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Ulysses by James Joyce Readalong & Re-Readalongs (2014, 2016); Audio Listen-Along (2017)
Gill wrote: "A little pre comment about Penelope. I read that it consists of 8 sentences, which I never noticed last time round. I've just realised that, in my edition, the end of each sentence is indicated by starting a new line, not with a full stop..."Bumping this into the Penelope section so as not to be forgotten. I'm going to try to read each section as a seperate piece.
Sentence 1:Molly's thoughts....the way they are presented.....takes a bit of getting used to. Her thoughts are all over the place and I'm having some difficulty keeping straight who she's talking about sometimes. When she says "he", I'm not always clear if she's thinking of Bloom or Boylan.
In general, I get that:
- her marriage with Bloom is full of indiscretions on both sides. She seems to think that Bloom has had numerous affairs over the years and can't be trusted to be alone with a female. We know that he thinks the same of Molly (his list of her lovers in the last episode). Are they right about each other? Have each of them had a number of affairs over their marriage-lifetime?
- Boylan has a huge penis but not much "spunk"; Bloom the opposite. When Molly considers getting pregnant again, she prefers Bloom as the father (because of this?).
- Boylan is not a good lover; takes more interest in himself than in his partner.
- Did Molly lure & entice Bloom to marry her out of jealousy and one-up-manship of Mrs. Breen (before she married, that is....back in the days of Molly & Bloom's courtship)? I don't like that idea; I like the idea that Molly & Bloom married for love.
A few random thoughts:
- Bloom (and Molly?) paid attention/gave friendship to Mrs. Riordan in hopes of getting an inheritance one day? That seems awfully cold and not like Bloom at all. Molly has some downputting things to say about Mrs. Riordan; is this because of getting no inheritance or because she didn't like her anyway?
- Molly knows that Bloom came that night but knows that it's merely a fling; not love. I'm a bit distressed at how cooly she takes this knowledge but I suppose with years of indiscretions behind them, she's made peace with it?
- she suspects that Bloom knows about her and Boylan and that he probably thought about it throughout the day. She seems to get a good feeling out of making him think these thoughts and hopes that he's jealous?
- she's kind of proud of Bloom's wealth of general knowledge. I'm a bit surprised at that after finding out that Bloom has tried to educate her over the years with tidbits of knowledge.
- she's also proud that he's a clean and gentlemanly type.
In Episode 17, Bloom kisses Molly's bottom, once on each cheek. As I read it, it was at a moment of acceptance and knowing that he loves her and making peace with the marital situation (maybe even wanting to change it in future?)In Sentence 1 of Molly's section she says "then the usual kissing my bottom was to hide it not that I care two straws who he does it with".
So, Bloom feels some sort of reconciliation and kisses Molly's bottom, which she takes as an admission that he's strayed and slept with someone? So sad. These two have a lot of work ahead of them to work this all out.....if they go that route.
I have a lot of catching up to do with the book and this thread, but I'm pleased to say that I finally picked it up again today! I haven't touched Ulysses in about a month, so I read over some notes and restarted Circe, which I've now finished. I've definitely been in a slump with this and even though there were passages I enjoyed, my overwhelming feeling is that I have no idea what I just read. It was kind of like reading a dictionary of pretty (and sometimes disgusting) words and trying to piece together a story out of them. I'm certainly not feeling the initial fondness I had for the book, but I'm hoping that might return for me in the last few chapters.
Take time to savor, Pink. Rushing Ulysses does make it a jumble of pretty words that don't string together much. The first time through Ulysses is a tough ride. What am I saying....the third time through Ulysses is tough, too. :D
Slumps are annoying. I'm glad you're back. Take this reading slow; we'll always be here with our comments and thoughts. The thread is always open.
Thanks Petra, I'm actually finding the opposite at the moment, I'm needing to speed up my reading. I've been slowly savouring the sentences, but then I fall asleep after 5 pages. Reading a little quicker is helping to make more sense of what's happening as a whole. I'm a slow reader anyway though, so I'm far from speeding through it. I want to keep going now, while I'm back into the routine of reading it. I'm not overly worried about not understanding the subject matter, as I know this is an uphill task, but the notes and re-reading parts all help. I think next time around (yes I'm still planning a next time) I might listen to it on audiobook over a shorter time frame.
