James Joyce's Ulysses: A Study

THIRD AND FINAL PART OF THE BIG FAT ULYSSES REVIEW


This is the final part of the review of "Ulysses" by James Joyce. The review was moved here as Goodreads is removing "creative writing" from September. The first part can be found here and the second part here.


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Note: Each chapter is rated out of ten for Difficulty, Obscenity, General Mindblowing Brilliance and Beauty of Language.


13. Nausicaa


Difficulty: 2

Obscenity: 8 (details below)

General mindblowing brilliance: 9

Beauty of language: 7


After a discombobulating jump-cut, we find ourselves reading a horribly sentimental magazine story. The description of the girls on the rocks is lush and ridiculous, and Joyce uses this to skewer some chastening points. Gerty McDowell, the most serious of the girls, believes everything she reads, and her thoughts blend in and out of the description. A man is watching them, and Joyce creates an exquisite entwining of various strands. The chapter ends with an extraordinary episode of exhibitionism that fuses sadness and humour.


14. Oxen of the Sun


Difficulty: 10

Obscenity: 0

General mindblowing brilliance: 10

Beauty of language: 1


This chapter is a series of pastiches of prose styles, and the subject matter is similar to that of the Cyclops chapter. However, it is excruciatingly painful to read. Joyce is playing to a select few, and the rest of us are left feeling excluded. I will give a ten-pound note to anyone who can prove they have read the whole chapter without skipping or sighing.


15. Circe


Difficulty: 9

Obscenity: 7

General mindblowing brilliance: 8

Beauty of language: 5


Bloom, Stephen and the medical students go to the red light area of Dublin, Nighttown. This chapter is a 150-page psycho-skelter through everyone's subconscious mind. It is in the form of a surreal play, and everything speaks and turns into everything else. It can be bewildering and tiresome, but there are also many Joycean bursts of humour.


16. Eumaeus


Difficulty: 9

Obscenity: 0

General mindblowing brilliance: 3

Beauty of language: 0


This chapter has a new narrator who is the worst of the lot. The voice is wind-baggy, bumbling, rambling and incoherent. It is like being stuck next to a garrulous bore on a long flight. The chapter is appropriate for the time of day and the state of the characters, but it makes the book longwinded and tiresome.


17. Ithaca


Difficulty: 8

Obscenity: 3 (some quasi-scientific talk of ejaculating semen and Bloom kissing Molly's bottom)

General mindblowing brilliance: 9

Beauty of language: 6


The previous chapter's voice was exhausted, and this chapter's voice is exhaustive. Bloom is filleted, cross-indexed and investigated in every possible way. The technique is "impersonal catechism", but there are many passages that resist this explanation. There are also some insane riffs that make the slog through the chapter suddenly delightful.


18. Penelope


Difficulty: 7 (completely unpunctuated)

Obscenity: 10 (lots of penis talk and other sexual references)

General mindblowing brilliance: 7

Beauty of language: 7


The final chapter is left to Penelope. It is a 70-page unpunctuated flow of thought, feeling, emotion, observation, sex, memory and argument. Molly is described as garrulous, ignorant and annoying, but also never dull. Joyce's presumption that he can speak for a woman on such intimate levels is a huge feat of ventriloquism. I'm not sure if it works or not, but it's a great way to end the day.


And that's it. This has been a long and detailed review of "Ulysses". I hope it has been helpful to those who are thinking of reading the book or who have already read it and want to discuss it further.

For anyone who is reading Ulysses for the first time, or even the second, third, or twentieth time, this resource is truly indispensable.

It offers a detailed chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the various techniques employed by the author, such as the use of symbolism and Homeric allusions.

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Whether you are a seasoned Joyce scholar or a novice reader, this chapter-by-chapter analysis will enhance your reading experience and help you gain a deeper understanding of this classic work of literature.

I have been attempting to read this particular work for a span of two years.

Finally, I managed to get through the entire text. However, the subtleties and nuances of Joyce's masterpiece still seem to elude my understanding.

It's as if there are hidden layers within the words that I just can't quite grasp.

Maybe it's because Joyce's writing style is so complex and unique.

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Nevertheless, I am determined to keep trying to understand this great work.

I believe that with more time and effort, I will be able to uncover the true essence of Joyce's masterpiece.

Word was that Joyce spoon fed this stuff to Gilbert, but what the heck.

How else can you figure out who Bella Cohen is supposed to be in the Odyssey?

Maybe Joyce had some deep and mysterious intention behind it, or perhaps he was just being playful.

