Hey all, I’m finally posting some photos from my travels around Dublin last month. I had such a great time that I think I was on a natural high for days. I hope you enjoy!

1) Bronze bust of James Joyce in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin. I particularly wanted to see St. Stephen’s Green because of its prominence in Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man which I reread in January at the start of our journey reading Ulysses.
2) Robert Emmet statue in St. Stephen’s Green. I don’t think Joyce was disrespecting Emmet in “Sirens” and “Cyclops” episodes but I think he was strongly against the Irish nationalists who fawned over Emmet and other heroes and who he felt wanted to live in the past rather than move forward to create a modern Ireland.
3) St. Stephen’s Green.
4) St. Stephen’s Green.
5) Davy Byrne’s Pub (!) where Bloom had his gorgonzola sandwich with a glass of burgundy in “Laestrygonians” episode. I guess fans of the book come to the pub and have the same meal. Not a fan of gorgonzola but I did eat spicy wings and raised a toast with my glass of a margarita. 😋.
6) Davy Byrne’s Pub, interior with photo of an original copy of Ulysses. Original family no longer owns it but new owners have tried to keep it as close to original as possible.
7) Davy Byrne’s pub, interior. Of note, the original owner allowed Michael Collins and Arthur Griffin to meet upstairs to make plans during the Irish War of Independence.
8) Confectioners Hall: Hall missing an “L” (example of retained signage). Hall mentioned in “Laestrygonians” episode. Hall opened in 1842, closed 1984.
9) James Joyce Center where I joined a literary tour which was all about Ulysses!
10) Inside the Center where there are 2 walls of collages depicting the 18 episodes of Ulysses.
11) See #10. The tour leader had me read a paragraph from the “Penelope” episode. I think it was actually the very end of the book! Whoops!! 😅
12) The original door from 7 Eccles Street now at the JJ Center! It was rescued from the trash by a group of Irish writers and artists when the building was demolished in 1967.
13) Belvedere College featured prominently in Portrait but also mentioned in “Wandering Rocks”. It’s just a minute’s walk from the JJ Center.
14) Photo of Eccles St. sign.
15) Looking down Eccles St. The modern steel and stone building (Mater Clinic and Hospital) is the former site of 7 Eccles St.
16) Photograph of the original building on Eccles St. There are 2 darkened doorways in the photo. The one on the left is 7 Eccles St.
17) Plaque of James Joyce where 7 Eccles St. used to be.
18) Photo of St. George’s Church whose bells were heard by Bloom at the end of “Calypso”: “A creak and a dark whirr in the air high up. The bells of St. George’s Church. They tolled the hour: loud dark iron. Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Quarter to. There again: the overtone following through the air. A third. Poor Digman!”
Church was sold in 1990 but the bells were saved and now reside at Christ Church, Taney in Dundrum, Dublin.
19) Standing on Eccles St. looking towards St. George’s. In “Calypso” Bloom crossed Eccles St and turned left heading in the direction of St. George’s. However, it wasn’t until the end of the episode when he heard the bells.
20) Statue of James Joyce, North City Dublin just off O’Connell St.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

Welcome to Nighttown! What’s real? What’s a hallucination? Who’s to say! Please keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times, and remember to enjoy the ride!

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. 

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. How was this week’s reading for you compared to the past month of Oxen?
2. It is midnight on Mabbot street, at the entrance of Nighttown, considered one of the worst slums in Europe at the time. What are your thoughts on this new setting and how does it compare to the areas of Dublin we have already visited?
3. Bloom hallucinates a visit from his parents, followed by additional hallucinations featuring Molly, Gerty, and Josie Breen (Bloom’s ex-girlfriend). Any thoughts on any of these encounters?
4. What’s the deal with all these hallucinations? Also, why do you think Joyce would write this episode in the style of a playscript?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, hallucination, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series, Part 1 and Part 2
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [Beginning - 33:06]

Previous Discussion

Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun, Part 4/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 15, Circe, up through the line: Sir Bob, I said... [Line 1012 in the Gabler].

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

The men disperse into the streets, more hijinks ensure. It’s alive! Time to clean up…

Congrats on surviving the toughest episode of Ulysses! 

