Ulysses by James Joyce Readalong & Re-Readalongs (2014, 2016); Audio Listen-Along (2017) Showing 1,051-1,100 of 1,985

[Pink]

I finished Hades and enjoyed it a little more than the previous 2 chapters. I'm liking Blooms thoughts, but they seem a little mundane compared to what came before. I did really like the atmospheric descriptions of the dead corpses though, I guess I'm really quite morbid. They reminded me of funerals and family deaths that I've experienced lately, so gave me something extra to think about and I quite liked that the descriptions touched me in that way.

[Gill]

How are people finding this read? I'm enjoying it a lot less than I expected to.

[Petra]

I have finished Hades as well.
I like how the interconnectivity of life is beginning to emerge: we see Stephen on the street, circling close to Bloom & his father, there's some humor in the carriage as well as sadness at Dignam's passing, etc. It's a "we're all interconnected (no man is an island)" and "life goes on" philosophy. I find that I see the more positive attitude towards life, despite the awful things it can send us, more when reading it this time.
I do sometimes wonder about Bloom's (and Molly?) relationship with Milly. She's a 15-year old girl on her own somewhere, possibly in a theatre related group of some sort. He (and Molly?)misses her, yet it's been quite some time since they've all seen each other.

I'm enjoying it but am glad that we're going slow. I'm even a bit behind our schedule and don't feel like picking it up more than I am. I'm getting more out of the story, I think, but I don't really know what. Maybe a more defined chronology of the characters and how they mix in their daily lives. I have to be careful not to start skimming, though; things are familiar but it's not like I "get" the book enough to skim it too much either.

How's everyone coming along with this? We've been quiet this week.

[Pink]

I'm enjoying it okay, but I'm behind. I seem to read a chapter in one go, then put it down for a week. In some ways I think it would work better to keep reading in one chunk so as not to get detached. Gill perhaps you're not enjoying it so much as you've read it fairly recently so there's nothing surprising about the beauty of the language or interpretations of the text, as you've already discovered it.

[Petra]

Episode 7 (Aeolus):

Has anyone read this episode? I'm a bit behind but have read a bit this afternoon.
From what I recall from earlier readings, this is a noisy, windy section. There's the noise of the presses, there's the rush of air as the presses and papers fly....it's all rather chaotic.

I haven't gotten far into the episode but it's a noisy place, is a newspaper press.

[Gill]

I've just finished Aeolus. I like the way it's split up by using newspaper headline type comments. I think Joyce is getting into his stride here!

Yes, it's noisy and windy, and there's also a lot of hot air spoken by several of the characters.

It's interesting how involved we get with Stephen and Bloom. They nearly meet up in this episode, but not quite. I was willing them on to hang about a bit, or arrive a bit earlier so that their paths would meet!

I've noticed more this time about strands in the story that follow on in several episodes. For example, references to the horse race, the Ascot Gold Cup, which actually took place on this date.

[Gill]

I've realised this time round that the sandwich board men are carrying the letters that make up the name HELY'S which is a stationery shop (is it where Bloom worked?) Also that they keep walking and walking, but unlike Ulysses never seem to find their way home. They just keep going.

Also, is it relevant that they carry sandwich boards when there is so much talk about food in Lestrygonians?

[Petra]

I finished reading Aeolus this afternoon as well. It was the perfect afternoon read today. Go figure.

The Rose of Castille..... LOL! Joyce is having fun in this episode. Gill, I think you're right; he's coming into his stride.

I so wanted Stephen and Bloom to meet, too. The time isn't right, though. Too many people around; Bloom wouldn't have had the time or attention to give to Stephen & Stephen wouldn't have had time or attention to respond to Bloom. Too much wind and distraction happening.
....although, Bloom does notice Stephen's shoes. That's a bit of attention. Stephen, though, didn't notice Bloom (or we aren't told that he did). Maybe this time is too soon for Stephen and he's not ready for Bloom?

