Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
What did I think? It's complicated, Goodreads. I can see James Joyce is a brilliant writer who knows a lot and who likes to play with language and narrative structures.
However. It requires a lot of effort from the reader. In my case, that meant reading summaries after each chapter and browsing the Joyce Project to click on all the references I didn't get. Maybe my problem is that I am a I-want-to-know-it all. Luckily I read the Odyssey at school, which helped me get the general idea of the chapters.
Ulysses reminds me of people who send you e-mails full of links and you have to click on all of them to get the general idea. You're like: okay then, cool. It's that kind of feeling I have after reading this book. It's brilliant, but there wasn't that much joy of reading as you need to study before you get it.
What got me through was:
- Anthony Burgess' (or Kenneth Toomey's) Leopold Bloomlike funny description of Jimmy Joyce' in Paris in Earthly Powers.
- Skipping parts (yes, chapter 14, I am talking about you).
- The good chapters of course (hello chapter 13 and 15).
- Complaining to my husband. He is really happy that I finished the book :)
However. It requires a lot of effort from the reader. In my case, that meant reading summaries after each chapter and browsing the Joyce Project to click on all the references I didn't get. Maybe my problem is that I am a I-want-to-know-it all. Luckily I read the Odyssey at school, which helped me get the general idea of the chapters.
Ulysses reminds me of people who send you e-mails full of links and you have to click on all of them to get the general idea. You're like: okay then, cool. It's that kind of feeling I have after reading this book. It's brilliant, but there wasn't that much joy of reading as you need to study before you get it.
What got me through was:
- Anthony Burgess' (or Kenneth Toomey's) Leopold Bloomlike funny description of Jimmy Joyce' in Paris in Earthly Powers.
- Skipping parts (yes, chapter 14, I am talking about you).
- The good chapters of course (hello chapter 13 and 15).
- Complaining to my husband. He is really happy that I finished the book :)
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There were parts of this book that I wanted to hate. Joyce is just such a damn good writer though. My stream-of-consciousness phase has come and gone (I still love Mrs. Dalloway though), but the way Joyce weaves motifs and plot points into the stream of consciousness of the continually changing narrator gives the narration a fugal feel. So some chapters were a bit of a drag, but the Circe chapter is worth the price of admission alone. I felt like some parts were a little cynical, but also a very funny book overall. To make a jazz analogy, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man : Giant Steps, Ulysses : A Love Supreme, Finnegan's Wake : Impressions.
I’ll often read SparkNotes or Cliff’s Notes when I’m reading a challenging book, or one with references that are out of my league. It can help contextualize the plot and make it more interesting/ insightful/ compelling/ etc.
Reading Ulysses, there was more than one instance in which I needed one of these resources to help me understand the plot in the first place
Reading Ulysses, there was more than one instance in which I needed one of these resources to help me understand the plot in the first place
Like Ulysses needs another review! Haha. After my second reading, can confirm it is still a great work of modern lit, despite being sometimes awful and/or a slog.
I did it. It took me 4 years (yes, literaly 4 years!) to get through this and it only happened out of sheer spite and will power. I did it. I won't do it again.
Brilliant but I don’t think I’ll be a Joycian in this lifetime
Трети опит-успешен. Иска ми се да се направя на интересна и да напиша нещо от сорта на "отвя ме", или друго противно клише, но истината е че си дадох сметка колко не съм умна. Това е. Поне разбрах отговора на оня лексиконски въпрос Коя книга ще взема с мен ако ще ме пращат на пустинен остров и имам право само на една..
(Представям си как има мини наградки Оскар за прочелите книгата, и държа реч в която казвам че Джойс е гений, отправям благодарност към Иглика Василева за прекрасния превод и после се отплесвам в суперлативи за невижданата игра на думи, преплитането на стилове на писане, случки, факти и всевъзможна логорея, преминавам през гневни провиквания как на моменти ми е идвало да я зафукам, после как отново съм хващала нишката и ми е идвало да ръкопляскам, докато не пуснат музика и започнат да ме избутват от сцената. На онези които са разбрали книгата без бележките под черта и от първия прочит, трябва да се връчват по 3 оскара. Съмнявам че има такива, обаче.)
(Представям си как има мини наградки Оскар за прочелите книгата, и държа реч в която казвам че Джойс е гений, отправям благодарност към Иглика Василева за прекрасния превод и после се отплесвам в суперлативи за невижданата игра на думи, преплитането на стилове на писане, случки, факти и всевъзможна логорея, преминавам през гневни провиквания как на моменти ми е идвало да я зафукам, после как отново съм хващала нишката и ми е идвало да ръкопляскам, докато не пуснат музика и започнат да ме избутват от сцената. На онези които са разбрали книгата без бележките под черта и от първия прочит, трябва да се връчват по 3 оскара. Съмнявам че има такива, обаче.)
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes