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melspippin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
I just wish something interesting had happened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Sexism, and Racial slurs
asililydying's review against another edition
5.0
disgusting and overwhelming and amazing and terrible and incoherently insightful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, and Racism
emmi_lee's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Infidelity, Cursing, and Alcohol
Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Body shaming, Racism, and Death
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
One hundred years ago James Joyce’s Ulysses was published. It has a reputation for being one of the greatest and one of the most difficult literary works. Joyce himself wrote “I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality”. For some reason I still decided to read it. And today, 16 June, better known as Bloomsday, the day the events in Ulysses take place, couldn’t be a more appropriate day to share my thoughts and experiences.
Ulysses was far and away the most challenging and confounding book I’ve ever read. Listening to the wonderful RTE podcast while reading was essential to stop my eyes glazing over and my mind wandering, while I would have understood next to nothing had it not been for the wonderful Ulysses Guide website which offers an essential summary and analysis of each episode. I also read a few other books as preparation (swipe to see) but they weren’t as essential. Joyce’s previous works did little to prepare me for the uniqueness of Ulysses. They are fairly conventional; it is modernist and experimental.
I did enjoy Joyce’s way with words and his word play which felt almost poetic at times. I also loved the way he brought the streets of Dublin to life. Ulysses gave me much to think about, chiefly how little we can tell about a person from what we see on the surface, how much of what they are (their guilt, fears, trauma, repressed memories, sexual fantasies) is kept in their head. Joyce puts us in his characters’ heads. And let’s just say I’m glad I don’t know most people at that level. Some things are best kept private!
My main issue with the book is that it seems written more to show off Joyce’s cleverness than to tell a story. It felt like you were meant to admire the author rather than enjoy the story. And while I’m happy to admire clever plotting, gorgeous writing etc I like it to be in service of the story. Here it felt like the story was in the service of it’s elements aka Joyce’s cleverness.
Additionally, it is clear Joyce has never heard of the “less is more” philosophy.
All the verbiage sometimes got in the way of the meat of the novel. Techniques that at first grabbed my attention for their uniqueness, like the chapter told in question and answer format, become tedious by the time the chapter ended.
Final verdict. Pleased I’ve read it even though I didn’t necessarily enjoy the actual reading. Leopold Bloom is a character who will long stay with me - kind and vulnerable but also incredibly problematic. The concept of everyday life being an epic is certainly worth exploring, and was fairly novel for its time. There is so much in this novel it is impossible to unpack it all in one reading. Only time will tell whether I join the ranks of the rereaders.
My review would be wholly incomplete without a shoutout to the wonderful @mylibrarylends and the rest of the Ulovetolysses crew. I’ve never been in such a supportive buddy reading group (or one with such a strong meme game). Mind you I’ve never read a book where so much support was so necessary!
Ulysses was far and away the most challenging and confounding book I’ve ever read. Listening to the wonderful RTE podcast while reading was essential to stop my eyes glazing over and my mind wandering, while I would have understood next to nothing had it not been for the wonderful Ulysses Guide website which offers an essential summary and analysis of each episode. I also read a few other books as preparation (swipe to see) but they weren’t as essential. Joyce’s previous works did little to prepare me for the uniqueness of Ulysses. They are fairly conventional; it is modernist and experimental.
I did enjoy Joyce’s way with words and his word play which felt almost poetic at times. I also loved the way he brought the streets of Dublin to life. Ulysses gave me much to think about, chiefly how little we can tell about a person from what we see on the surface, how much of what they are (their guilt, fears, trauma, repressed memories, sexual fantasies) is kept in their head. Joyce puts us in his characters’ heads. And let’s just say I’m glad I don’t know most people at that level. Some things are best kept private!
My main issue with the book is that it seems written more to show off Joyce’s cleverness than to tell a story. It felt like you were meant to admire the author rather than enjoy the story. And while I’m happy to admire clever plotting, gorgeous writing etc I like it to be in service of the story. Here it felt like the story was in the service of it’s elements aka Joyce’s cleverness.
Additionally, it is clear Joyce has never heard of the “less is more” philosophy.
All the verbiage sometimes got in the way of the meat of the novel. Techniques that at first grabbed my attention for their uniqueness, like the chapter told in question and answer format, become tedious by the time the chapter ended.
Final verdict. Pleased I’ve read it even though I didn’t necessarily enjoy the actual reading. Leopold Bloom is a character who will long stay with me - kind and vulnerable but also incredibly problematic. The concept of everyday life being an epic is certainly worth exploring, and was fairly novel for its time. There is so much in this novel it is impossible to unpack it all in one reading. Only time will tell whether I join the ranks of the rereaders.
My review would be wholly incomplete without a shoutout to the wonderful @mylibrarylends and the rest of the Ulovetolysses crew. I’ve never been in such a supportive buddy reading group (or one with such a strong meme game). Mind you I’ve never read a book where so much support was so necessary!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, and Sexism
Minor: Child death and Grief
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