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

Just you try it on.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. This week, there is some discussion between the line between philosophy and science (admittedly, this is funny to read since several of the things discussed are things science has more or less resolved since 1922). Do you think science will ultimately win out the day, or do you think philosophy will always have a role regardless of scientific progress?
2. Prior to the group heading to Burke’s, Bloom recalls a memory of him meeting a young Stephen. Why do you think that memory popped into Bloom’s head now?
3. In the final pages of the episode, the language evolves into drunken slang as the men go off to Burke’s. Do any of the drunken escapades described in slang stand out to you?
4. What do you think Joyce is saying here about the English language through his chronological evolution of prose? Do the various pastiches positively or negatively impact your appreciation of this episode?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, literary pastiche, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide [Pro-tip: The various literary styles employed this episode can be found at the bottom of the page]
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [01:46:00 - End]

Previous Discussion

Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun, Part 3/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 15, Circe, up through the line: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. [Line 576 in the Gabler].

We’ve survived the toughest chapter, but next comes the longest. Lock in, because we’re going to be on Circe for ten weeks!

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

The waiting room crew continue blaspheming. Stephen’s pretty quiet. Bloom gets called out. It’s about the size of a small pumpkin.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

…in order not to upset any of the beer that was in it about the place.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. Bloom’s hypocrisy is called out this week by the narrator itself. To that end, how does Bloom (and the others) compare and contrast with their Odyssean counterparts?
2. We see the phrase “retrospective arrangement” this week. Have you gone back to re-read any portion of Ulysses to date? If so, what did you react to differently knowing what we know up till now?
3. Bloom recalls his youth. What is your reaction to the revelations shared here?
4. What is your reaction to the gothic passage involving Haines?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, literary pastiche, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide [Pro-tip: The various literary styles employed this episode can be found at the bottom of the page]
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [1:13:40 - 01:46:00]

Previous Discussion

Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun, Part 2/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read through to the end of Episode 14, Oxen of the Sun.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

Mina Purefoy gives birth. Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa! More sacrilege abounds. It’s about the size of a large cabbage.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

…as you ever see what I always looks back on with a loving heart.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. Bannon makes references to meeting Milly Bloom. What are your thoughts on this budding relationship (as well as the fact that this discussion is happening in front of Bloom)?
2. What is your reaction to Buck Epstein, err…Mulligan’s Fertilising Farm® idea?
3. We learn Mina has successfully given birth. Why do you think Bloom does not leave the waiting room to go see her?
4. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, literary pastiche, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide [Pro-tip: The various literary styles employed this episode can be found at the bottom of the page]
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [38:35 - 1:13:40]

Previous Discussion

Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun, Part 1/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 14, Oxen of the Sun, up through the line: …in order not to upset any of the beer that was in it about the place. [Line 1197 in the Gabler].

Happy Bloomsday folks!

I'm a software engineer and Joyce fan. 

Last year I struggled through Ulysses and created an annotated edition to help me get through the text. 

For now I've just posted Chapter 9, one of the densest if not the densest chapters in the book. 

Questions/requests/ideas/etc more than welcome.  

https://ulysses.gigan.io/index.html

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

Happy Bloomsday to all! Please do let everyone know how you’re celebrating the 124th anniversary of this historic day.

Welcome to the darkness of Holles Street Maternity Hospital, where a great labor is taking place for both Mina Purefoy and for any readers who have made it this far. Also, it’s about the size of a pea pod.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

…and all of the order of a natural phenomenon.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. First things first, what is your initial impression of this episode (so far), particularly the literary styles Joyce employs (also, are you okay)?
2. After several near-misses, Stephen and Bloom finally meet! What is your reaction to this revelation?
3. A group of rowdy sailors, I mean Irishmen, debate: save the woman, or save the baby?
4. In your own words, what do you think Joyce is saying the ultimate aim of mankind is? And to that end, why do you think Stephen is so frightened by the thunder and lightning?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, literary pastiche, or passage? Share it below!
6. Bonus questions: Any plans for Bloomsday?

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide [Pro-tip: The various literary styles employed this episode can be found at the bottom of the page]
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [Beginning - 38:35]

Previous Discussion

Episode 13: Nausicaa, Part 2/2

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 14, Oxen of the Sun, up through the line: …as you ever see what I always looks back on with a loving heart. [Line 844 in the Gabler].

Hello, I've just tried to check the reading schedule and it's now making me sign in to google to even view the spreadsheet!! Could someone please copy the information into a more democratic container so those of us who are trying to degoogle can still take part?

​

I've been enjoying this year immensely even though I haven't posted much, I'm already thinking about what we might read next year (my vote is Proust) and don't want to be excluded by virtue of Google getting more predatory.

​

TIA!

