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Ulysses by James Joyce Readalong & Re-Readalongs (2014, 2016); Audio Listen-Along (2017)
Here is a link to one of my friends that just finished Ulysses.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It is interesting to note the reasons she wanted to read it and how she prepared for it.
Just started episode 15. I noticed that Bloom's mother also carries a potato in her pocket. I wonder if this has something to do with the potato famine? A piece of security, a talisman?
I've now read far enough to answer my own question, it's the same potato, an heirloom and a talisman.
I think that's the same potato that was mentioned in the first episode we met Leopold in. If I remember correctly, he dressed to go out to buy his breakfast kidney and put the potato talisman into his pocket. His mother had given it to him, I believe. I thought it was interesting that the potato and his mother were brought back into this episode.
Episode 15Psychedelic - a great way to describe this Petra ! And yes it took me more than a couple of days to get through it. For all of the other episodes , as I've mentioned before , I read it , then look at summaries and analyses and then reread . I'm not going to reread this one ! Strange to say the least !
Bloom is still focused on what is happening between Molly and Boylan.
It seems to keep going back to Bloom's sadness over the death of Rudy and Stephen's guilt over his mother's death . Their isolation from others is obvious again .
What a hot mess Stephen is ! I love that Bloom is there for him .
I have just read half of chapter 13.In it Joyce mentions The Lamplighter
Here is what wiki says about this.
The character of Gerty McDowell in James Joyce's Ulysses is based on the heroine of the novel, Gerty Flint, in a portion of Ulysses generally believed to be a parody of Cummins' writing style.[3][1][1]
Just finished episode 15. I did actually laugh out loud more than once, there was so much tongue in cheek humour here. The stage directions added so much to this episode. A couple of my favourites A Millionairess (richly), A Noblewoman (nobly), A Feminist (masculinely). Haha!Reading through this I kept thinking of the lighting being like the inside of a kaleidoscope and the background music as carnival music in the style of The Chipmunks. I sometimes found it hard to determine where the hallucination ended and real life peeked through.
I was glad Bloom was there for Steven. Early in this book I felt like Steven didn't have much or any support, but not so. I think because it is so detailed and therefore long, it is easy for me to forget this is just one day. Few of us are fortunate enough to spend a whole day surrounded by supportive people, no different than Steven.
Angela, I too have been reading each episode twice through up till now, and like you, I am going to pass on that second read for this one!
Evelyn , love the kaleidoscope thought !
I enjoyed the stage directions in 15. One of the main things that has been a (pleasant) surprise for me in the book has been the amount of humour.
Episode 16 (Eumaeus)We're in the home-stretch now!
Sparknotes:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ulysses...
Stuff Jeff Reads:
http://stuffjeffreads.wordpress.com/2...
So Many Books:
http://somanybooksblog.com/2011/11/07...
Sorry, once again I'm a bit behind. I've got family staying this week and my reading time has been cut short. However, I will be finished in a couple of days.I apologize for being so late so often lately.
So far, from the bit I've read, this episode seems rather straight forward, although written in a bit of an aristocratic way. It's kind of nice to just be able to read and get the gist of what's happening after all the psychedelic ways of Episode 15.
Feel free to start the discussion. I'll join in very soon.
No worries Petra, it's Christmas, I think we are all being pulled in many directions right now!
Hi All,I'm going to be behind as well . My Mom was admitted to the hospital today . She had injured her leg last week and has an infection and will probably be there for a few days - hopefully home by Christmas. So I'll catch up when I can.
Hope everyone has a great holiday .
Mod
Hope things go OK with your Mum, Angela.I'm sure Joyce will wait for us all!
And this is what I found when I searched online for James Joyce and Christmas:http://irelandsotherpoetry.wordpress....
Thanks everyone , for your thoughts .
