Often regarded as one of the 'greatest novels of the 20th century', James Joyce's masterpiece, Ulysses, is truly a remarkable achievement. It is not only a feat of literary brilliance but also a feast for the senses. Joyce reimagines Homer's epic poem The Odyssey as the travels and trials of an ordinary man in the bustling streets and pubs of Dublin. He weaves together a diverse range of prose styles and perspectives, encompassing the entirety of life within the span of a single day, June 16th, 1904. This day, known as Bloomsday, has gained increasing popularity in modern times, a testament to the enduring greatness of the novel.

Reading Ulysses can be a challenging task, requiring the reader to have their wits about them. The novel is filled with cryptic allusions, obfuscating narration, and a rich vocabulary that demands careful attention. However, the rewards of persevering through this literary labyrinth are great. The book offers a unique and profound exploration of the human condition, as well as a showcase of Joyce's extraordinary writing skills. Each chapter has its own distinct style and technique, from the stream-of-consciousness to the parody of different literary forms. The language is playful, lyrical, and full of puns, making it a joy to read.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Ulysses is Joyce's use of multiple perspectives. The reader is placed within the minds of the characters, experiencing their thoughts and emotions in a direct and immediate way. This technique allows Joyce to present a complex and nuanced view of the characters and their relationships. Through the different perspectives, we see the same events from multiple angles, gaining a deeper understanding of the story and its themes. The idea of the 'parallax', which emphasizes the importance of different perspectives, is a major theme running throughout the novel.

Another notable feature of Ulysses is its treatment of women and sexuality. The novel has been criticized by some for its seemingly negative portrayal of women, but a closer examination reveals a more complex and nuanced view. Joyce explores the various aspects of female sexuality and the role of women in society, presenting both positive and negative images. Molly Bloom, in particular, is a complex and multifaceted character, offering a unique perspective on female sexuality and desire. The novel also touches on themes such as adultery, masturbation, and prostitution, all of which were controversial at the time of its publication.

In conclusion, Ulysses is a remarkable work of literature that continues to captivate readers today. It is a challenging and rewarding novel that offers a profound exploration of the human condition, as well as a showcase of Joyce's extraordinary writing skills. Despite its flaws and controversies, it remains one of the most important and influential novels of the 20th century, and a must-read for anyone interested in literature.

Tres meses of reading this work. Today, after a long journey, my odyssey concludes.

When I started reading, I knew it would be a huge challenge based on all the research and听闻 I had done about it. But as I progressed, I realized that more than a challenge of reading and literary skills, it was a test of time and patience.

At first, I thought about getting a guide and reading it with instructions, but I said to myself, "What fun would that be?" So I picked up the book and let myself be carried away by its pages.

I usually see a book as a train journey (an idea I saw on the YouTuber Theory of Chaos): you sit preferably by a window, the train starts to move, and you can only observe the scenery. There are two books that have changed my way of seeing that: Cortázar's Rayuela (which would be something like going from window to window), and Joyce's Ulysses, which I would compare to jumping from one train to another.

This brick hit me in the face in an incredible way. The edition I read (I didn't find it here on Goodreads) consists of 2 volumes, so its size didn't terrify me. But when I started reading, it was different. There were pages where I felt despair because I didn't understand or because I was bored. For example, chapter 7, which, despite its short paragraphs, was unbearable for me. Or chapter 17, which at the beginning trapped me with its long and technical sentences, but in the middle induced me into a terrible dream.

The chapter I feared the most was chapter 15, an extensive play. But to my surprise, it was relatively easy to read, and I liked it.

My favorite chapters would be: the first 3 (Telemachus, Nestor, Proteus), chapter 12 (Cyclops), chapter 13 (Nausicaa), and chapter 18 (Penelope).

Much has already been said about this work, and I'm not a die-hard connoisseur of Ulysses. I just read it as a young enthusiast and enjoyed it a lot. I always heard that it's a work that requires special preparation, or that not everyone finishes it, or that it's one of the most difficult to read. Some of this is true, but the myth behind the work makes not many people approach it (there's even a very funny review here on Goodreads that says "life is too short to read Ulysses"), and that makes me a little sad. Every reader should have the courage to know this book and delve into its pages.

The last thing I'll say is with a bit of melancholy. The time I dedicated to this colossus, and all the patience I invested, were not in vain. But something that hurts me a little is that this work is not for reading just once. The number of readings it requires is too many, and I'm not sure if I'll have that time and that patience in another opportunity in my life. Now I'm only 17 years old, and I started my reading life just 4 years ago. I would have liked to be a person who devoured books since childhood, but that wasn't the case. I dedicated a fragment of my life to Ulysses, and I don't regret it. But perhaps I won't be able to do it again (at least for a long time). So I hold onto hope and don't say goodbye to this book. Much better, I'll say see you later.

