Reading plan

[Jane]

Proposed reading schedule
Based on penguin annotated student edition
September pages 1-201
October pages 202-409
November pages 410-601
December pages 602-811
January pages 812-933
Suggest couple of comments every week

[mkfs]

Simon wrote: "Hi Jane. Wow - five months to read Ulysses. I don't think I'd want to take that long."

It took me something like three months to read. The first month I was dragging my feet a bit, then I made steady progress the next two months. That may have led to haste, as I am aware that I rushed through the last 200 or so pages of the book.

A hundred pages a week shouldn't be too bad of a pace.

[Jane]

Thanks for these comments. I plan to read it slowly, to listen to it on cd (I have an unabridged version from RTE) and to savour every line. I also will intersperse my reading with other books so need to be realistic

[Dana]

If possible take a course or join a reading group to see what the hype is all about. I love this book, it changed my life, at least my reading life as I measure all fiction I read against James Joyce's genius. (And try to get to a Bloomsday celebration on June 16!)

[Richard]

I think I read it in a couple of weeks and it's one of the most indelible reads I've ever had. Utterly immersive. Just sink in and wallow, do the slow read later

[Dana]

Good, read it slow or fast but read it!

[Dan]

I read this first for a course at university; however, that was supposed to be quick. I think the misconception about 'Ulysses' is that it is supposed to be dense and (as a student of Literature) defeating. With saying this, I would say take your time with it as I did on my second time after finishing my masters. Someone told me to read an "episode" from time to time and have fun with the text. It's a funny work and is meant to be enjoyed.

[Dana]

Bravo!

[Samson]

i tried 20-25 pages a day. it took about two months. it's easily doable! and fun!

[Dana]

Yes, fun is a good description!

[Chuck]

I read it just before going to Ireland this summer. I couldn't make the commitment until I had the plane tickets so I did not start until about 3 weeks before the trip. I ended up reading the last chapter on the plane on the way over. It took about half the 6 hour trip.
It helped to check out a chapter synopsis after reading each chapter (Wikipedia I think).

[Len]

I don't know how long it took me to read it. I had heard it was one of the great classics but it wasn't long before I regretted starting it but I plugged away just so I could say I read it. I am in mourning for all the trees that were sacrificed in vain for this book.

[Tom]

I recently finished it, and read about a chapter a day along with related secondary sources (summaries, Wikipedia, commentaries and the like). My suggestion would not spread out the reading too long otherwise it's really easy to forget what's gone before, especially since it is so nuanced.

[Justin]

I just finished reading it yesterday. It took me almost two months. Granted, I am a slow reader in general. I took it slow, whilst accepting that even at an analytical pace I was not going to understand everything, so I would leave further understanding to a second reading of the book. That's quite alright with me, I'd definitely read it again.

As an interested layman in the history of the English language, I particularly enjoyed Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun because, as Wikipedia put it, the prose and the wordplay recapitulate the history of English, giving you a range of English color in (more or less) chronological order.

[barry]

I read it in a week. I couldn't put it down. I didn't get much sleep. I don't know if I could manage to read it over the course of three months. I think I might forget the beginning. Also i don't have that kind of self control.