Here's an idea on a how to read Ulysses: Go with the flow. <br><br>Don't interpret, just float. The river will take you there, wherever that is. The second time, read with a commentary or the Ulysses Encyclopedia, look at the (not too helpful) schemata or whatever. But first: do it on your own. Don't even think too hard. Let Bloom and Daedalus do the thinking for you.
I would recommend starting with Bloom's chapters first. There's a passage in the Ithica chapter, the one about 'Incomplete carnal intercourse', which helps to understand the the repressed sexual nature/the relationship between Molly and Bloom, along with subtle ways in which Bloom and Molly are hiding secrets from each other during the Calypso and Lotus Eaters chapters. After the Lestrygonians chapter, go back and start with Stephen's chapters, 1 2 & 3, then to 9, after that Bloom and Stephen will continue to cross paths and finally unite at the beginning of the Eumaeus episode. It sounds tricky, but if you think about it, it's kind of like giving someone on the street the best way to get to a good Irish pub
That is perhaps the only way to read it correctly. It is a river that you enter and let the current carry you along. That is the beauty of it. Don't worry about the names of places and people. They will clarify for you or they won't. Read on!Originally Posted by Mike
"I am glad to learn my friend that you had not yet submitted yourself to any of the mouldy laws of Literature."
-John Muir
"My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light"
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
when reading any literature i pretty much only use my imagination to portray the work. The entire experience is more powerful then just the thoughts. Of course I read very slowly, making sure i digest everything. When something is obviously a new or bold thought or statement someone is making and it is a little abstruse to me, i do my best to understand it, and go on. Later while i'm making coffee or bussing tables i think on these things.
All across the telegraph
His name it did resound,
But no charge held against him
Could they prove.
And there was no man around
Who could track or chain him down,
He was never known
To make a foolish move.
Honestly, I'd read it with Hart and Hayman's James Joyce's Ulysses. It's a GREAT book of criticism, and the section-by-section format helps the reader get so much more out of the book.
If we didn't need a guide to get as much as we can out of Ulysses, then why did Joyce publish the two schemas?
Sorry to resurrect such an old thread. I think that the original poster may be onto something. Save getting "as much as we can" out of it for later readings, and enjoy the wooly fun of the infatuated reader.
I haven't cracked Ulysses yet, but this method worked very well for me with Gravity's Rainbow.
I first read Ulysses for a class and used The New Bloomsday Book as a guide. It was helpful in the sense that I had to grasp certain themes, etc. to write the required papers. I'm going through it again reading it very slowly and creating my own interpretation. I think both methods have their merit. If you opt for the first method, I recommend The New Bloomsday Book very highly.
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