i think that is an extremely ignorant opinion! nausicaa is by far the most amazing literary piece i've ever read, powerful and lasting. persevere with ulysses and the rewards, often not obvious at the time, are great at the end.
i think that is an extremely ignorant opinion! nausicaa is by far the most amazing literary piece i've ever read, powerful and lasting. persevere with ulysses and the rewards, often not obvious at the time, are great at the end.
No, honestly this is the most awful book ever! Reading is supposed to be an enjoyable past-time, not a chore! Why waste your time?
To paraphrase another comment, 'you don't judge ulysses, it judges you'
I had heard much about ULYSSES as Joyce's greatest work.At the same time I was aware that it was not easy reading.However after I began reading it I realised for the first time that sometimes "classics" can be as boring and incomprehensible as modern art.Good luck to its readers!
I'm quoting my mentor on this one. I have to admit, however, that I studied Ulysses in small discussion groups and independently for 2 years. I go back to it and read passages outloud to myself or recite some of it while I walk around the city (i'm currently in Manchester, England). This book is really accessible once you let yourself get it... or more importantly, not get it, and find it, like a memory or thought you had. It works like a memory in that much of what happens to you in real life can often reference you back into it. Yes, it's challenging, but profoundly engaging and rewarding if you are patient.
The best way I've heard to read it is to "half-read", the way one would read poetry for impressions rather than words. I'll admit that when I was first assigned this book, I hated it. I still have the response paper I wrote on it where I threatened to throw it out the car window but opted to keep it for its use as a doorstop. It's not an easy book to jump into on the first try...you have to go a few rounds with it, and it's very much worth it when you do.
Honestly, I suggest reading Joyce's stuff in order. Start with Dubliners, which is immediately accessible, and then Portrait's not bad after that...and once you're through Portrait, Ulysses becomes much, much easier.
For the record, I'm still pretty intimidated by Finnegan's Wake. I'm in the warming-up process now...
I will get started on Finnegan's Wake in two weeks, but it is a horrid that someone would not appreciate Ulysses. James Joyce was a very creative writer who used many distinct styles of writing in this book alone. I also suggest you read Joyce's books in order and re-think your comment.
Think of Ulysses as you would think of anything...think for a bit longer and your train of thought will probably take you somewhere distant from Joyce. This is how the novel is written, something happens to progress the story, then a distance grows from the reader and, arguably, relevance - with this in mind Ulysses becomes a capable piece of literature, with the reader in the knowledge of simply reading until the return to relevance.
I am currently reading Ulysses. I first read Richard Ellman's biography of James Joyce and am familiar with the Odessey. These works are invaluable in understanding much of Ulysses. It also does help to read Joyce's books in order.
I've just finished Ulysses myself, and I found that I did really enjoy certain episodes, for example "Scylla and Charybdis" and "Nausicaa." However, at other points I would have to agree that the narrative was extremely challenging: "Circe" and "Ithaca" being my prime examples. Whilst overall I think I enjoyed the novel, and Joyce's mastery of the English language, I still feel alienated from it and I'm not sure what I have gained, if anything. I think you're probably right re: reading his novels in order, though I'm not looking to attempt Finnegans Wake anytime soon...
"Haunt me, take any form. Only, do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you."
So I just learned that I will be reading Ulysses next semester for my Irish lit class, and was quite excited. However, reading everyone's comments here, I'm beginning to wonder if I should not feel a bit intimidated...
Wow, James. 18 seems young for Ulysses. Freshman in college? Good luck. It's a hard read. But fun once you get the hang of it. At least most of the time.Originally Posted by Jamesian
LET THERE BE LIGHT
"Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena
My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/
I did the freshman comp requirement for dual credit in high school, and knocked off the sophomore comp requirement this semester, so now I can take all the 300-level English courses! Happy times. But yes, I hope the thing doesn't eat me or something.
Well even I think that you should read Joyce's books in succession. Start with Dubliners first. Its a great collection of short stories and more than any thing else it provides you with a "slice of life."
Ulysses is not an easy book to read -- if you want easy stuff, enjoy yourself with popular fiction (I do), such as Stephen King and others. That's okay.
However, think of Ulysses as a challenge -- a puzzle to be solved. Anyone who can enjoy the difficulty of a hard crossword puzzle, quiz game, even a challenging video game, can "enjoy" Ulysses.
No, it's not easy. Yes, it's a challenge. And yes (to quote Molly), if you DO get into the book, you may become a lifetime fan.
Here are some helpful things to do that may make the book more approachable...
See the 2 films. Both, available on DVD, are excellent and enjoyable "up front", but they also give you an introduction to the novel. There is "Ulysses", the 1967 Joseph Strick production. It's stark and sharply directed. And the new "Bloom", the 2002 all-Irish production.
Get a couple of guidebooks:
"James Joyce's Ulysses" by Stuart Gilbert
"The New Bloomsday Book" by Harry Blamires
both are in print and in paperback.
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