Ulysses in Lost Generation

May 15, 2013 Quiet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tiffling-twenties

Read this over the past 12 weeks for my "James Joyce - Author Studies" course.

If it hadn't been for not only the guidance of a professor, but the guidance of a quality professor who really loves Joyce, I don't think I'd have ever truly have been able to read this. I've owned Ulysses for a few years now, but was lost the moment I hit "Proteus," of Ch.3. In hindsight, that ch. is nothing compared with what comes later---

But I read it! I really, truly read Ulysses, and the book is absolutely amazin Read this over the past 12 weeks for my "James Joyce - Author Studies" course.

If it hadn't been for not only the guidance of a professor, but the guidance of a quality professor who really loves Joyce, I don't think I'd have ever truly have been able to read this. I've owned Ulysses for a few years now, but was lost the moment I hit "Proteus," of Ch.3. In hindsight, that ch. is nothing compared with what comes later---

But I read it! I really, truly read Ulysses, and the book is absolutely amazing and I understand perfectly why this monstrous, pain-in-the-ass to read book is so beloved now. It's not a very exciting book, it's intentional to the point where you can't help but doubt the fiction, and yet it's simply aces.

The most important thing I found with reading Ulysses, and which evaded much of my class also, is to see the humor. This book is absolutely hilarious; it takes a while before understanding the characters of Stephen and Bloom, but once you do it's imperative you go back and re-read past chapters, if only to sleuth out and recognize the humor.
Seriously funny book. Once it "clicks," this challenging book becomes much more available. Even when I got to the very intensively strange chapters, like "Oxen of the Sun" and "Naucissa," I was so tuned in at that point, if only to Joyce's sense of humor, that I came through those segments with a strong first reading that far excelled the second and even third readings of chapters I'd done when I'd first started the book.

Absolutely love this book, and will be re-reading it again definitely. I couldn't recommend this book enough. And if you're someone like me who tried to read it but couldn't, don't give up. If you can find a course dedicated to teaching this book, it worked for me. If not, I'd suggest checking out Anthony Burgesses' "Rejoyce," which is a very short secondary reading that is basically a celebration of the Ulysses. It helps set the mood.

Absolute love. Very, very happy to have finally been able to experience this book. ...more

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