If you can, try to read one episode in one sitting each day. There are eighteen episodes in Ulysses, some longer and more challenging than others, but reading one episode every two days should be no problem. That’s a long, long book–but you can read it in just a few weeks. The Gabler edition of Ulysses is nearly 700 pages long. Several guides, including Harry Blamire’s The New Bloomsday Book align their annotation to the Gabler edition’s pagination.ģ. The Gabler edition will keep things neat and tidy and it features wide margins for all those clever game-changing annotations you’ll be taking. Quit reading this post and start reading Ulysses.Ģ. I’ve already advised you, gentle reader, not to follow any guides, so please, ignore the rest of my advice. The real key, at least in my opinion, to reading (and enjoying) Ulysses is getting into Bloom’s head, matching his rhythm and pacing. You can always go back to chapter three later, of course. If frustration sets in, I suggest skipping the chapter and getting into the rich, earthy consciousness of the book’s hero, Leopold Bloom in chapter four, “Calypso.” It’s great stuff.

(Of course, you might be a genius and totally get what Stephen is thinking about as he wanders the beach. Pretty soon though, you’ll get to the third chapter, known as “Proteus.” It’s admittedly hard to follow. Don’t worry about getting all the allusions or unpacking all the motifs. You don’t need them in fact, they could easily weigh down what should be a fun reading experience. Ignore all guides, lists, maps, annotations, summaries, and lectures. Here are a few thoughts on how to read Ulysses, enumerated–because people like lists:ġ. And, most importantly, anyone can read it.

It generously overflows with insight into the human experience, and it’s very, very funny.

Ulysses deserves its reputation as one the best books in the English language. Their very existence seems predicated on an intense need, and although some of the guides out there can be helpful, others can get in the way. Ironically, rather than inviting first-time readers to the text, the sheer volume of these guides to Ulysses can paradoxically repel. Even with the festivities, the book’s reputation for density, erudition, and inscrutability still daunts many readers–leading to a glut of guidebooks, summaries, and annotations. Bloomsday, an annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses, is upon us today with more excitement than ever.

Ireland by frank delaney summary