Petra wrote: "PSS......isn't this episode in the format of a Catechism? Isn't this considered a bit of a slog to those learning a Chatechism? Did Joyce mean this to be a bit of a slog for us?"It's interesting you saw Ithaca as a catechism. I get that, I didn't grow up with them but there are plenty of catechism books in Quebec City. However, the chapter reminded me of the lab reports I had to produce for physics or chemistry classes, which were framed as a series of questions whose answers needed to be very precise and detailed. A lot of the answers are scientific in nature, so the effect is reinforced as you read more. I quite enjoyed the chapter as a result, it is one of the ones I am most motivated to go back to later and read again, for "depth" and not just "breadth".
Finished! The whole thing! I loved the Penelope chapter! I think I worried about that chapter throughout the whole reading, I had tried it before and couldn't get through it. But I found the experience very different after reading the rest of the book in depth, and compared to some of the other chapters, I found this one far less difficult! I did find you couldn't just dip into it, I took one break of a couple of hours and found myself lost and floundering for some time. There is a kind of inner logic to the segueways that are (almost) automatic when you are in the midst of the reading, but you have to back up a long ways to pick it up again. (view spoiler)
Well done Geoffrey! I read Eumaeus today, which I really enjoyed. It was long and winding, but I appreciated the more straightforward structure again. I thought Bloom was behaving in a friendly and mentoring way towards Stephen until the end, when his motives seemed more selfish and for his own purposes.
Congratulations, Geoffrey!! Hat's off to you for making it to the end! I'm really super glad that you found it an enjoyable trip. I completely agree with your spoiler comments.
Sentence 2:
I loved this sentence. Molly's disappointment in what Life has offered her is very apparent and her musings over the other men in her life is interesting. Happy with the Devil you know, wish for the Devil that got away or try again with the Devil of the day?
I loved the incident of the soup at the train station. I suppose that in 1904, the food at a train station was served in a restaurant setting, not a café line like today. One paid at the end of the meal; not at the cash register like today. It made me laugh that Bloom insisted upon eating his soup, despite the train being ready to leave.
A couple of interesting thoughts of Molly's:
- "killing any finelooking men there were with their fever if he was even decently shot it wouldn't have been so bad" - Hmmm....better to die in battle? more honorable, maybe?
- "he has plenty of money and he's not a marrying man so somebody better get it out of him" - that's the second mention of Bloom & Molly trying to get money out of people. I'm a bit disappointed in the two of them. Perhaps there's another explanation?
What might be meant by "he hadn't an idea about my mother till we were engaged"?
I may have forgotten a detail mentioned about Molly's mom earlier. Anyone remember?
Sentence 1 seems to focus more on attraction, choices and flirtation, while Sentence 2 seems to focus more on the consequences of the choices, the lost choices and the chances of changing the choices, as well as a few memories, wishes & disappointments. It's more contemplative.Geoffrey, I agree that Molly's thoughts have a strange pattern to them. I've always found this section difficult but by reading through each sentence as a whole, it does slip into a flow. It's also kind of fun figuring out who "he" is from one thought to another.
If I didn't mistake things, Molly seems to be considering seducing Stephen. Also, Molly has a kind of list of lovers, not spelled out as clear as Bloom's list of Molly's lovers, but I didn't see Paddy Dignam on either list. I did see Simon Daedelus on Bloom's list, and I'm pretty sure Molly admitted to that in her roundabout way.
Courtesy of Geoffrey, I now know how to copy my highlights from a Kindle book onto her. Thanks!This really made me laugh. Molly sums up one aspect of Bloom to a t!
'I declare to my antimacassar if you took up a straw from the bloody floor and if you said to Bloom. Look at, Bloom. Do you see that straw? That’s a straw. Declare to my aunt he’d talk about it for an hour so he would and talk steady.'
Geoffrey wrote: "but I didn't see Paddy Dignam on either list...."Sorry, my mistake. I went back to double check and it was Simon Dedulas; not Digman.
