, tucked
away in the back: October 10th. I had been reading for thirteen days
and had finished twenty-nine pages. At that rate, my estimate was that
it was going to take me four-hundred days, about a year and month, to
finish it.
Needless to say, the pace soon quickened. It's November 28th, and
I am somewhere near page five hundred.
I have enjoyed every second of the reading. I am of the belief that
my art will never be the same from here on out.

Ulysses has been made tough deliberately and there are some points or ideas that are meaningless, unsystematic and haphazardly put forth. And we reader obsessed with the world of systems, rules, meaning and sequence try the same there and get lost in the end in point of fact. There is substance but little sequence and like Kafka. Kafka is simpler in structure but he too incomprehensible. People read Ulysses out of sheer passion or snobbishness. I for one do not try to meaningless tire myself.

I agree with that completely, only, with your kind permission, I request
to be excused from any personal identification on the grounds that I
have just begun to learn about James Joyce. The fact of the snob appeal
came as news to me only recently, and I'm certainly in no position to take
them on.
The structure, though, or what appears the lack of it, is a very interesting
topic. I am nearly through the book and am seeing that the way the book
is written can have a profound emotional impact on the reader, as we know
the way it was written is said to have had an enormous impact on literature
and the arts.

I was wrong earlier: I've read the first chapter of The Idiot so far, and my experiences with Ulysses aren't taking away from my enjoyment of it a bit.

While I enjoyed the odd style of this book--in fact, that's what initially attracted me to it--I generally won't just read a book because it's in an experimental style... Well, that may be a bit of a fib, but had I not felt anything after reading Ulysses, I wouldn't have said that I think it's one of the greatest books I've read so far.

As a very enjoyable assist to reading Ulysses, I recommend renting both the film versions. "Ulysses" dir. Joseph Strick, made in the '60s, and "Bloom" made just a few years ago.

Very different films but each is a faithful attempt to show the novel on film. The older film is more stylish and symbolic, the new film more theatrical.

Both films have humorous segments, and both have very touching segments. I'm particularly drawn to the Molly Bloom soliloquy (the final chapter, Penelope) as done in the older film. Beautifully poetic use of the film medium.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

Ulysses has been made tough deliberately and there are some points or ideas that are meaningless, unsystematic and haphazardly put forth.

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I agree with the first statement but respectfully disagree with the second. Everything in Ulysses is deliberate, aside from a few genuine typos and other small errors. But nothing is haphazard at all. It's an immense, entertaining puzzle that will keep me busy for the remainder of my life.

I've read the novel at least a dozen times, am now just started re-reading my Gabler edition, which has tons of footnotes all linked to a big computer file I've created.

Aside from the Gabler I have several other editions, including the 3-volume synoptic scholar's edition, the Random House, Bodley Head, and yes, a Shakespeare & Company FIRST edition! (which I picked up at an estate sale for $20!)

I've also got a number of reference works on Joyce and Ulysses in particular.

Contrary to being meaningless or haphazard, I find Ulysses one of the most tightly constructed and plotted novels ever.