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A review by kunalsen
Ulysses by James Joyce
I heard about Ulysses when I was in high school. It took me more than 40 years to gain the courage and literary experience to read it. Finally, having done that, I realize a lot more than just time and experience was necessary to prepare me for this novel.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the unique literary style, I was not prepared enough to fully comprehend many of the literary and historical references. To fully understand this book one needs to follow it up with one of the many explanatory/analysis books on Ulysses and then read the novel one more time. I am not sure even after that whether I would be just scratching the surface. Such is the complexity of this narrative.
That is not to say I did not enjoy reading it. I loved the style, and was repeatedly surprised by the fact that book was written almost a 100 years ago. I was mesmerized by the elaborate tapestry of details it uses to paint a rational picture of the main characters as well as the time and place they lived in. I don’t think it is book that is supposed to touch you emotionally. The approach is entirely cerebral, but the unique sense of humor lends a degree of levity.
It is impossible for me to rate this book at this point. It surpassed all my expectations in terms of its formal quality, but since I missed many of the intricate references, I think I should refrain from putting a number.
My only negative impression was about some of the inner monologues (or streams of consciousness) passages. While they were uniformly brilliant, I often found them to be a little contrived and self-conscious.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the unique literary style, I was not prepared enough to fully comprehend many of the literary and historical references. To fully understand this book one needs to follow it up with one of the many explanatory/analysis books on Ulysses and then read the novel one more time. I am not sure even after that whether I would be just scratching the surface. Such is the complexity of this narrative.
That is not to say I did not enjoy reading it. I loved the style, and was repeatedly surprised by the fact that book was written almost a 100 years ago. I was mesmerized by the elaborate tapestry of details it uses to paint a rational picture of the main characters as well as the time and place they lived in. I don’t think it is book that is supposed to touch you emotionally. The approach is entirely cerebral, but the unique sense of humor lends a degree of levity.
It is impossible for me to rate this book at this point. It surpassed all my expectations in terms of its formal quality, but since I missed many of the intricate references, I think I should refrain from putting a number.
My only negative impression was about some of the inner monologues (or streams of consciousness) passages. While they were uniformly brilliant, I often found them to be a little contrived and self-conscious.