Still.....Simon Dedulas! Somehow that seems wrong. I suppose because Dedulas is a friend of Bloom's.
Sentence 3:Breasts; they're more attractive than male genitalia. And looking forward to seeing Boydan again.
Sentence 4:
Molly gets bored easily. Most of the attraction of Boydan (and the other lovers?) is to take away the boredom of the everyday. She's a restless soul; always needing....what?....attention, entertainment, something new in her life?
She's always had this trait, even in Gibraltar while growing up. It's a part of her.
LOL, Gill. That's a great description of Bloom. He does seem to like to talk.
Petra wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "but I didn't see Paddy Dignam on either list...."Sorry, my mistake. I went back to double check and it was Simon Dedulas; not Digman.
Still.....Simon Dedulas! Somehow that seems..."
The fact that you have a list of your wife's lovers doesn't mean it's accurate though, does it? I read somewhere that in fact Boylan was Molly's first lover since she married Bloom. I'll see if I can find the reference.
Btw, Geoffrey, I think maybe it wasn't you who explained Kindle notes to me!
Gill wrote: "Petra wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "but I didn't see Paddy Dignam on either list...."Sorry, my mistake. I went back to double check and it was Simon Dedulas; not Digman.
Still.....Simon Dedulas! Some......Btw, Geoffrey, I think maybe it wasn't you who explained Kindle notes to me! ...
Actually it was, Gill. Unless you also heard it somewhere else.
Just watched the 2003 Irish film called "Bloom" - I bought it several weeks ago from iTunes, but was waiting to finish the book before viewing it. What I loved about the film (beautifully filmed as well) was how they picked out incidents and dialogue that weren't always what I had picked out. The book is so rich with elements that I imagine you could make a thousand films and each one would be startlingly different, but it was wonderful to see and focus on other elements than those I had seen. Molly's monologue is also beautifully done - when I read it, I read it quickly but because it is a film, the monologue goes by slowly. I recommend the film, it fills out the visuals for me. At first I wasn't sure I liked the choice of actors, but they grow on you.
The film confirms my impression that Molly was fantasizing about seducing Stephen. There is also a delightful wink at the audience partway through the credits.
Why did I doubt, Geoffrey?! Thanks again
Geoffrey, I just watched a trailer for Bloom. It seems completely bonkers, but then I suppose Ulysses is! I might see if I can find a copy for when I'm finished. Thanks for mentioning it.
I keep meaning to get lots of comments about Penelope written down here, and then get diverted. I will get there soon, I promise!
Pink wrote: "Geoffrey, I just watched a trailer for Bloom. It seems completely bonkers, but then I suppose Ulysses is! I might see if I can find a copy for when I'm finished. Thanks for mentioning it." The film is no doubt a bit jumbled for someone who hasn't read the book, although overall it hangs together. It does follow Joyce's structure overall, too - the film chapters are the same as the book chapters, although it does edit some of the different points of view together in the way films do. The bonkers bit is the Circe section, but that's bonkers in the book, too!
Finished!! What an experience!
Gill, I read as you did, that Boylan was Molly's first affair. Can't remember where.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this discussion. Your insights and comments and references enriched the experience so much. I never could have read this book on my own! As I've said before, I feel like I've discovered a true treasure, a new and dear "book friend" that I'll always have. This is a book I know I'll go back to.
I loved Penelope. Getting to know Molly in person was worth the wait.
Gill, I read as you did, that Boylan was Molly's first affair. Can't remember where.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this discussion. Your insights and comments and references enriched the experience so much. I never could have read this book on my own! As I've said before, I feel like I've discovered a true treasure, a new and dear "book friend" that I'll always have. This is a book I know I'll go back to.
I loved Penelope. Getting to know Molly in person was worth the wait.
I'm feeling somewhat bereft. What am I going to do without my ongoing reading of Ulysses? For a while, I'm going to listen to one of the audiobook versions, but I'll need another challenge. Not sure I want to read Finnegans Wake, although the idea certainly appeals more than it did.
There are so many things from this final episode that I want to quote! I'll just select a few.'Besides I hate bandaging and dosing when he cut his toe with his razor paring his corns.....' I love how Joyce has introduced so much of the everyday and mundane into this book.
'I wonder why they call it that if I asked him hed say its from the Greek leave us as wise as we were before' Sums up Bloom well.
I like how, as you go through Penelope, Molly's thoughts link back to earlier events in the story eg when she threw a penny to the lame soldier in the episode of the lord lieutenant's procession.
I like how her thoughts about Stephen range from remembering him as a little boy on the day of Rudi's funeral, to sexual thoughts about him, to imagining how nice it would be to have him in the house. Someone else to look after, maybe?
Continued, up to the end of the episode!I found this moving re Stephen and Rudi
'Well it's a poor case that those that have a fine son like that theyre not satisfied and I none'
Also moved by the next bit where I think she's part blaming herself for watching the dogs have sex at the time she conceived, and the comment re Rudi's little woolly jacket.
Re Stephen and the room upstairs 'he could do his writing and studies at the table in there for all the scribbling he does at it and if he wants to read in bed in the morning like me....' Gosh, Molly misses Rudi and Milly so much.
'The sun shines for you he said...' etc etc up to the end. Unbelievably beautiful.
I have enjoyed this readalong, so so much. It's been great being with you all for it. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it, Geoffrey and Terri, and Pink, I'm sure you'll get the last parts read at some stage. Thanks a bundle for all your input, Petra. We wouldn't be at this stage without you!Like Geoffrey, I'm feeling a bit bereft. Ho hum.
Hi Everyone,I finished James Joyce last night! I am so excited! It is a monumental achievement for me. I used to pride myself in being the girl that graduated from high school without reading a book. And when my mother asked me if i would like to read Great Expectations after seeing the movie, I replied, "No. It only took two hours to watch the movie and it would take weeks to read the book. And besides if the book is any good they will make a movie, and i can watch it."
Well they probably won't make a movie of Ulysses. It did take months to read it! And i learned a lot along the way! I did listen while reading along. I would never have made it through the book on my own. It really was a difficult read. It was interesting...like a code. It did remind me a lot of The Catcher.
One quote that I am thinking about now that really reminded me of how Salinger wrote was this:
"—One thing I never understood, he said, to be original on the spur of the moment, why they put tables upside down at night, I mean chairs upside down on the tables in cafes."
I don't believe this! I don't believe that Bloom doesn't know why they do this!
I also didn't believe a boy that had had an elite education like Holden had could get through grade school and not know where the ducks go in the winter time. This is was the "puzzle" that twisted my mind so that i had to figure it out. See "Breaking The Code To The Catcher In The Rye" group on Goodreads.
But back to the chairs. I was thinking about Pearl S. Buck and what she said in My Several Worlds about how long the Chinese dynasties had existed compared to our government. She said we had a very young history! That these government were able to exist for thousands of years. Time will tell.
I thought about how we change the "chair" person every four years and how much gets 'erased' from the people's minds. How much crime is swept under the rug or money swept up?
Joyce said "The people get the government they deserve."
(I had to go and find this quote, because i was sure i was misquoting it. Sure enough I did. Here it is in this paragraph:
"—Of course, Mr Bloom proceeded to stipulate, you must look at both sides of the question. It is hard to lay down any hard and fast rules as to right and wrong but room for improvement all round there certainly is though every country, they say, our own distressful included, has the government it deserves. But with a little goodwill all round. It’s all very fine to boast of mutual superiority but what about mutual equality? I resent violence or intolerance in any shape or form. It never reaches anything or stops anything. A revolution must come on the due instalments plan. It’s a patent absurdity on the face of it to hate people because they live round the corner and speak another vernacular, so to speak."
I included the whole thing because it is that good!
But what i found even more interesting, and invite you all that have an ebook to do, is to look up 'government' as a word search in Ulysses! Very interesting the dots it connects!)
Perhaps, but in the book The House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne, would say it is the government that was decided for you.
I hope we do this again. Do you think we will meet up again next year?
What did i think about the ending? I was surprised that Moly's mother was a Jew. I thought this was more an interracial marriage between a Jewish man and an Irish woman. I am not sure how she is Irish? She is from Gibraltar. I then thought maybe she was Spanish.
