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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
This is a book for people who love language itself and how it can flow in beautiful ways. It isn't really targeted at anyone else. A fair number of people will and do hate it. That's cool, there are plenty of other books out there.
Truth be told, all I initially wanted to say about this book is that I did in fact read it all and survive, but then it just wouldn't be good enough closure- and this book needs some one-on-one closure for me after months of studying and bonding with it. I absolutely appreciate how Joyce uses many (and I mean MANY) different and strange techniques to get us to look at both the processes of reading and writing with more carefulness and depth. He explores the way we receive information and use it to form individual perspectives on the reality before us, then he takes it even farther by showing us we can never truly understand reality unless we have looked through an endless amount of lenses. Ulysses gives us many of these lenses for this novel's story and yet we are still left with questions and doubts and loose ends after reading it. This book is a must-read for the simple fact that once you have read it, you will find Joyce (and Bloom) in everything else. All in all, I am both happy and proud to say that I am now acquainted with this phenomenal work of literature and art. Thanks for the struggle, Joyce, it was worth it.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can appreciate how much thought and skill was put into creating this, I can appreciate that it is indeed a literary masterpiece - and that it is filled with more references, nuance, and symbolism than I will ever have time to unpack and understand.
But I didn't quite enjoy it, the writing style was incoherent and at times incomprehensible, unless I had notes right beside me to tell me what actually happened in each chapter, and the huge focus on sexuality - more likely the execution instead of the focus - was awkward. Not even the hints of humor could make up for how boring and heavy it was either.
DNF. I read just a bit past halfway and it was...rather a chore.
But I didn't quite enjoy it, the writing style was incoherent and at times incomprehensible, unless I had notes right beside me to tell me what actually happened in each chapter, and the huge focus on sexuality - more likely the execution instead of the focus - was awkward. Not even the hints of humor could make up for how boring and heavy it was either.
DNF. I read just a bit past halfway and it was...rather a chore.
I tried. I tried... and failed.
Joyce's style of writing doesn't seem to agree with how my brain works. It's not his fault, but it's not my brains fault either.
The book might be a must-read classic, but I just can't. And that's okay.
Joyce's style of writing doesn't seem to agree with how my brain works. It's not his fault, but it's not my brains fault either.
The book might be a must-read classic, but I just can't. And that's okay.
challenging
medium-paced
This book reminds me a lot of Infinite Jest. Notoriously difficult to read, deemed a modern classic, pretty divisive views on whether it's worth or not. Much like my opinion of Infinite Jest, I think it's a pretty mixed bag. There are parts of it that are interesting and caught my interest, and then there is also a bunch of gibberish. I think the purposefully difficult to read parts are pretty dumb, an a cheap way to try to make some kind of literary statement. That said, I found the characters to be fascinating, but just wish I had more opportunity to let them grow. Instead, it is obscured by the author's desire to do something novel, no matter the cost. In some ways that is admirable, but it also meant I didn't really care about what happened next. All in all, take it or leave it.
challenging
slow-paced
One of those books you think to yourself that you need to give it another chance to really disgest it.
Probably the toughest book I have ever read but definitely one of the most rewarding. His use of language is astonishing. I think on my first reading I probably understood about 1/5 of the allusions and inferences and that's being generous. A book you can read again and again and discover new things every time.