I enjoyed this episode. I don't know if it was the perfect time to read it or whether it's growing on me (it wasn't a favorite when I first read this book) but I really enjoyed the windy rhetoric and breezy way that everyone chummed around.

[Petra]

Gill wrote: "I've realised this time round that the sandwich board men are carrying the letters that make up the name HELY'S which is a stationery shop (is it where Bloom worked?) Also that they keep walking an..."

Previously, I got a kick out of the sandwich men but I don't remember more than that right now. I'll get back to this when I've read Lestrygonians, Gill.

[Petra]

Oh....the Parable of the Plums. I never really get this. Anyone have any ideas?
I found this blog entry that has some words to say about it:
https://theulysseschallenge.wordpress...

Is the parable just a way for Stephen to fit in somehow?

[Pink]

Haven't started Aeolus yet....

[Tom]

The things I remember about Aeolus (as I think I said earlier in this thread back when I read it...)

(view spoiler)[That the newspaper presses running constantly were like rushing howling winds of Aeolus. The titles on spinning newspapers to the front of the screen as Hollywood would later incorporate into its films. (hide spoiler)]

[Petra]

No worries, Pink. We're taking this slow. The key is to enjoy the story. It's tough to get through (and parts of it are tedious) but it's so complete in terms of Life, poetry, imagery, wonderful characters. It's worth the slog (and it gets somewhat easier with each reading.....although I think it would take a lifetime of rereads to start to really "get" it).
Are you enjoying it, for all its trouble? I hope you are)

Tom, I like the imagery of the Hollywood movies and spinning newspapers. I'll think of that imagery every time I read or think about this episode now. That is truly what is happening.

[Petra]

Gill, I've reached the part of the HELYS marchers.
From my footnotes, Bloom did work at Hely's....he started working there when he married Molly. The stationary shop, called Wisdom Hely's, was found at 27-30 Dame Street.
It would be fun to, one day, get a map of Dublin and mark all the addresses noted in the footnotes and also trace the route that both Stephen and Bloom take over the day. it might be enlightening.

I like how the Y of the HELYS men was out of sync with the rest and cramming bread in his mouth while walking though the streets.
With the Y lagging, do they now advertise HELSY? :D

[[deleted user]]

I'm about to start Lestrygonians. My pattern has been to read the assigned pages on Monday and Tuesday, and then use the rest of the week to reread and do some research. (I use the Joyce Project web site and the comments on this thread from the first read-through. Petra, your synopses from then have been invaluable.) This system is working well for me. I feel like I can take my time and revisit things when I need to.

[Petra]

Thanks, Terri. I had considered repeating the links this year but since they are already in this thread, I hope people find them (the links are in the first post of this thread).

.....if we do another group read of Ulysses, Gill will have to use her third post for the schedule and links for that read. LOL! No one ever gets to leave the Ulysses Read Along thread....interconnectivity at work in today's world. :D

Terri, your plan of attack is great. You spend a lot of time on each episode. Way to go!

[Gill]

Petra wrote: "Thanks, Terri. I had considered repeating the links this year but since they are already in this thread, I hope people find them (the links are in the first post of this thread).

.....if we do an..."

What are you suggesting, Petra!

[Petra]

That Joyce had it right about the ripple effect of things.........that Ulysses will always be with us again and again? :D........

[Gill]

I heard in a podcast the suggestion that it's not only Bloom who is Odysseus, It's also we the readers who are Odysseus, as we wonder (and wander!) on this journey through the book. I like that idea.

[Petra]

I like that idea, too. We are wanderers (and wonderers) through this tome. We're tourists, always getting lost and wandering off the beaten track....and finding wonders and hidden thrills.

[Gill]

I've just finished Lestrygonians. Gosh, there are some very untidy, uncouth eaters in here. And the descriptions of the sound of eating the food. Meat eating is so gruesome here! I guess that's linked to the cannibals in The Odyssey.