The film would be an interesting experience to see. I wonder if I could find it somewhere. Terri, bravo!!! I love that you will be returning to this book again in future. It's really a great feeling when someone gets excited about this book. I also think it's a true treasure and I find something new in it with each reading.
Yes, I think Bloom is wrong about the list of lovers. The ones that Molly has thought about so far were only flirtations; not lovers.
I loved the incident of Bloom pretending to be a boater and taking Molly out and the disaster of that ride.
Once in awhile Joyce throws in a coincidence to show the spiritual (?) or universal (?) connection between Molly and Bloom: in sentence 5, to get away from one suitor, Molly pretends to already be engaged to Don Miguel de la Flora; she pretends to be engaged to a Flower and Bloom is now pretending that his name is Flower. Universal connection of the two. :D
It's rather sad to hear that over the years Bloom can't or won't hold onto a job, keeping the family in financial need. Any thoughts on how or why a man as conscientious as Bloom wouldn't hold onto a job for the betterment of his family? There have been jobs in my past that I would have loved to walk away from but the need to pay bills always kept me there, even as I looked for another job.
There was something very homey and loving in Molly's thoughts of Bloom bringing her breakfast on a tray and his attention to the cat.
I have 2 sentences yet to read; you all plowed ahead of Bloomsday. :DHowever, I will miss this group and our discussions of this book as well.
Geoffrey, I'm still very much intimidated by Finnegans Wake. I think I'll tackle it one day but that day never seems to come. I don't feel ready somehow.
Glad you enjoyed it so much, Cosmic. It was great reading it together, wasn't it!
Geoffrey wrote: "I'm feeling somewhat bereft. What am I going to do without my ongoing reading of Ulysses? For a while, I'm going to listen to one of the audiobook versions, but I'll need another challenge. Not sur..."I agree!
I thought i might work on getting my General Amateur Radio Class License now. I want to read some lighter books like Gone with the Wind. I have my book list of books from 1922 that i want to read!
I want and will read Bambi again this year!
I would love to have you all (i am originally from the South) to tell my your top favorite five books that would have to go with you to a desert island. Or the top five authors that you wish were members of your personal 'Inkling' group. (Past or present it doesn't matter).
I think in a group like this where you are well read it would be most valuable.
I will start.
Bambi
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Catcher in the Rye
Anna Karenina
My Several Worlds
Authors:
Pearl S. Buck
James Joyce
Mark Twain
Leo Tolstoy
Charles Dickens
If a couple of these people were previously engaged then some special guest
Sinclair Lewis
Felix Salten
Gill wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it so much, Cosmic. It was great reading it together, wasn't it!"Yes Gill, Thank you, and Petra for doing such an incredible job hosting this group! That was a huge commitment.
If you do it next year i am on board, or if you decide on another one of book be sure to invite me!
Thank you everyone for your comments, insights and links! And just for reading when it didn't feel like you were getting any where.
Cosmic wrote: "I would love to have you all (i am originally from the South) to tell my your top favorite five books that would have to go with you to a desert island. Or the top five authors that you wish were members of your personal 'Inkling' group. (Past or present it doesn't matter)...."Cosmic, I'm not sure what an inkling group is.
My five top books to take to a desert island.....hmmm.....that's a tough one but better than being asked which ONE book I'd take.
Let's see:
Ulysses (however, I'd need an encyclopedia set, a dictionary and a reference book or two to go with it and not count as part of my choices. LOL!.....access to the internet would also be helpful)
Infinite Jest (loved this book)
Middlemarch (possibly a perfect story)
The Complete William Faulkner (you can't go wrong with Faulkner and I have so many more of his to read)
Willa Cather: The Complete Fiction & Other Writings (love her writing)
Thank you for the kind words. I love leading this group. And I really enjoy having "newbies" mixed with "repeat readers" with this book. It's a great combination and you're all so astute and on top of Joyce's writing. Great insights.I'd love to do another reread of Ulysses. However, having led the group twice in a row now, I find I'm running out of ideas to inspire, so I need a break, I think. I love doing it but if I run out of inspiration and ideas then I'm no good as a leader and its time to take a rest.
Perhaps one of our first-time readers would like to lead the next read? A fresh set of eyes and ideas would be refreshing. You've all heard what I have to say. :D
Maybe think about it.
Now I'm off to finish those last 2 sentences of Molly's. She's an interesting personality.
Petra wrote: "Cosmic wrote: "I would love to have you all (i am originally from the South) to tell my your top favorite five books that would have to go with you to a desert island. Or the top five authors that ..."The "Inklings" were the group of writers J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis hung out with, I believe. Cosmic can correct me if I am mistaken. I think that this would be a good topic for the "Just for Fun" folder!
Looking at your list of desert island books Petra, I can see why I so often like what you do! Even though I would never put Ulysses on my list *grin*
Hahaha.....remember that you're on a desert island, Leslie, and may never see a book beyond the 5 you have with you. They need to be books one can read again and again for pleasure and further thought. Ulysses will never end giving further thought. Finished!! So, so good!
Is Molly confused about her future? She's contemplating Boylan, Stephen and Bloom. She's angry, though, at Bloom for not giving her what she'd like. It's Bloom she migrates towards and who she'd want if only he could show her that he wants her, too. She doesn't want to give herself so completely to him without knowing that the feeling will be reciprocated.
Something I noticed but have no idea what it means:
Throughout Penelope, Molly occasionally says "yes" throughout her thoughts. In Sentence 8, this changes for the first part to "O", then back to "yes" at the end.
Any thoughts on the change? What would "O" signify?
Leslie wrote: "Looking at your list of desert island books Petra, I can see why I so often like what you do! Even though I would never put Ulysses on my list *grin* ...":D Thanks, Leslie.
What books would you choose to take to the desert island?
My five books would be :Ulysses by James Joyce
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Great Dune Trilogy by Frank Herbert
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin
These are all long books - I would want something with staying power if I were stranded!
For authors, I prefer to think in Inklings terms about writers I currently collaborate with or might like to in the future.
I'd only take Ulysses with me to the desert island if we were all there together, so we could chat about it!So, my five books are
The Complete William Faulkner (many more to read, and I'd happily re-read the others)
The Making of the English Working Class (a book I've read twice, but not recently)
Translations (fabulous play, great language, thought provoking to the nth degree)
Breath (beautiful language, very short but it will remind me of Tim Winton's other books also)
Poetry of Antonio Machado in dual translation (love the poems, and will give me hours of pleasure, reading between the two versions of each poem)
I'm on the home straight now. just about to start Penelope. I know it's stating the obvious, but Ithaca was strange! It was sort of like reading a really complex exam paper, with the most in depth question and answer section. I started off not liking the chapter very much, but by the end I found it's structure and complexities hilarious.
As to my top 5 desert island books.....I don't think Ulysses will make it with me.
I'm going to plump for
Catch-22 because I think I'd appreciate the absurd fatality of the situation
Holy Bible: King James Version because it's long and although I'm not religious, it would be a chance for me to finish it.
The Complete Works by William Shakespeare If you're all taking Faulkner bind ups, I'm taking the bard.
The Count of Monte Cristo because I haven't read it yet, but think it would make a good adventure story.
The Odyssey for the same reasons as above, plus I'd have to include something from Ancient Greece.
Books that will not make it onto the desert Island are anything depressing, too short and most of all Robinson Crusoe which if I found myself shipwrecked with only this, I would probably drown myself the first day.
Top 5 authors to discuss books with -
George Orwell
Daphne du Maurier
Plato (does he count? I'm having him anyway)
Vladimir Nabokov
Doris Lessing
When shall we leave?
I feel like I should win a prize on completion!
You're in the home stretch, Pink! Geoffrey, the complete Dune and Lord of The Rings! Yes! Those must come to the desert island.
Pink, the Bible and Shakespeare are great ones, too. I contemplated Shakespeare as well.
Well, if we're all going to be on this desert island together, we have a great collection of books already (and multiple copies of Ulysses).
