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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
slow-paced
challenging
slow-paced
This book is simply amazing. proust, marquez, and tolstoy all came close but they didn't get to smoke that romeo y julieta cigar. I've read Joyce's masterpiece again and again; it gets better every time. After reading this book, I feel that Shakespeare is a hack compared to the Man. Yes.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I know it’s supposed to be a literary masterpiece but it is a slog to get through and I’m not sure it was worth it.
Will probs try to read again but for now, absolutely not.
Those who know me, know of my love for Joyce so 4.5 stars for Ulysses. It took me more then a month of wrestling with this giant of a book, both in its complexity and length but I made it out well and alive. I expected much from Joyce, and he delivered, so many styles and literary and mythological and religious references that I don't think anyone managed to find them all, but in my honest opinion they are what made me like this book so much. Because Joyce managed to put it all together and it works, it works so well! I mean, besides the obvious parallel with Homer's Odyssey, there is Hamlet, a little bit of Dickens, Malory, OE alliterative poetry and it doesn't seem so forced and it all serves its purpose. I could sing praises to genius of it!
Bloom is so funny, his thoughts and ideas made me lough out loud at some points. His idea for burying people vertically is ridiculous and yet he seriously considers it and whether it'd work. Never change Bloom!
Molly, well, her thoughts made me blush sometimes, and giggle during a lecture, thank God I did not have to explain to professor that I'm laughing at Molly thinking about the size of her lover's penis. In so many words.
But poor Stephen, I feel so many things for him, he deserved so much better, I fell in love with his character back in Portrait of an Artist and God did I hope he got his happy ending. Poor guy has an existential crisis and has no one to help him work through it, so he starts drinking. Tragedy.
Bloom is so funny, his thoughts and ideas made me lough out loud at some points. His idea for burying people vertically is ridiculous and yet he seriously considers it and whether it'd work. Never change Bloom!
Molly, well, her thoughts made me blush sometimes, and giggle during a lecture, thank God I did not have to explain to professor that I'm laughing at Molly thinking about the size of her lover's penis. In so many words.
But poor Stephen, I feel so many things for him, he deserved so much better, I fell in love with his character back in Portrait of an Artist and God did I hope he got his happy ending. Poor guy has an existential crisis and has no one to help him work through it, so he starts drinking. Tragedy.
I have so many thoughts after reading this that I have to break it into pieces.
The writing style:
There are discrete pieces of writing in this book that are truly incredible. His ability to paint a picture in your mind(even if you don't want the picture there) is impressive. He also has a really interesting approach to character development by using the stream of consciousness from multiple perspectives to add layers to the interactions between characters. Unfortunately often it's almost as though he is scared someone will understand him and adds so much obfuscation that it becomes unwieldy as a general reader.
The hero journey narrative:
The Odyssey itself is such an action packed classic hero's journey that the allegory that is there feels like it's missing a true successful accomplishment by Bloom at the end of the book. I was left feeling like there should have been more development of Bloom's goals and at the least a true vanquishing of an enemy instead of the philosophical success of recommitting to his marriage (maybe? It's so open ended it's hard to say if he ever really did come around)
How it feels reading this from a modern perspective:
This book seems great in a classroom setting. It depicts a realistic feeling representation of Ireland with a ton of civil and religious critique that would make for a great essay. However in a similar way to how a re-read of the Odyssey from a modern viewpoint Oddysseus is a character that finding empathy for is difficult (he really is just a horrible leader of men). Bloom, Stephen and many other characters who we ostensibly are supposed to be rooting for come off as similarly unappealing people. Relating back to the hero's journey aspect, I just can't get behind Bloom as a true hero.
If you're looking to pick this one up because it's a classic and you aren't doing it with the intention of studying late 19th century literature I would probably advise you to pick something else up. Even if parts of it are by themselves wonderful pieces of art.
The writing style:
There are discrete pieces of writing in this book that are truly incredible. His ability to paint a picture in your mind(even if you don't want the picture there) is impressive. He also has a really interesting approach to character development by using the stream of consciousness from multiple perspectives to add layers to the interactions between characters. Unfortunately often it's almost as though he is scared someone will understand him and adds so much obfuscation that it becomes unwieldy as a general reader.
The hero journey narrative:
The Odyssey itself is such an action packed classic hero's journey that the allegory that is there feels like it's missing a true successful accomplishment by Bloom at the end of the book. I was left feeling like there should have been more development of Bloom's goals and at the least a true vanquishing of an enemy instead of the philosophical success of recommitting to his marriage (maybe? It's so open ended it's hard to say if he ever really did come around)
How it feels reading this from a modern perspective:
This book seems great in a classroom setting. It depicts a realistic feeling representation of Ireland with a ton of civil and religious critique that would make for a great essay. However in a similar way to how a re-read of the Odyssey from a modern viewpoint Oddysseus is a character that finding empathy for is difficult (he really is just a horrible leader of men). Bloom, Stephen and many other characters who we ostensibly are supposed to be rooting for come off as similarly unappealing people. Relating back to the hero's journey aspect, I just can't get behind Bloom as a true hero.
If you're looking to pick this one up because it's a classic and you aren't doing it with the intention of studying late 19th century literature I would probably advise you to pick something else up. Even if parts of it are by themselves wonderful pieces of art.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you can, read it out loud, it brings it alive like nothing else.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stond al een tijdje in de kast, keek er wel een beetje tegenop, maar wat een boek!
Een fantastische aaneenschakeling van gedachten, hersenspinsels, overpeinzingen, flarden van liedjes, stukjes geschiedenis, referenties, zinloze discussies, dronken hallucinaties en waarnemingen gedurende een gewone dag in 1904.
Het plot, voor zover dat er überhaupt is, is ondergeschikt aan het gebruik van taal. Elk hoofdstuk (episode) weer in een andere stijl.
Een bij vlagen onnavolgbare, maar overwegend geniale woordenstroom.
Een fantastische aaneenschakeling van gedachten, hersenspinsels, overpeinzingen, flarden van liedjes, stukjes geschiedenis, referenties, zinloze discussies, dronken hallucinaties en waarnemingen gedurende een gewone dag in 1904.
Het plot, voor zover dat er überhaupt is, is ondergeschikt aan het gebruik van taal. Elk hoofdstuk (episode) weer in een andere stijl.
Een bij vlagen onnavolgbare, maar overwegend geniale woordenstroom.