A few observations:

(view spoiler)[- I'm surprised that Bloom is in the Freemasons. I didn't realise that you could be if you are Jewish.
-Bloom thinks about so many things while he is walking about. So many questions to himself. The one I like best is 'But then why is it that saltwater fish are not salty?'
- I like this thought of Bloom's, relating to seeing Parnell's brother, and AE 'Coming events cast their shadow before.' An interesting idea.
- The notes in my book give this definition of Parallax 'the apparent difference in the position or direction of an object caused when the observer's position is changed', this seems to be happening as the story develops, that our view on what is happening alters as we see things and events from the points of view of different participants in the story.
(hide spoiler)]

I'm really rather fond of Bloom!

[Petra]

I think Bloom is wonderful. Stephen may be as wonderful one day, too, but he's hovering on a cusp and could go any which way at the moment.

I like the idea of Parallax. It would help us all if we remembered that everyone is coming at a situation from a point of view. If we understood that (instead of judging or belittling or disliking the person immediately), we could also maybe understand that one's point of view can be changed (as well, our point of view can be changed). It's the every-moving beauty of Outlook.

Almost finished with Lestrygonians. I'm really enjoying it. I wish I had more reading time this week and that the book was less heavy (I take As I Lay Dying to bed each evening since it's a nice, light paperback). This weekend should give me time to finish and continue on.

I have to say that I never tire of reading Ulysses. There's always something I either missed or completely forgot about from previous readings. It's a new book every time, despite knowing approximately what will happen.

[[deleted user]]

I'm pleased to hear, Petra, that Ulysses has almost endless treasures. I feel like I'm missing a lot, but I can also see that this is a book I could go back to again and again. I'm really liking it.

I also was struck by all the food in Lestrygonians, starting with the sweets in the opening sentence.

Question: I can't remember now where I read it, but it was that Bloom had to convert to Catholicism to marry Molly. Is this explicitly stated somewhere, or is it just understood that it would have been a condition of their marriage?

[Geoffreyjen]

Hi, I'm way behind you all. Just finished reading Hades. I have some thoughts/likes/questions about both Lotus Eaters and Hades :

1. The flower sequence in Lotus Eaters : "He tore the flower gravely from its pinhold smelt its almost no smell and placed it in his heart pocket. Language of flowers. They like it because no-one can hear. Or a poison bouquet to strike him down. Then walking slowly forward he read the letter again, murmuring here and there a word. Angry tulips with you darling manflower punish your cactus if you don't please poor forgetmenot how I long violets to dear roses when we soon anemone meet all naughty nightstalk wife Martha's perfume. Having read it all he took it from the newspaper and put it back in his sidepocket." The joke here, of course, is that his love name, the name his mistress writes to, is Henry Flower, esq.

2. In Hades, "Must have been that morning in Raymond terrace she was at the window watching the two dogs at it by the wall of the cease to do evil. And the sergeant grinning up. She had that cream gown on with the rip she never stitched. Give us a touch, Poldy. God, I'm dying for it. How life begins." So presumably this is about sex and is a foretaste of the Ithaca section.

3. Hades : "They went past the bleak pulpit of saint Mark's under the railway bridge, past the Queen's theatre: in silence. Hoardings: Eugene Stratton, Mrs Bandmann Palmer. Could I go to see Leah tonight, I wonder. I said I. Or the Lily of Killarney? Elster Grimes Opera Company. Big powerful change. Wet bright bills for next week. Fun on the Bristol. Martin Cunningham could work a pass for the Gaiety. Have to stand a drink or two. As broad as it's long." So this version of stream of consciousness is more broken up into sentence fragments than it was in Proteus, words are missing, ends of sentences are cut off, etc. I think Joyce was playing with us here... these sentence fragments are like the ghosts in Homer's Odyssey, cut off from each other, missing parts, coming and going like phantoms.

4. Same passage and following paragraphs : these are obviously some of Bloom's friends and acquaintances, we are getting to know his world, and I find it sympathetic, even though he has some antipathy towards a few people, Boylan in particular.

