Brian’s answer to “I have tried reading this book twice but could not get past 30-40 pages. I even read Iliad and Odys…” > Likes and Comments
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i'm generally against the guides; but re-reading is what it's all about.
Being against guides, and I read guide as inclusive with secondary material generally, is self-defeating, especially being against guides that are neutral or non-interprative, e.g. Gifford, since it should be kind of expected that you dont understand all Irish slang or every allusion, it doesn't hurt the reading experience it only makes it possible that you have all the tools necessary to even begin a thorough interpretation. No matter how many times you reread a text, you're not going to understand certain information that is culturally displaced from you without a guide. Willful ignorance isn't cool and doesn't make you look smarter.
"willful ignorance" that's pretty rude. what exactly is "culturally displaced" information, anyway. and better what does it have to do with enjoying Ulysses. i read books for fun. that's it. it's not a matter of being smart; it's a question of who's having more fun. i've been re-reading Ulysses for thirty years (just to show-off); and there are still plenty of things i don't understand, but that's never interfered with me being entertained. it's not a contest and it's not a quiz. it's just a novel. my point is simply if your going to spend time reading read Ulysses. (have any of your helper books explained to you what Yeats meant by, "love's bitter mystery" or what Joyce meant by putting it in his book?)
Would a good novel require a guide? (BTW, I don't need a guide.)
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Mark
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Aug 03, 2016 09:37PM
i'm generally against the guides; but re-reading is what it's all about.
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Being against guides, and I read guide as inclusive with secondary material generally, is self-defeating, especially being against guides that are neutral or non-interprative, e.g. Gifford, since it should be kind of expected that you dont understand all Irish slang or every allusion, it doesn't hurt the reading experience it only makes it possible that you have all the tools necessary to even begin a thorough interpretation. No matter how many times you reread a text, you're not going to understand certain information that is culturally displaced from you without a guide. Willful ignorance isn't cool and doesn't make you look smarter.
"willful ignorance" that's pretty rude. what exactly is "culturally displaced" information, anyway. and better what does it have to do with enjoying Ulysses. i read books for fun. that's it. it's not a matter of being smart; it's a question of who's having more fun. i've been re-reading Ulysses for thirty years (just to show-off); and there are still plenty of things i don't understand, but that's never interfered with me being entertained. it's not a contest and it's not a quiz. it's just a novel. my point is simply if your going to spend time reading read Ulysses. (have any of your helper books explained to you what Yeats meant by, "love's bitter mystery" or what Joyce meant by putting it in his book?)
Would a good novel require a guide? (BTW, I don't need a guide.)