If Joyce was merely pulling our legs, it's all good craic.

After all, literature is full of such enigmatic and curious elements that make us think and wonder.

Who knows, maybe Bella Cohen holds the key to some hidden meaning or theme in the Odyssey that we haven't yet discovered.

Or maybe Joyce just wanted to see how far we would go in trying to make sense of it all.

Either way, it's an interesting and entertaining aspect of Joyce's work that keeps us coming back for more.

This remarkable guide should be sold bound to every copy of Ulysses.

Admittedly, it is a bit outdated. One only needs to peep the publication date to see that.

However, this is a guide through literature's most daunting day that is authorized directly from the man himself.

It is of such crucial importance.

It provides invaluable insights and explanations that can help readers navigate the complex and often bewildering text of Ulysses.

With this guide by their side, readers can better understand the themes, characters, and literary devices employed by Joyce.

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Despite its age, this guide remains an essential companion for anyone interested in delving into the depths of this literary masterpiece.

A helpful but early criticism can often possess more insight than one might initially assume.

At first glance, it may seem premature or perhaps even insignificant. However, upon closer examination, it can reveal valuable perspectives and areas for improvement that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Early criticism has the potential to guide and shape the development of an idea, project, or individual. It can provide a fresh set of eyes and offer alternative viewpoints that can enhance the overall quality and success.

While it may be tempting to dismiss early criticism as too soon or not fully informed, it is important to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn. By doing so, we can gain valuable insights and make more informed decisions that will ultimately lead to better outcomes.

In conclusion, early criticism, although often overlooked or underestimated, can be a powerful tool for growth and improvement. We should not be too quick to brush it aside but rather embrace it as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and make positive changes.

Gilbert was a friend of Joyce's, which gave him the unique opportunity to sit down with Joyce and obtain a first-hand account of Ulysses. This alone gives this book a certain weight that other writers may not possess. However, I found much of Gilbert's text almost as difficult to follow as Ulysses itself.

Gilbert's book was one of the four sources I used while reading Ulysses. I only referred to the others when I truly couldn't understand Gilbert. It sometimes seemed as if he adopted the persona of the Ulysses chapter he was writing about. There are likely many books that examine Ulysses. For me, this was the best one I had. Before delving into it, though, I would recommend exploring other options. It was originally published in 1930, and the level of academia he expects from the reader, both for his book and Ulysses, is clearly quite high. I'm sure there must be more contemporary guides to Ulysses written for the novice reader. One of the sources I used, and I admit this without shame, was CliffsNotes. It is extremely easy to understand, but it doesn't capture the important nuances of Ulysses' genius. Therefore, I would only recommend it in addition to a book that delves deeper into Ulysses.

A major point that bothered me throughout the book, especially in Gilbert's study of the final, Penelope, chapter, is how chauvinistic he comes across. I don't mean that Joyce was being chauvinistic (that's a different discussion), but Gilbert himself. I'll quote directly: 'The long unspoken monologue of Mrs. Bloom which closes the book', Arnold Bennett wrote (in The Outlook) '...might in its utterly convincing realism be an actual document, the magical record of inmost thought by a woman that existed. Talk about understanding 'feminine psychology'!...I have never read anything to surpass it, and I doubt if I have ever read anything equal to it.' This is not a review of the book at all, but an opinion.

This kind of condescending paternal surety is a bit hard to swallow in the 21st century. Gilbert quotes Bennett only because he agrees with him. One can almost picture them sitting by the roaring fire at the men's hunting club, with fat cigars in their mouths, pontificating about the 'weaker sex'. This unconscious sense of agreed-upon entitlement runs throughout Gilbert's analysis. Beware. As I said, this book served its purpose, but I would look around for a more balanced, less biased study of Ulysses.

A Total Useful Guide to Reading Ulysses. Priceless.

Ulysses is a complex and challenging literary work. This guide aims to provide you with a comprehensive and practical approach to reading it. It offers valuable insights into the structure, themes, and characters of the novel. By following this guide, you will be able to better understand the significance and beauty of Ulysses.

The guide begins by introducing the background and context of the novel, including the historical and cultural events that influenced Joyce's writing. It then explores the different sections of the book, highlighting the key plot points and literary devices used by the author. In addition, the guide provides detailed analysis of the main characters, their motivations, and their relationships.

Whether you are a seasoned Joyce scholar or a first-time reader, this guide is an essential resource. It will help you to unlock the mysteries of Ulysses and gain a deeper appreciation for one of the greatest works of modern literature.