Paul’s review of James Joyce's Ulysses: A Study > Likes and Comments

So... You read the three books??
Given your three reviews, I'm not sure if you're insane (in the good way) going all fanboy or I'm too lazy to read Ulysses... (Eventually I will, it seems to be such a canonical book, it'd be a sin not to have it in a TBR.)

At the end, it seems like it's wiser to read an annotated version, so I'm guessing the big a$$ book you first review is the better one??

Also, is it a "must" to read The Odessey (spell?) before?
The fact that is referenced is obvious, but is it too referenced? That is, would I miss important points if the story is not fresh in my mind?

No, you don't have to know about the Odyssey or Ulysses the Greek Hero guy at all. All the commentators love to point out the correspondences but in the end JJ was just having some brainy fun with that. The whole thing is a distraction.

All you need is one introduction, NOT the big one but the one I mentioned called Ulysses Unbound - this is a very good one

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Awesome! Thanks, man.

Wow, thanks! I highly appreciate the insightful introduction per chapter + ranking per category 👍 I’ll go through your summary per chapter before reading JJ’s chapter and, hopefully, not end up with the feeling of having skimmed through it 😄

you're welcome Jonas.... hope you enjoy this big beast. It's difficult but it's funny.

Okay but the DnD-esque descriptions of the medical students late night snacks in Oxen is one of my favorite little moments. The magical headless fish and bewitched dwarf table always makes me smile.

You are surely one of the very few people on the planet who would say that! Maybe there would be three others...

Wow. I just finished the book (not skimming!) and just read this ‘summary’ and thank you! One it made me feel like I read the same thing. You are hilarious. And it was a wonderful description. It is such a hard book to explain but I appreciate so much your attempts at trying to do so. This book will live (haunt?) in my mind for some time. I do think ti shirt changes Mollys ending which I found beautiful but thank you!

you're very welcome... ! It does haunt you. Just now I am rereading the Wandering Rocks section.

This is a brilliant review, Paul, thank you. I someday aspire to do a second reading of Ulysses, or at least to dip into a chapter from time to time. When I do, I will refer back to your fun and informative chapter notations.

thanks Vanessa - it's the one Big Book that I regularly return to, it's fabulous for dipping into !