5. "And Madame. Twenty past eleven. Up. Mrs Fleming is in to clean. Doing her hair, humming: voglio e non vorrei. No: vorrei e non. Looking at the tips of her hairs to see if they are split. Mi trema un poco il. Beautiful on that tre her voice is: weeping tone. A thrush. A throstle. There is a word throstle that expresses that." - Love that word, "throstle"! Also I find the evocation of music interesting. The musical in which Molly is playing isn't presented as being "high opera", but this excerpt is from opera, so he is being playful with us again.

6. "I hope not, Martin Cunningham said. That will be a great race tomorrow in Germany. The Gordon Bennett." - I haven't looked this reference up. My parents used to use this a a way of cussing : "Gordon Bennett!" Not sure what that is about.

7. "Pennyweight of powder in a skull. Twelve grammes one pennyweight. Troy measure." Clever way to get in a reference to the Odyssey!

8. "One, leaving his mates, walked slowly on with shouldered weapon, its blade blueglancing." - Might be a reference to a soldier in the Odyssey. Lovely image.

[Cosmic]

Just a side note

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rick...
174.11/171.34 ROTHSCHILD'S FILLY R. M. Adams discusses the detail and accuracy of Nosey Flynn's horse lore. Among the many details he verifies are the facts that in the Derby run on June 2, 1904, "St. Amant was owned by M. de Rothschild, and won the Derby in the manner described, in the midst of a violent rainstorm" (SS, p. 175). But, Adams points out, in the midst of the correct details, Flynn is puzzlingly wrong about one important fact: St. Amant was not a filly, but a colt. The Freeman's Journal of June 2 carried a full account of the race (p. 7, col. e), and it does make it clear that St. Amant was a colt.

Kiberd:

221.21 Rothschild's filly: actually a colt (T), who won the Derby a fortnight later.

[Cosmic]

Geoffrey wrote: "6..... hope not, Martin Cunningham said. That will be a great race tomorrow in Germany. The Gordon Bennett." - I haven't looked this reference up. My parents used to use this a a way of cussing : "Gordon Bennett!" Not sure what that is about...."

That peeked my interest:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/go...
The expletive Gordon Bennett appears to be a minced oath. It is a version of Gor blimey, which is itself a euphemistic version of God blind me. That, combined with Bennett's famously outrageous lifestyle and newsworthy stunts, is sufficient to explain why his name was picked out.

[Cosmic]

Gill wrote: " Coming events cast their shadow before.' An interesting idea..."


Reminds me of:

"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."

[Pink]

Geoffrey wrote: "Hi, I'm way behind you all. Just finished reading Hades. I have some thoughts/likes/questions about both Lotus Eaters and Hades :

1. The flower sequence in Lotus Eaters : "He tore the flower grave..."

1. I'd noted the play on words with Bloom's alias being Henry Flower. There are a lot of mentions of flowers but I'm not sure what this is always about.

2. Sounds like sex to me. So I take it there's more to come in Ithaca.

3. I found Bloom's stream of consciousness completely different to Stephen's wandering thoughts in Proteus. I thought he was giving us a contrast to emphasis how different they are, while still showing the similarities between them, going through the same daily routines.

4. Agreed, I'm sympathetic to Bloom, but I don't know what's ahead, so that might change. He feels like a downtrodden character at the moment.

5. I hadn't noticed that Molly's musical wasn't the high opera being mentioned. Do you think he was being disparaging about her talent? I haven't worked out yet if Molly is supposed to be a brilliant singer, or if she's being mocked.

6. Gordon Bennet! This is definitely a term that my family have used. The sort of thing my aunt would have said when she heard something unbelievable about somebody she knew.

7 & 8. Missed these!

I've now finished Aeolus and again it wasn't my favourite chapter. I found it interesting how the newspaper factory was being used to blow conversations and people off course. Nothing seemed to get done and the chapter felt like a complete setback to Bloom.

[Petra]

I enjoy that you're tying this in to The Odyssey, Geoffrey. I have The Odyssey swirling vaguely in the back of my mind but haven't put the effort into tying the two works together very closely, so your references make me think about it.

[Petra]

Finished with Lestrygonians. Love this episode. Bloom's caring and sorrows really start to come through here.