Angela, I'm sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope she's home for Christmas. Gill, that's a great Christmas tidbit on Joyce. Thanks for posting that. I like the idea of little Joyce singing in a Christmas concert. :D
Just finished and had a look at the links you provided Petra. I especially related to the So Many Books one.My overall impression of this episode is - so many words! In the notes section of my book, the writer describes Joyce's style here as "never use one word when thirty will do".
Bloom is trying so hard to make Stephen like him. Why? I understand his concern as it is basic humanity, but I felt so sorry for Bloom. Stephen's replies are cryptic, he quotes literature instead of giving a straight answer, he refuses the food offered, he basically just sits there, unseeing. Ok, so he is very drunk, and in that state many people are not on their best behaviour, so again, why is Bloom trying so hard?
I liked the people in the cab men's shelter, the sailor spinning yarns and the proprietor with the questionable past. Just the type of eclectic group I would expect to find at that time of night.
I am almost finished with chapter 15. My goal is to finish the book by Jan 1st, but I will really have to be determined to get there.
I liked this section. It is wordy....very wordy. Evelyn, I like that quote ("never use one word when thirty will do"). LOL! It fits perfectly to this episode. Gracious!....the time I could have saved by skipping some of these digressions (but they were interesting). I also enjoyed the Taxi Shelter group. They are just the sort of mixed-bag group you'd meet at that time of night.
I didn't find that Bloom was trying to hard to make Stephen like him. I got the impression that he was being protective of Stephen. He realizes that Stephen is at a cross-road in his life and on the verge of throwing it all away (giving up his job, losing his home, etc) and he's looking for a way to make Stephen understand that he's got to keep trying.
"...he brought to mind instances of cultured fellows that promised so brilliantly nipped in the bud of premature decay and nobody to blame but themselves."
In most of this section, I get the impression that Bloom is patiently taking care of Stephen, who is in a depressed, drunken, wobbly state. We've all been there....taking care of a friend who's not in the best shape at that particular moment. We've all held back someone's hair, right?? :D This section reminds me of those times. Patience & tolerance & understanding.
Bloom seems to be growing throughout this book. In the beginning, he's quite passive; quite the wienie who gets picked on and takes it. Then he has that altercation with The Citizen and shows some backbone. In this section, he shows more backbone by taking Stephen home. He contemplates what Molly will think if he does that and speculates that she'll dislike it:
"The crux was it was a bit risky to bring him home as eventualities might possibly ensue *(somebody having a temper of her own sometimes)".
Then:
"At all events he wound up by concluding...a cup of cocoa and a shakedown for the night plus the use of a rug or two and an overcoat doubled into a pillow at least he would be in safe hands and as warm as a toast..."
So, he decided to bring Stephen home; to stand up for what he believes is right & good! Yay, Bloom! He's taking control in all aspects of his life. He's working towards being the man he is and standing up to that, taking the consequences and all that.
I hope that this is what Molly is waiting for....some backbone from her husband.
I'm quite proud of Bloom. This day has been monumental for his growth.
Other quotes I liked:"I call that patriotism.....Where you can live well, the sense is, if you work."
Patriotism calls to mind working together, regardless of religion, colour, opinion, etc. It means being one for the whole. Joyce seems to be hinting that if people work together, the Country can be strong and solid.
"..his untestable apology for a cup of coffee" - LOL! Who hasn't gone into an establishment and found *that* cup of coffee??!!! :D
"So they turned on to chatting about music, ......, as they made tracks arm in arm across Beresford place."
Stephen & Bloom have settled into a comfortable camaraderie. Both need this friendship: Stephen needs a father figure; Bloom needs a son figure.
"Stephen, image of his mother" - Stephen cannot escape his past. His guilt for his mother will always rise when he looks into the mirror unless he can come to terms with his demons & past and learn to face the future confidently (or, at least, securely and with some confidence).
Here's a summary/analysis of Book 16 of The Odyssey:http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey...
There are some loose parallels that I see (and probably many more that I don't see):
- Telemachus has returned after the suitors tried to kill him off and must decide how to proceed: Stephen, although low & in the dumps, has also been left by his friends and is at a cross-roads.