I've finished! I have mixed feelings about Penelope. I started out enjoying hearing from Molly, but I thought that Joyce's own voice came through too strongly and I often felt like I was reading his inner thoughts and not Molly's. Especially so with all the mentions of sex and bottoms etc, which just kept reminding me of those famous dirty letters that Joyce sent his wife Nora.I've also realised that I wanted to hear more from Stephen and return to his story again. Overall this was a mixed read for me, but I'm so glad that I've done it and I'm very grateful to Petra for organising and everyone else for all of your help and thoughts. It's helped me through sections that I didn't enjoy so much and made me think about the story deeper than I would have on my own.
I find myself thinking about Stephen as well. As far as I know, Joyce never mentions him again, so his future is unknown. I want to know how he lands in Life. I also think about Bloom & Molly and whether they will find their way back to each other. Bloom's decision seems more concrete but we've had a book-full of his thoughts and know that he's still in love with Molly; we don't have that perspective on Molly's thoughts and I didn't find hers as concrete as Bloom's but am hopeful that she's leaning that way.
A few excerpts from Penelope I liked :Molly shares with Bloom a sensitivity to the landscape that I find endearing in both : "the sea and the sky you could do what you liked"
Molly is still clearly in love with Bloom, despite the difficulties : "and I love to hear him falling up the stairs of a morning with the cups rattling on the tray and then play with the cat she rubs up against you for her own sake"
Molly is not insensitive to her husband's trial and tribulations : "well theyre not going to get my husband again into their clutches if I can help it making fun of him then behind his back"
Molly being critical of Boylan : "them in their proper place pulling off his shoes and trousers there on the chair before me so barefaced without even asking permission and standing out that vulgar way in the half of a shirt they wear to be admired"
Like Bloom, she has a depth of feeling about her son Rudi : "I suppose I oughtnt to have buried him in that little woolly jacket I knitted crying as I was but give it to some poor child but I knew well Id never have another our 1st death too it was we were never the same since".
One of the things Molly says is "Id love to have a long talk with an intelligent well educated person", revealing how much she does think of Bloom (and, perhaps, Stephen) and how little she finds Boylan interesting beyond the sex.
Pink wrote: "Books that will not make it onto the desert Island are anything depressing, too short and most of all Robinson Crusoe which if I found myself shipwrecked with only this, I would probably drown myself the first day. .."I read Robinson Crusoe this year because it was mentioned in Ulysses. It felt long and laborious at first. But after reading it i started wondering if RC was a retelling The Prince
I would like to go back and read both and compare them.
You are going to enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo but don't wait till you get to a desert island!
I added The Making of the English Working Class, Thank you Gill. That is the first i have heard of this book.
I have not experienced William Faulkner yet. I think since i am trying to listen to books written around 1922 i should include one by him. He was encouraged by Sherwood Anderson to write. I read his book earlier this year.
The Dune series and the other fantasy fiction that you will be bringing Geoffrey, reminds me need to break out in a few more different genre. Maybe i will pick up your copy Dune Trilogy while we are stranded.
I think i would like to make one of mine for Don Quixote. I will probably need some comic relief. I totally enjoyed reading that last year. I tried to read it in the newer translation and i thought it was dry. The humor was lost! But i remember suppressing my laughter in the middle of the night so i didn't wake my husband.
Petra I bought Infinite Jest early this year but haven't started it yet. Glad to see it made it on your list. Also want to check out more of Willa Cather
Pink I am glad you included some female authors in your group. I will have to check them out as well!
With all these great reads and no other distractions to get in our way we experience some real meaningful positive growth.
I feel like that has happened while reading Ulysses with you all! It has been a desert island of my own making. Or my own focus!
I am tempted to go bal back and read the last two chapters of Ulysses because it just doesn't feel finished for some reason!...maybe it isn't supposed to.
Cosmic wrote: "Petra I bought Infinite Jest early this year but haven't started it yet. Glad to see it made it on your list. ..."Bear in mind that DFW may have added a subliminal message into Infinite Jest that says "stop reading here and quit. come back to this book another time". I and a few others that I know started the book twice before really getting into it. While we were all enjoying the book (at various times; not a group read), we all put it down and didn't return to it for some time, having to start over.....but then, we couldn't put it down.
Seems subliminal to me...... :D
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