Jeffrey Deitz answers “I have tried reading this book twice but...”

Deepak Pitaliya asked this question about Ulysses:

I have tried reading this book twice but could not get past 30-40 pages. I even read Iliad and Odyssey before starting this book as the book is supposed to draw some parallel with Odyssey. Is it readable?

Jeffrey Deitz Better than read it . ..listen to it! Then you'll see and feel what all the shouting is about. I had tried Ulyssesseveral times myself and couldn't wr…moreBetter than read it . ..listen to it! Then you'll see and feel what all the shouting is about. I had tried Ulyssesseveral times myself and couldn't wrap my head around the written word. Reading Gilbert Sturt, referring
to the Giffords no tes made things even more mind-numbing.

Then, in a last ditch effort I downloaded the Audible version. Once I heard the book professionallly narrated I entered the Promised land (which btw is a big theme in the novel) and a whole new world opened.

Recorded books spent a year working with the Joyce family and hired incredible Irish actor Donol Donnelly fo narrate all the episodes except Penelope, read by a terrfic Irish actress. Its like listening to music, smetimes lyric; somtimes sardonic; always engaging, as if the book were written to be recited.

It takes a great actor to switch intonation and give all the story's narrators their own unique voice; so you can hear when we drift into Stephen's or Leopold's stream of consciosnous, or when we move back into third person omnicient. For me- and I'm a serious classics nerd-the recorded book is 1000% ivelier and more engaging than slogging through the book, wondering which point of view the reader is in at any given momen,

The end result: an enchanting world of incredible humor, satire, parody, romaticism and pure old Irish poetry await. If you still hate it after you've listened to it, contact me for the refund.(less)

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Saila Routio Exactly the same experience - great as an audiobook!
Jan 07, 2020 02:24AM · flag

Frank D Narrated is good, but you really need to download the acted out, staged version of it to fully understand it.
Jul 12, 2020 06:25PM · flag

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