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1.89k reviews for:
Ulysses: Annotated Edition
Sam Slote, Marc A. Mamigonian, James Joyce, James Joyce
3.64 AVERAGE
1.89k reviews for:
Ulysses: Annotated Edition
Sam Slote, Marc A. Mamigonian, James Joyce, James Joyce
3.64 AVERAGE
challenging
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
I cannot possibly give Ulysses an official rating. Truthfully, I hated nearly every minute of it. Often, while reading, or mulling over what I just read, I was struck by the idea that Joyce was a troll. If Joyce was brought back to life, he would be in hysterics about the mythical status that Ulysses has achieved. The entire novel is a joke played on its readers; Ulysses is the definition of pretentious. Joyce can’t help but jump out on every page with “See what I did there? Admire my intellectual prowess.” If not for the help of supplemental resources I would have been unable to appreciate Joyce’s efforts in the least.
To those who are more perceptible to subtext, I applaud your dedication and ability—as I read a chapter then sought assistance decoding it, I was amazed by the layers revealed by people who truly love this book. It becomes apparent that there is, in fact, some form of enjoyment here, and in its own right I can see why it’s considered a staple of literature. But does it have to be written so damn badly? And when I say written, I do simply mean the text. Say as much as you want to about the specific goal Joyce was trying to achieve, about some style he was imitating, or some statement he was making about language, at the end of the day Joyce’s prose is dull and just plain bad. It’s a good thing that what's on the page isn’t the end of Ulysses because if it weren’t for what’s beneath the page, that would’ve been the end of Ulysses.
What’s funny about the whole thing? I will reread it. Not right away but in the near future. In fact I’ve already downloaded an audiobook version because I am curious how the hell anyone could read this thing out loud. And I am curious if it does improve on a second reading, as most people claim. In fact, as much as I hated reading this book, I am in awe of its scope and what Joyce did. Honestly, I’m a bit pissed off about that.
So yeah, I can’t rate this. I couldn’t possibly recommend reading it for enjoyment — it’s the type of book you read to simply say “I read it,” then toss in a shoulder shrug like, “No big thing.” Or the type of book you read in the name of some scholarly pursuit. So was Joyce a troll or was he a genius? I still don’t know. But regardless, he manages to achieve some form of dark magic with Ulysses. Like dark magic the book takes advantage of you, tricks you, then makes you servile. As also with dark magic you typically know the consequences from the outset; those who continue down that path, do so at their own risk.
To those who are more perceptible to subtext, I applaud your dedication and ability—as I read a chapter then sought assistance decoding it, I was amazed by the layers revealed by people who truly love this book. It becomes apparent that there is, in fact, some form of enjoyment here, and in its own right I can see why it’s considered a staple of literature. But does it have to be written so damn badly? And when I say written, I do simply mean the text. Say as much as you want to about the specific goal Joyce was trying to achieve, about some style he was imitating, or some statement he was making about language, at the end of the day Joyce’s prose is dull and just plain bad. It’s a good thing that what's on the page isn’t the end of Ulysses because if it weren’t for what’s beneath the page, that would’ve been the end of Ulysses.
What’s funny about the whole thing? I will reread it. Not right away but in the near future. In fact I’ve already downloaded an audiobook version because I am curious how the hell anyone could read this thing out loud. And I am curious if it does improve on a second reading, as most people claim. In fact, as much as I hated reading this book, I am in awe of its scope and what Joyce did. Honestly, I’m a bit pissed off about that.
So yeah, I can’t rate this. I couldn’t possibly recommend reading it for enjoyment — it’s the type of book you read to simply say “I read it,” then toss in a shoulder shrug like, “No big thing.” Or the type of book you read in the name of some scholarly pursuit. So was Joyce a troll or was he a genius? I still don’t know. But regardless, he manages to achieve some form of dark magic with Ulysses. Like dark magic the book takes advantage of you, tricks you, then makes you servile. As also with dark magic you typically know the consequences from the outset; those who continue down that path, do so at their own risk.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What the hell did I just read?
spontaneously burst into a momentary shower of tears upon finishing the final paragraph. whether due to the heartrending beauty of the conclusion or the relief of discovering an end to the punctuation-free stream of consciousness, only god knows
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finally done. Thanks be to God (but I love the Circe episode dearly). Review to come.
I've wanted to read this book for a long time. I was intimidated to begin it. The way that Joyce uses free indirect discourse to fully reveal a character opens up the complexities of his characters in a revelatory and immediate way. This effect alone makes the work worth reading. This a long, but worthwhile read. The Gilbert Schema (easily found with a Google search), provided by Joyce to a friend, is essential to understanding the structure and Odyssey allusions. (I wish Joyce had named his chapters accordingly.) An audiobook is helpful to use in addition to the text, for the most difficult chapters. (Some chapters feel like work, and other chapters are a complete joy to read.) After reading this novel I can see the huge shadow it cast. The genesis of many stylistic choices by Cormac McCarthy and William Faulkner (among others) are in this book. Some of my favorite chapters were Hades, Scylla and Charybdis, Sirens, Nausicaa, Circe, and Penelope.