He's so concerned about Molly's affair with Boylan. It makes me sad how much thought and sorrow he's putting into this while not being able to face up to a confrontation with either of them. He's complicit in the very thing he wants to stop.
It's kind of sad that he felt compelled to jump into the library to avoid Boylan.
I found particularly sad in the pub (my page 126), when Bloom is trying to quietly eat his sandwich and Boylan comes up in conversation. He has a hard time replying, relying on his wine to give him time to collect himself:
"He smellsipped the cordial juice and, bidding his throat strongly to speed it, set his wineglass delicately down."
To me, that just bring about how difficult the situation is to Bloom, so much so that he has difficulty swallowing his wine. Poor Bloom.

The idea of the cannibals is obvious here. It's a meat-eat-meat scenario.
Yet Joyce has Bloom eating a cheese sandwich, showing us that Bloom is isolated from the pack but still connected (cheese being from a meaty animal but not meat itself & Bloom being a part of society but also an outsider). Bloom is one step out of acceptance with the others around him.

I like Bloom's ideas for advertising campaigns. His idea of advertising a Stationary Stores wares by having pretty ladies write and ponder their writing, stirring up curiosity of the bystanders about what is being written, which in turn causes the bystanders to purchase stationary supplies is rather genius. Using our curiosity and love of mystery to get money out of our pockets.

With all his worries and thoughts, he recognizes a blind person in need and helps him cross the street.

Bloom is so terrifically awesome. All of his nuances and facets are slowly being revealed to us but subtly as only Joyce can do it. Like Gill, I am very fond of Bloom; more so with each reading.

[Petra]

"the feety savour of green cheese"
LOL! If just reading the words, this is pretty gross. But, if one enjoys a blue-style cheese, this sounds delicious! Joyce has such a way with words.
I'm a fan of cheeses. Port Salut is one of my favorites and I always say it smells like dirty socks. I've never had Gorgonzola (Bloom's cheese choice) but do like what I consider a close relative, Cambonzola. It's not green with blue-ness but I can picture the "green cheese" reference in connection to it.

[Petra]

Terri wrote: "Question: I can't remember now where I read it, but it was that Bloom had to convert to Catholicism to marry Molly. Is this explicitly stated somewhere, or is it just understood that it would have been a condition of their marriage?
..."

This sounded familiar but I wasn't sure, so I looked it up on Wiki and found:

"The Bloom character, born in 1866, is the only son of Rudolf Virág (a Hungarian Jew from Szombathely who emigrated to Ireland, converted from Judaism to Protestantism, changed his name to Rudolph Bloom and later committed suicide), and of Ellen Higgins, an Irish Protestant. He is uncircumcised. They lived in Clanbrassil Street, Portobello. Bloom converted to Catholicism to marry Marion (Molly) Tweedy on 8 October 1888. The couple have one daughter, Millicent (Milly), born in 1889; their son Rudolph (Rudy), born in December 1893, died after 11 days. The family live at 7 Eccles Street in Dublin."

It's interesting that religion in the Bloom family, from the time they came to Ireland, was transitory and dependent upon the women they marry:
Bloom's dad emigrates to Ireland, converts to Protestantism to marry a Protestant.
Bloom is therefore Protestant with Jewish roots. He's never been Jewish, yet is associated as such. Interesting.....
Bloom converts to Catholicism to marry Molly, a Catholic.
I guess we can assume that Milly (and Rudy) is also Catholic.

[Pink]

Petra wrote: ""the feety savour of green cheese"
LOL! If just reading the words, this is pretty gross. But, if one enjoys a blue-style cheese, this sounds delicious! Joyce has such a way with words.
I'm a fan ..."

I used to love a really smelly blue cheese, the stinkier the better. I'm vegan now so don't have it any more, but cheese is about the only thing I miss every so often.

I'm catching up slowly. I find that I want to dedicate proper time to reading this book, so I can't just dip in and out when I've got a few spare minutes. I know that I'm enjoying it though, as even when a week has passed without me picking it up, I still look forward to reading it and usually I go off a book when I have this sort of interruption.