- Telemachus meets his father, the protector: Bloom takes care of Stephen.
Merry Christmas to All!! Thank you for reading Ulysses with me. You've made this book shine for me. I am really enjoying this journey together with you all.It's Christmas Eve here and the magic is starting. I wish each of you and your families a wonderful, fun-filled, memory-filled Christmas. Happy Holidays!
Thanks for organising this Petra! i've really enjoyed reading this alongside everybody, it's been a lovely experience.
Merry Christmas to all of you ! Thanks , Petra for all of your efforts .
Just found this drawing of the scene in Episode 15 where Stephen is on the pavement (after the meeting with the soldiers, I believe it was):
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Ulysses isn't very good Christmas reading? :D
Lol ! I think if I wasn't going back & forth to the hospital for my mother , I might be caught up . She might go home tomorrow .
Today I can't even go to the hospital . Down with what seems like the flu even though I had a flu shot . Cough , sore throat , headache and fever .
Don't think I'll get much Ulysses read today . So close -3 episodes to go !
No worries, Angela! We're here to discuss any episode when it comes up. There's no getting behind in this Read-Along. :DI'm sorry to hear that your mom is still in the hospital. I thought she was home for Christmas. Give her a hug for me. I hope she's home and feeling better soon.
And feel better yourself, too. I hope you feel better in the morning.
Episode 17 (Ithaca) TIME: 2.00 am.
SCENE: Bloom's house, 7 Eccles Street
ORGAN: Skeleton
ART: Science
SYMBOL: Comets
TECHNIQUE: Catechism
Homeric Parallels:
Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus enters his house "by a stratagem". The suitors mock him and throw a stool at him.
The suitors try to string Odysseus' great bow, but none can. The 'beggar' steps forward, and strings it.
Zeus lets forth a reassuring clap of thunder, and the slaughter of the suitors begins, after which Odysseus fumigates his house. Penelope has slept through all this, and Odysseus approaches her cautiously, still in disguise.
Summary:
Bloom has lost his key, so when the pair arrive at 7 Eccles Street he has to climb the railing and enter through the back door. He lets Stephen in and puts the kettle on.
Stephen refuses to wash, and Bloom interprets this as a sign of intellectual disdain for worldly things; when Stephen is quiet Bloom assumes that he is composing poetry. Bloom makes some cocoa and they think about times they have met in the past.
The pair of them are given temperaments: Stephen is artistic; Bloom is scientific.
Bloom tries to persuade Stephen to lodge with him (as instructor and company for Molly and himself).
Stephen sings a ditty about the murder of a child by a Jew's daughter, and Bloom changes the subject.
Bloom asks Stephen to stay. He declines. They go into the garden, urinate together, a shooting star crosses the sky, Stephen leaves and Bloom comes back in.
Bloom dreams about projects that he might realise should one of his schemes make him wealthy. He unlocks a drawer to deposit the letter from Martha and is confronted by objects which remind him of his past. He thinks of the day he has had, and goes to the bedroom.
He notices the impression that Boylan has made in the bed, but he accepts his position as cuckold. He tells Molly about his day, he curls up in a prenatal posture, and with his head against Molly's feet, goes to sleep.
Comment:
The narrative moves towards its climax? Yes and no — indeed, our search for the 'meaning' of the book is what is at issue here.
We get catechism — a chapter of formal questions and specific answers in the style of dry scholastic logic. Both questions and answers are scrupulously scientific, exhaustive, and apparently fascinated by their own mathematical precision. In a sense the episode parodies the realist or logical search for truth through an attention to detail, for there is no selection — nothing seems to take significant precedence over anything else.
Stephen and Bloom are brought together for the last time here. Stephen seeks a father, Bloom seeks a son. At the same time each of them is "consubstantial" with the other, but their union or reconciliation is ephemeral.
