Ulysses (Joyce)

[Rose]

Has anyone here ever read Ulysses by James Joyce? I have been wanting to read it, but I was wondering if I need to read Homer's Odyssey first. See, we were assigned the Odyssey to read over the summer, but I didn't really have the time so I only read the first 3 or 4 books (chapters) of it. But I understand the basic premise of what happens throughout the rest of the Odyssey. Is that a problem if I want to read (and understand) Ulysses? Even if I had read the Odyssey all the way through, is Ulysses still too sophisticated for a 16 year old? I'm not even going to start on Finnegan's Wake :damn: :damn: :rotfl: .

[Torplexed]

Nah. You don't need the Odyssey to muck thing up further. The basic problem with Ulysses is that there is too much in it. The Odyssey-mimicking structure, the linking of each of the eighteen episodes with a different academic discipline and a different bodily organ, the symbols and allusions, the puns and parodies, the cast of dozens (all Irish and loquacious), the determination to do it all. both expressionistically and documentarily, and in eighteen hours and forty-five minutes, no less. Then you've got Joyce himself. A master of the English language but not the least bit ashamed at being a show-off about it.

Two tips: Don't be afraid to browse. Find an episode you like. Then graze. Let Joyce's precise, unflagging, comic, and consolational protrayal of life take hold. And don't be proud. A Cliff Notes booklet or something similar will help steer you over the rough patches. ;)

[Rose]

Alright, thanks for the advice Torplexed :up: .

[U-533]

I found that comsuming several rum and cokes with a twist of lime offten lightens the mood and prepares one for the immense task of sorting through heavy reading.

but thats just me...

[Rose]

I found that comsuming several rum and cokes with a twist of lime offten lightens the mood and prepares one for the immense task of sorting through heavy reading.

but thats just me...

I'll take that into consideration as well... :D

[Gorduz]

NOW "Ulysses" by Alistair McKlean :) nice reading

[Rose]

You mean this: http://www.amazon.com/H-M-S-Ulysses-Alistair-MacLean/dp/0385041837 ? Sounds cool, but it sure seems like a far cry from any other Ulysses in terms of brain cells utilized...

[Gorduz]

hehe correct, the book isn't a groundbraking experience, but nice easy reading for the holidays.

[cobalt]

that book can kill brain cells as quick as it replaces them.

[Tchocky]

One tip I'd give for Ulysses is that you read it aloud. It slides the phrases and puns together much more effectively than silent reading