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Teresa's Reviews > Ulysses
Ulysses
by
by
This is not a review.
Too many years ago to count, the summer after studying A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Finnegans Wake with a feisty, elderly Irish Jesuit priest at the Catholic university I attended, I attempted Ulysses on my own. I didn't finish it. In fact, I hardly got started. I believe I stalled during episode 7 (Aeolus), which is where, this time, I had to go looking for some help for the first time. I understand now why my professor didn't choose this as one of Joyce's works for us to study, even though we read Finnegans Wake; as very young adults we did not yet have nearly enough experience with literature and language in general.
Several times in the beginning I wondered why I was continuing to read on, since there was so much I didn't 'get,' and then, right at that point, I'd read something that made me continue. For example, during episode 9 (Scylla and Charybdis) the most difficult thing was not the words I was reading, but their context: I didn't know who was talking, who was being talked about and whether they were actually talking or thinking. I let it go and just read, and eventually it made a kind of sense. Near the end of the episode I breathed a sigh of relief that I know Shakespeare and Hamlet. It then became fun. And fun this book is, and funny: several times I laughed out loud, or inwardly groaned at Joyce's childlike delight in punning. As I read, or rather reread passages, a meaning would surface: a giddy, heady experience akin perhaps to what a young child feels upon learning to read.
By chance I'd acquired an edition with no notes and no annotations, so for the most part I just read without stopping. Of course I looked up a few things online, not to mention reading all the great posts by my GR group buddies. If not for them, who knows when or if I'd ever have restarted or even finished this? A schedule (thanks, Kalliope!) makes me a little anxious and that's a good thing. At first I couldn't imagine myself one day rereading this, as quite a few of my online friends do, but as I got deeper and deeper into it, oh, yes.
Too many years ago to count, the summer after studying A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Finnegans Wake with a feisty, elderly Irish Jesuit priest at the Catholic university I attended, I attempted Ulysses on my own. I didn't finish it. In fact, I hardly got started. I believe I stalled during episode 7 (Aeolus), which is where, this time, I had to go looking for some help for the first time. I understand now why my professor didn't choose this as one of Joyce's works for us to study, even though we read Finnegans Wake; as very young adults we did not yet have nearly enough experience with literature and language in general.
Several times in the beginning I wondered why I was continuing to read on, since there was so much I didn't 'get,' and then, right at that point, I'd read something that made me continue. For example, during episode 9 (Scylla and Charybdis) the most difficult thing was not the words I was reading, but their context: I didn't know who was talking, who was being talked about and whether they were actually talking or thinking. I let it go and just read, and eventually it made a kind of sense. Near the end of the episode I breathed a sigh of relief that I know Shakespeare and Hamlet. It then became fun. And fun this book is, and funny: several times I laughed out loud, or inwardly groaned at Joyce's childlike delight in punning. As I read, or rather reread passages, a meaning would surface: a giddy, heady experience akin perhaps to what a young child feels upon learning to read.
By chance I'd acquired an edition with no notes and no annotations, so for the most part I just read without stopping. Of course I looked up a few things online, not to mention reading all the great posts by my GR group buddies. If not for them, who knows when or if I'd ever have restarted or even finished this? A schedule (thanks, Kalliope!) makes me a little anxious and that's a good thing. At first I couldn't imagine myself one day rereading this, as quite a few of my online friends do, but as I got deeper and deeper into it, oh, yes.
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Reading Progress
January 19, 2011
– Shelved
November 3, 2014
–
34.99%
"Flood of warm jimjam lickitup secretness flowed to flow in music out, in desire, dark to lick flow, invading. Tipping her tepping her tapping her
topping her. Tup. Pores to dilate dilating. Tup. The joy the feel the warm the. Tup. To pour o’er sluices pouring gushes. Flood, gush, flow, joygush, tupthrop. Now! Language of love."
page
274
topping her. Tup. Pores to dilate dilating. Tup. The joy the feel the warm the. Tup. To pour o’er sluices pouring gushes. Flood, gush, flow, joygush, tupthrop. Now! Language of love."
November 9, 2014
–
50.32%
"And as no man knows the ubicity of his tumulus nor to what processes we shall thereby be ushered nor whether to Tophet or to Edenville in the like way is all hidden when we would backward see from what region of remoteness the whatness of our whoness hath fetched his whenceness."
page
394
November 17, 2014
–
65.77%
""Bloom: I wanted then to have now concluded. Nightdress was never. Hence this. But tomorrow is a new day will be. Past was is today. What now is will then tomorrow as now was be past yester.""
page
515
November 30, 2014
–
84.04%
""At the same time he inwardly chuckled over his repartee to the blood and ouns champion about his God being a jew. People could put up with being bitten by a wolf but what properly riled them was a bite from a sheep. The most vulnerable point too of tender Achilles, your God was a jew, because mostly they appeared to imagine he came from Carrick-on-Shannon or somewhere about in the county Sligo.""
page
658
December 4, 2014
–
85.31%
""From inexistence to existence he came to many and was as one received: existence with existence he was with any as any with any: from existence to nonexistence gone he would be by all as none perceived.""
page
668
December 7, 2014
–
93.36%
""If he had smiled why would he have smiled?
To reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter whereas he is always the last term of a preceding series even if the first term of a succeeding one, each imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone, whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series originating in and repeated to infinity.�"
page
731
To reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter whereas he is always the last term of a preceding series even if the first term of a succeeding one, each imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone, whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series originating in and repeated to infinity.�"
Started Reading
December 10, 2014
–
Finished Reading
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by
James
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rated it 5 stars
Jan 20, 2011 02:32PM
Oh, I hope you will. You're probably aware I think this the finest novel of the century. Have you read it before? I've penciled it in for a reread this year, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get to it. Anyway, I think it's amazing.
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Yes, I agree, James. Let's reclaim this book from the academics and just enjoy it for fun. I did my re-read from Bloomsday 2009 to Bloomsday 2010. See
James wrote: "Oh, I hope you will. You're probably aware I think this the finest novel of the century. Have you read it before? I've penciled it in for a reread this year, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get..."I started it once, a long time ago. Not sure when I'll get to it, but I want to one day.
I know that you, Lisa and other of my GR friends have read it multiple times and that inspires me!
Oh, I tried reading it twice but failed and you are talking about re-reading. Shame on me. Oh maybe your re-reading will inspire me to really put my heart into this. Maybe...
K.D. wrote: "Oh, I tried reading it twice but failed and you are talking about re-reading."Not me, K.D. I started reading it a long time ago, when I was a young mother and too busy to focus on it. I didn't finish it, though I still have a vivid memory of what I did read. I need to pick it up again one day.
Quite brave to read FW before reading this one..Thank you for joining the Group read and for being so energetic... You added a great deal to the dynamics and enthusiasm...
An impressive review, Teresa. Even you reading progress notes convince me that this one is beyond my reading level. Congratulations!
Great review. This book blew me away as a freshman in college but it was very much in an academic way (history of language and literature and all that). Would like to try it again older and wiser (if far less "smart ") than the first time around. The group read sounds like a great idea!
Great to read all the stages of your history of reading Joyce, Teresa!
Congratulations Teresa! And thanks for your "un-review."
Well done, Teresa. I've never even tried this, though I've always meant to - I'm planning to read Proust in 2015, but maybe will get to Joyce's masterpiece the year after!
Congratulations, Teresa. Good review., and quite rightfully low-kay and honest. there's been so much said about Ulysses we can add little except appreciation for such a wonderful experience.
Teresa, I'm glad that you were able to get through this book - and enjoyed it - this time, and in our company. It was a pleasure reading with you! :-)
I like your "non-review." I have never "finished" this book, although I have given it a try several times. My husband read it and kept telling me to give it another try. But as soon as I ran into a paragraph long sentence, I would quit or just go on to the next paragraph without reading it and never really understood what I was reading until I gave up again. Since I read for enjoyment, and did not "enjoy" this book, I never stayed for long run.
You did state that this was not a review, but I join others in appreciation for your words!
Teresa, I think your review is very helpful and reassuring to any reader who wants to read Ulysses or has read Ulysses and needs some words of comfort. I was always amazed at your ability to get through all the chapters so quickly! You're absolutly right, it was learning how to read again!Great review! I look forward to reading with you again.
(sorry about those book confiscations, but somebody had to stop you!) :)
I have to apologize to everyone for not responding sooner. I was not notified of these comments and am just seeing them now. And I am overwhelmed! Thank you, all.
Kalliope wrote: "Quite brave to read FW before reading this one..Thank you for joining the Group read and for being so energetic... You added a great deal to the dynamics and enthusiasm..."
The only brave thing I did was sign up for the course and then, of course, I had to read FW. It could've been foolhardy, but I lucked out with the professor.
Thank you, Kalliope.
Elaine wrote: "Great review. This book blew me away as a freshman in college but it was very much in an academic way (history of language and literature and all that). Would like to try it again older and wi..."It's kind of hard for me to believe it now, but I was a freshman too when I took the course I referenced above, Elaine. The professor focused on the experience of the language and it was quite fun.
Judy wrote: "Well done, Teresa. I've never even tried this, though I've always meant to - I'm planning to read Proust in 2015, but maybe will get to Joyce's masterpiece the year after!"I'm thinking of reading Proust in 2015 too, Judy. I have Swann's Way already in case I decide to and have already read the first few pages.
ReemK10 (Paper Pills) wrote: "... sorry about those book confiscations, but somebody had to stop you!) :)"All is forgiven, Reem. ;) Seriously ... reading with all of you was a lot of fun. A solitary read would not have been nearly as much fun.
Carol wrote: "An impressive review, Teresa. Even you reading progress notes convince me that this one is beyond my reading level. Congratulations!"Oh, Carol, I meant to say it's not all like my reading-progress notes. There are actually several 'normal' passages as well. ;)
Hi Teresa, I'm just starting down this path too. I thought of you when Joyce's comments on the Catholic Church struck a chord with me. Pleased to read your review as well as Fionnuala's. They give me peace to just read -- I'll get some of it.
Steve wrote: "Pleased to read your review as well as Fionnuala's. They give me peace to just read -- I'll get some of it."Glad to hear it. And, yes, you will.