In a complete inversion of the Homeric theme, Bloom 'accepts' the fact of the treacherous suitors.
Episode 17 (Ithaca)
Tales of Brave Ulysses (blog):
http://talesofbraveulysses-snd.blogsp...
YouTube clip of Episode 17:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZUBe...
I'm almost half way through Episode 17. At first, I wasn't happy with the format but now I'm quite enjoying it. The questions have a flow & rhythm to them and I agree with this statement from above:"In a sense the episode parodies the realist or logical search for truth through an attention to detail, for there is no selection — nothing seems to take significant precedence over anything else."
The answers to the questions give us a lot of information on both Stephen & Bloom, where they came from, their fears & thoughts and, in a small way, their futures. This last part may become larger as I move through the rest of the Episode.
Therefore, slowly and surely, with stating truthful (scientific?) answers, the truth is slowly rising to the surface.
I really enjoyed the format of Ithaca. At times I laughed out loud!I was also really anxious for Stephen to Bloom to bond more and for their homecoming.
I enjoyed the catechism format in this episode. I liked having Bloom and Stephen together here. The catechism is an important feature of church isn't it? Is it only Catholic, I don't know.
I'm about 20 pages in to episode 17 and so far I really like the format. The over-descriptiveness of the responses is making me pause to follow through the process/etc being described so I can really see it in my mind's eye.
I finished Episode 17. Wow! That's an interesting segment.What struck me most was Bloom's acceptance of Molly's affair(s). How is that the triumphant return that Odysseus has in The Odyssey?
But upon thinking about it, isn't acceptance a triumph? If one accepts the real-life circumstances of one's existence, isn't that a triumph?
If not, then one must climb mountains and slay dragons every day and always when one is conquered, there's another mountain or dragon. In a way, that's not very accepting and one is always fighting through life & not enjoying and appreciating.
It's not a nice way of triumphing but it is a form of triumph.
Bloom is very much a part of this mess. He hasn't had sex with Molly since Rudy's death. That's asking a lot from her. She's bound to go looking elsewhere if he won't talk about it or try to change the situation. Perhaps his acceptance of her affairs is also a resignation? That wouldn't be a triumph, would it?
Very confusing and yet clear.
"separation protecting the one separated from the other, protecting the separator from both."This is in regards to the threesome of Molly, Leopold and Boylan.
Boylan is a protection for both Molly & Bloom. He keeps their resentments & frustrations apart, which in turn keeps their marriage together. Without Boylan, they'd be at each other's throats about everything they find frustrating. Boylan calms Molly and give Bloom something else to fret over than his marriage.
But the second part, "protecting the separator from both"? How is the affair protecting Boylan from either Molly or Bloom or both?
Bloom has a wide romantic streak in himself:1. the poem he wrote to Molly when they were courting, that was an acrostic of his nickname, Poldy....tying them together before their marriage.
2. his comparisons of the moon to a woman, ending with "her splendour, when visible: her attraction, when invisible". He's a man who appreciates a woman in his life.
I want to slap him across the head so that he smartens up and pays Molly that attention again. He still loves her.......show it, man!!
Episode 16 Just got through 16 and I have to admit it was a relief to have some straight forward reading after the last episode even though Shmoop says it's filled "with cliches and catch phrases ."
And yes blah , blah , blah - wordy , very wordy but it is very late .
I love that Bloom is taking charge too as Petra did .
Interesting that he thinks Katherine O'Shea's and Parnell's affair was ok in the light of his circumstances with Molly's infidelity with Boylan .
Like Evelyn , I thought Bloom was trying to impress Stephen too .
I wonder why when Bloom tells Stephen about Citizen , he tells him that he is not Jewish ?
Just a few thoughts from my flu fogged head .
Going to read Petra's links now .
Lots of interconnections between Bloom & Stephen:- Stephen's mom and Bloom's dad died at about the same time
- they were both baptized by the same cleric
This reminded me that throughout the book, there are reiterations of events or items or connections such as those above. Is Joyce saying that we're all interconnected, even if we don't know it?