Five stars because it deserves them. And because I also deserve them XD.

I don't truly feel worthy of reviewing this book. It's "Ulysses," one of the greatest modern novels in the English language. It's not just a love letter to the language but also a history of it. It has a rather sick and twisted relationship with its readers, to the extent that it has driven some people to spend a lifetime studying just a few chapters. I'm well aware that I missed a thousand things in every ten pages I read, and if I were to go back and read it again, I'm certain I'd see things in a completely different light.

Nonetheless, I did read it, and I feel the need to mark this down because it was a significant accomplishment for me. And there were many parts of it that were deeply beautiful. James Joyce was capable of writing prose that could bring tears to your eyes. Perhaps the subject matter might seem repulsive or even funny at times, but you'll find yourself both hugging the book to your chest and throwing it across the room. At least, that's how it was for me.

Given the book's enormity, people often become attached to particular chapters. It's easier to connect with just one specific vignette of the day. The chapters can largely stand on their own, with some plot threads serving as background. My personal favorite was "Scylla and Charybdis," which is based on an episode in the "Odyssey" where Odysseus has to make a difficult choice between him and all his crew going down in a black hole in the sea or facing a sea monster that will eat most of his crew but leave Odysseus alive to continue his journey. In this chapter, they are in a library, discussing theories about "Hamlet" and Shakespeare, while one of the main characters (Stephen Daedalus, for those who have read "Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man") struggles inwardly. It's truly beautiful, and in a novel that can be rather obscure, the introduction of Shakespeare was my way of understanding the message.

I have to say, though, for all its complexity, the message is as simple and as Hallmark as you can get. It's all about love, love, love, baby.

Reviewed in August 2012

This review is my attempt to reclaim Ulysses from the Joyce specialists and prove that it can have universal reader appeal. My edition was a simple paperback without notes or glossary but containing a preface which I intend to read after I've written my review. I'll probably look at other reviews too as, frankly, I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms from the world of this novel.

The word 'novel' seems inappropriate to describe Ulysses, yet at the same time, it might have been invented specifically for it. Everything about it is novel, from the structure to the use of language, from the characterisation to the treatment of history.

But by ‘novel’, I don't mean experimental in an obscure or inaccessible way, as its reputation seems to imply. I found Flan O’Brian’s At Swim-Two-Birds quite difficult to follow in a way that Ulysses is definitely not, and I’m finding Samuel Beckett’s Molloy, which I’m currently reading, much more difficult to get involved with. Ulysses was pure pleasure in comparison.

So why has this book developed such a fearsome reputation? Perhaps because we mistakenly think that to enjoy it, we need to have a thorough knowledge of the classics, including Shakespeare and Homer. The fact that I know very little about The Odyssey except that it recounts a long journey home made by Odysseus/Ulysses didn’t take from my enjoyment in the least. I’m not an expert on Hamlet either, but the little I know, and which most people probably know, was sufficient to allow me to follow the sections which refer to it. There are a few Old English phrases near the beginning that I googled but I soon decided to just let myself sink into the world of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus without further interruption.

Being able to read this without disruption is probably part of the reason I enjoyed the experience so much. When I bought my copy some fifteen years ago, I read about a third of it with great pleasure but as I had young children at the time and limited free moments, I had to give up when the reading experience became more challenging. And yes, it does become challenging in some parts, but never for very long, as if Joyce knew exactly how far he could try our patience.

As to deciphering those challenging sections, I think that one reader’s guess is as good as another’s. A big part of the pleasure for me was the puzzle element because I had plenty of time to reflect on what I was reading, time to figure out a meaning that satisfied me and also made sense of the bigger picture. And that’s what my reading without notes proved to me: there is a perfectly logical trajectory behind it all, even behind the more phantasmagorical elements. During the course of one day, Joyce reveals more and more facets of his main character, Leopold Bloom, and of the world he lived in. The characterisation of Bloom is so well done that by the end, he represents everyman, and every woman too, as well as messiahs and prophets, kings and emperors, in short all of humanity, complete with all of its goodness, and yes, some of its failings.

Of course, my interpretation may not be accurate and there may be acres of symbolism that I missed, but since I had such a satisfying read, how can that matter? My satisfaction may have depended to some extent on the fact that I have an Irish background, but to what degree it helped me, I cannot tell. It is true that some of the material was familiar from history lessons and from general culture but at the same time, the Dublin of 1904 was a complete revelation to me. And the themes covered move quickly from the local to the universal so that a lack of knowledge of Irish life and culture shouldn’t be an impossible barrier, just a challenging one.

If you prefer exciting, stimulating, rewarding reading experiences, Ulysses might be the perfect book for you.