[Petra]

I'm always glad to hear that people enjoy this book. It's really a wonderful read and so avoided. I get a real thrill when a first-timer really enjoys this book. Thanks, Pink and Terri, for sharing this info. It made my day.


ETA: I don't think I could ever give up cheese. You're strong, Pink!

[Angela M]

Petra , Gill and others ,
I was hoping to jump in here and catch up when I returned from vacation, but had a rough week last week with a death of my husband's brother . Just not sure I have the energy for a reread of Ulysses right now . I appreciate all of your efforts and will certainly peek in here to see how the discussion is going . Just didn't want you guys to think I abandoned this without a good reason .Thanks Petra !

[Petra]

Angela, I'm sorry to hear of your rough time. I hope you feel better soon.
If time & energy permit, feel free to comment and discuss along with us.

[Petra]

Episode 9 (Scylla & Charybdis):

Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology, meaning "having to choose between two evils". Several other idioms, such as "on the horns of a dilemma", "between the devil and the deep blue sea", and "between a rock and a hard place" express the same meaning.



Episode 9 of Ulysses is inspired by Odysseus’ encounter with the six-headed monster, Scylla and the “whirling maelstrom” Charybdis in Book XII of the Odyssey. After Odysseus has buried the body of Elpenor at the house of Circe, Circe approach him and warns of his future travels, “One of two courses you may take”.

The Gilbert and Linati schemata defines the technique of the chapter as “rhetoric.” Accordingly, “the twin dangers [of Scylla and Charybdis] are not physical but oratorical” (Blamires, 76) in the episode – Scylla, the six-headed monster, embodies the dogmatic, Aristotelian view, while the “maelstrom” Charybdis embodies the whirl-pool-like Platonic view. The oratorical nature of these beasts is derived from Homer, as both Scylla and Charybdis are creatures who power is granted by way of their mouth.

Moreover, Homer describes Scylla as a monster who “yaps/… a newborn whelp’s cry/ though she is huge and monstrous.” This image of Scylla functions as a parallel to Stephen, the Scylla figure of the episode, whose inherent strength and latent force can only manifest itself oratorically as a childlike “yap.”

The physical battle of Homer’s Scylla and Charybdis is transformed into an oratorical battle between the mystical, whirling Platonic dialectic (of Russell and the other scholars) on ideal forms (that “Art has to reveal to us ideas, formless spiritual essences”) and Stephen’s biting Aristotelian rhetoric on logic and dogma (that Hamlet “by algebra… is Shakespeare’s grandfather and that he himself is the ghost of his own father").
From: http://modernism.research.yale.edu/wi...

[Petra]

Okay.....I remember not really liking this episode but didn't realize the above "between a rock and a hard place" connection.
I'll keep this in mind as I read through this episode and see if it helps make things more interesting.

Has anyone started reading Episode 9 yet? I plan on starting after dinner tonight.

[Gill]

I've just started this episode, Petra. Thanks for the background info.

[Pink]

I'm going to start Lestrygonians today and hopefully catch up from being a week behind.

Angela, I completely understand that you don't have the energy for Ulysses right now, we don't think you've abandoned us. I wish you and your husband all the best. Plus, as I'm sure Petra has mentioned before, there's always next year!

[Angela M]

Pink , thanks so much for your kind words . It took a lot of energy and effort to read it the first time reading synopses and analyses but yet it was fun reading it with the group. I may pop in later especially for discussion of Molly at the end. Hope you are enjoying it .

[[deleted user]]

I've read through episode 9 once, but I need to spend more time on it. I've downloaded an audiobook of Ulysses from my library, and I listened to episode 8 on it and liked it very much. I may do the same with episode 9. Hearing the words spoken aloud is wonderful.

[Gill]

Hi Angela, yes we quite understand. You have a lot on your plate right now. All best wishes. And if you can pop in at all, that would be great.

Petra, just seen something else, re 'between a rock and a hard place', which says that it means having to choose between the wandering rocks, and Scylla and Charybdis. Who's to say?!


