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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
[2.5 stars]
this is a literary masterpiece whose impact and artistry can never be replicated. the only problem is that i really didn't enjoy reading it
this is a literary masterpiece whose impact and artistry can never be replicated. the only problem is that i really didn't enjoy reading it
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Been a long time since I read this... must read again so I can rate it.
Some amazing, amusing language play. Joyce was a polymath: there's quotes in Spanish, Italian, Greek, Latin, French (thankfully, I was reading a Borrowbox library edition, so I had translations at my fingertips); there's bits about history, geography, plays, politics... and it's all very well done, and those bits are fascinating, but there's a huge, dull lull in the middle of the book, and I couldn't get over my main problem of it being an epically sized book about a day in the life of three people, none of whom I actually liked or wanted to know about.
inspiring
I have finally listened to the audio version of this "Classic" and was amazed to find my favorite Holy Week music (since I first heard it performed when I was a child during WWII) "The Holy City" featured in Part 3 Chapter 4!
I found Paul Bryant's review (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/120808667) an informative and extremely abridged overview of much of the book.
This is certainly a stream of consciousness (subconscious ?) literary work that could be a precursor to much of our contemporary "Reality" entertainment presentations. Many of the episodes seem to me to be similar to bawdy vaudevillian acts. I also viewed the YouTube full length movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5F_zwFhjdW8) which is also a severely abridged presentation but effectively provides an additional overview of the work.
I am in awe and highly amused by the detailed descriptions of mundane objects (also bodily) such as when one is about to draw water from a water faucet at the kitchen sink and the chemistry aspects along with the Dublin municipal infrastructure involving water is detailed!
I understand this is a loosely imagined "modern" interpretation of Homer's "Odyssey" that takes place during the single day of June 16,1904.
I found Paul Bryant's review (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/120808667) an informative and extremely abridged overview of much of the book.
This is certainly a stream of consciousness (subconscious ?) literary work that could be a precursor to much of our contemporary "Reality" entertainment presentations. Many of the episodes seem to me to be similar to bawdy vaudevillian acts. I also viewed the YouTube full length movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5F_zwFhjdW8) which is also a severely abridged presentation but effectively provides an additional overview of the work.
I am in awe and highly amused by the detailed descriptions of mundane objects (also bodily) such as when one is about to draw water from a water faucet at the kitchen sink and the chemistry aspects along with the Dublin municipal infrastructure involving water is detailed!
I understand this is a loosely imagined "modern" interpretation of Homer's "Odyssey" that takes place during the single day of June 16,1904.
Look, I went into "Ulysses" knowing it was supposed to be some kind of literary Everest. I was ready for a challenge, and I definitely got one. I can appreciate what Joyce was trying to do with the stream-of-consciousness style, and I understand why it's considered groundbreaking. But honestly? I just didn't connect with it at all.
The biggest problem for me was the characters. I didn't dislike Leopold Bloom or Stephen Dedalus, but I also didn't care about them. Their lives, their thoughts, their struggles… it all felt so distant and unrelatable. Maybe it's the setting (Dublin in 1904), maybe it's the constant internal monologues, but I just couldn't find a way to invest in their stories.
And speaking of those internal monologues… I get it. I really do. My own brain often feels like a never-ending stream of random thoughts and observations. But reading 700+ pages of that? It became exhausting. I understand the appeal of capturing the unfiltered human mind on the page, but for me, it just felt tedious and self-indulgent.
I think "Ulysses" is a book that you either love or hate. I respect its place in literary history, and I can see why some people are so passionate about it. But for me, it was a slog. I finished it, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It's possible it's more enjoyable the second time around, but I can't see myself ever picking it up again. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to "get it," or maybe it's just not my kind of book. Either way, this one wasn't for me.
The biggest problem for me was the characters. I didn't dislike Leopold Bloom or Stephen Dedalus, but I also didn't care about them. Their lives, their thoughts, their struggles… it all felt so distant and unrelatable. Maybe it's the setting (Dublin in 1904), maybe it's the constant internal monologues, but I just couldn't find a way to invest in their stories.
And speaking of those internal monologues… I get it. I really do. My own brain often feels like a never-ending stream of random thoughts and observations. But reading 700+ pages of that? It became exhausting. I understand the appeal of capturing the unfiltered human mind on the page, but for me, it just felt tedious and self-indulgent.
I think "Ulysses" is a book that you either love or hate. I respect its place in literary history, and I can see why some people are so passionate about it. But for me, it was a slog. I finished it, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It's possible it's more enjoyable the second time around, but I can't see myself ever picking it up again. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to "get it," or maybe it's just not my kind of book. Either way, this one wasn't for me.