"to reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter......, each imagining himself to be the first, last, only and alone whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series originating in and repeated to infinity."
Bloom realizing that we are neither the beginning or the end but a part of the continuum. That's pretty humbling.
What about Stephen? Do you think he got the father figure he needed? Did Bloom change the course of Stephen's future? I think he might have. Stephen was ready to toss his job, his home away but Joyce says "He (Stephen) heard in a profound ancient male unfamiliar melody the accumulation of the past."
I think that means that he took wisdom from Bloom's words. If so, then realizing the wisdom, must mean that he changes his path?? Or??
Angela, I hope you feel better soon.Hmmm...that's 2-1 about Bloom showing off. Maybe I'm not reading it right? Don't get me wrong....I like my version but maybe I made things up because that's the way I wanted things to happen?
The only "support" I may have is the question in Episode 17 that went something like "what did Stephen hear Bloom say?", with the answer something like "he heard an old man with years under his belt and wisdom to his words", which I took as he started to see that he had to fight and couldn't give up.
I have to say that I've come to really like Bloom, for all his weaknesses.
He's romantic, good hearted, quite a flirt & ogler (okay...this isn't a nice trait as he can take things too far); he's warm, helpful, inquisitive. He loves his wife with all her faults and is saddened by her actions, he grieves for his son, he worries about his daughter; he pays his debts, he helps his friends. He's doing the best he can.
He's a dear, really.
I didn't get to know him this well in my first reading. I'm quite surprised (and, not really) that I missed (or forgot) so much from that first reading. This second reading is almost like reading a different book.
I really like Bloom ,too. Part of me feels sorry for him with losing Rudy and Molly's affair . He always seems like such an outsider but maybe that's not such a bad thing .I feel sorry for Stephen, too. He's such a mess with his drinking , depression and guilt over his mother.
Looking forward to the "catechisms". I have only read a few pages but I already feel familiar with the format . I went to a Catholic grammar school and knew The Baltimore Catechism very well .
Bloom irritates me a great deal. I feel he lacks courage, he flees from confrontation and accepts everything that happens to him without acting to change things... but I did feel bad for him a couple of times, mainly when he saw Rudy in Stephen...
Somehow I had understood the Rudy was a youth when he died, but in this episode I learned he was an infant. That was a bit of a shock to me.I thought there was a tremendous amount of humour in this section, I found myself giggling and re-reading sentences.
Stephen's fear of water grosses me out, he hasn't had a bath in months??? Doesn't he smell? I know that daily showers were not the norm in those times as they are now, but wasn't there the ritual Saturday family bath night?
I am curious about the lack of a physical relationship between Bloom and Molly. Who is the instigator of this situation? Is Bloom unable to? Is Molly unwilling to? Is it mutual consent? I think if it is mutual, that goes a long way to explaining how Molly can have affairs and not leave, and how Bloom can accept these affairs and not leave.
Yeah, I imagine Stephen smelled. Somewhere it said that he hadn't bathed in a year. :(As far as the physical relationship, it happened after Rudy's death. The grief felt by both parents kept them apart from each other instead of drawing them together and they've never managed to fix the situation.
Bloom is able to (remember the masturbation scene on the beach and the degrading scene of submission in the red light district) and I think he wants to but something keeps these two people from the actual act.
I think both want a good, solid, active marriage but Rudy's death caused a disconnect that neither of them wants or can heal. I think you're right in that the situation is such that Molly has an affair because of her need for a physical relationship and Bloom is somewhat accepting because he's not willing/able to change that situation in their lives.
That's what makes me want to slap the man across the head: she wants it, he wants it, why aren't they working their way towards it? Why are they so apart in something that they both want?
Maybe we'll learn more from Molly?
I'm working on Episode 17 so I can catch up and read the end with everyone.
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Yes, Evelyn, I did think it quite odd!