There certainly is a lot of 'mouth' being used in this episode!

I've read Hamlet in the last few weeks, not sure whether that will be any help. Fingers crossed!

[Gill]

I'm finding this episode pretty hard going, in that it's quite difficult to hold on to the plot. However Buck Mulligan has just arrived.

I'm amused by the comment that people haven't yet tried to prove that Shakespeare is Irish. I also like the comments about Haines that show he is still dashing about following up in all artefacts etc that are 'Irish'. If I remember it correctly, Joyce was against the 'romantic' interest in Ireland's past that was currently being pursued by Yeats etc.

I am about to succumb and buy Inventing Ireland. I've had my eye on it for a bit. I think the moment has come! (Only problem is, it's more than 700 pages long!)

[Angela M]

Thanks , Gill . Just not in the right frame of mind for the intensity of the reading and analysis but yes I may pop in !

[Pink]

I finished Lestrygonians, which was back to Bloom's inner thoughts as he wandered around the city. Food was even more of the focus, plus a bit of sex and worrying about Molly's affair.

I've read notes about the chapter and looked back at the discussion from last year, which was great to get a further insight into what's happening.

I'm feeling quite sorry for Bloom at the moment and I'm not envisaging good things for him to come.

[Petra]

Pink, I'm glad you're keeping up and enjoying this read.
I, too, feel sad for Bloom. He is so often pushed to the sidelines and there's so much on his mind. His love for Molly is clear but he can't seem to find a way to the intimacy of a good relationship (nor can she find it to him) since Rudy's death.

Well, I'm caught in my own form of Scylla and Charybdis. This episode is always a tough one for me. Philosophical writing tends to make my mind wander and drift off. I've had to go back and reread more than a few passages.
I am getting a bit more out of this reading than previous readings but it's still more tedious than not. There are some humorous one-liners tucked in between the debate, which is fun.
There definitely is a lot of "yap" in this section. :D
I am finding the above analysis of Stephen in this episode ("Stephen, the Scylla figure of the episode, whose inherent strength and latent force can only manifest itself oratorically as a childlike “yap.”") interesting. He does seem a stronger individual as he debates than he has been so far in this story. So, as long as he isn't in an emotional and/or personal situation, Stephen is confident & strong but he deflates if the situation turns back to the personal.
The rift between Stephen and his father is deep. Stephen argues that fathers are only linked to their kids through the sex act. That's harsh.

Once again, Bloom and Stephen almost meet up....almost.... :D

I hope to finish this episode tonight. I am seeing more in it than before; I guess that's good.

[Gill]

I've just finished Scylla and Charybdis. I found it hard going. I think I got the gist of it though. I'm glad that I read Hamlet recently.

Lots of fathers and sons here:
Hamlet and Dad
Shakespeare and Son
Was there a bit of God and Jesus?
Odysseus and Telemachus
Stephen and his actual dad, Simon
Stephen and Bloom
Any more?

Oh dear, and Stephen and Bloom miss each other again. I love the way that Joyce is taking us through the day,

[Gill]

This is from near the end of the episode:

A man passed out between them, bowing, greeting.
- Good day again, Buck Mulligan said

Is the man Bloom?.

[Cosmic]

"Will any man love the daughter if he has not loved the mother?"

I really like this quote. I have thought about it a lot! I would like to reread Anna Karenina and see if he speaks to this?

How is love defined in Ulysses?

I see the whole book as philosophical and not much of a novel. I would have to work up a lot of lather to feel anything for any of these characters. To me they are just like watching a theater production at best. Playing parts. Maybe that has to do with the way i am experiencing it by listening to it read by different voices. I don't feel any emotion around these characters. It is kinda two dimensional to me.

But i think that James Joyce has a lot of given us a lot to think about. I like exploring his writing style. Pick out little gems.

I finished The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman this week and I wonder if this book greatly influenced Joyce? I imagine it might have! Also not a book i emotional connect with but i enjoyed finding gems in the text.