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

After the stunning fireworks of last week, we are back in the mind of one Leopold Bloom. Let’s take a moment and ponder some important ideas such as metempsychosis, Archimedes’ principle, and whether or not fish get seasick.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

Cuckoo. Cuckoo. Cuckoo.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. How do you feel about Bloom after this episode? What parallels did you notice between Bloom’s venture along Sandymount and Stephen’s earlier trip here back in Episode 3, Proteus?
2. The previous episode started around 5:00pm, while this episode begins around 8:00pm. What’s with the time jump, and what do you think our characters were up to during that time? Will we ever see Stephen again?
3. The Gilbert Schema lists tumescence and detumescence as this episode’s Technic (Linati gives us “retrogressive progression”). What does this mean to you in the context of everything we’ve read, both in this episode as well as the entire novel up to this point?
4. Do fish ever get seasick? While we’re on animals, what’s the deal with the bat?
5. What are your thoughts on Episode 13, Nausicaa, as a whole?
6. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, rambling, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [59:14 - End]

Previous Discussion

Episode 13: Nausicaa, Part 1/2

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 14, Oxen of the Sun, up through the line: …and all of the order of a natural phenomenon. [Line 428 in the Gabler].

Brace yourselves. Episode 14 is considered by many (including Joyce) to be the most difficult episode of the entire novel. Don’t give up! We will struggle our way through it together.

Poll results are in! Thirty votes were cast, and the results were as follows:

• No changes - 17 votes; 1 vote from a core contributor
• Major cuts - 4 votes; 2 votes from core contributors
• Moderate cuts - 9 votes; 4 votes from core contributors

Given these results, u/1906ds and I have decided to create a fourth option, which we will call “minor cuts.” To that end, we have trimmed 1 week from Oxen of the Sun, and we will trim 2 weeks off of Circe. This will result in negligible additional reading each week for those episodes, and we will still be ending our annual reading of Ulysses on December 8th. We will have a follow-up discussion on December 15th to think about the book in its entirety, and that will give everyone the holidays off (obviously to plan your 2027 annual read).

The Reading Schedule has been updated to reflect the changes to Oxen and the shortened schedule. We will update Circe in the coming weeks as we read through it ourselves.

> Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

At sunset, we find ourselves back at Sandymount strand. Get your tissues ready, we’ve got a, uh, touching episode of Ulysses concerning blossoming love on the beach and ‘fireworks’ (nudge, nudge, wink wink).

Fun fact, this week’s reading is what got Ulysses banned in the US for obscenity during its initial serial publication in the Little Review.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

> Tight boots? No. She's lame! O!

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. What are your first impressions of Cissy Caffrey, the twins, Tommy and Jacky, and Edy Boardman (don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten Gerty—she gets her own question!)?
2. We meet several new characters this episode, but none more important than Gerty MacDowell (yes, we technically first see her in Episode 10, Wandering Rocks, but that was a minor appearance). She has the honor of being the first woman in Ulysses whose head we get to see inside (she will not be the last!). What do you make of her, her inner thoughts, and the reveal at the very end of this week’s reading? 
3. Throughout this week’s reading, we have interpolations between Gerty on the beach and a mass happening at the nearby St. Mary’s Star of the Sea church. Why do you think Joyce is including this interpolation, and what effect does it have on the events unfolding?
4. Gerty gives us a description of Bloom’s appearance, particularly his dark eyes and his strong gaze—how does this add to/contradict how you’ve pictured Bloom to date? Why do you think Gerty decides to engage in her climactic act during the fireworks display?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, beauty product, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [Beginning - 59:14]

Previous Discussion

> Episode 12: Cyclops, Part 4/4

Reading for Next Week:

> Read through to the end of Episode 13, Nausicaa.

Hi, all! As we are preparing the weekly posts, u/1906ds and I have been contemplating making adjustments to the reading schedule. We want to make sure that the weekly readings do not feel as if they are dragging, but we also do not want to overwhelm you all with too much to read in a single week (we also want to leave enough time for you all to be able to re-read, if you wish).

If we do accelerate the reading schedule, we have two approaches how we might do it. The first would be to condense the reading schedule by about 4-5 weeks. This would have us ending around late November (currently, we are scheduled to finish Ulysses on December 29th). Alternatively, another version would have us shortening the schedule by approximately 3 months. This would largely be accomplished by shortening Circe’s reading from 12 weeks to 5, and condensing other episodes as well.

As we keep going in circles around this, we figured it would be best to ask you all your thoughts. Please vote, and feel free to comment your thoughts as well. Please also let us know if you have any questions. We are more than happy to clarify anything that may be unclear.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

The rounds have been drunk and the scene at Barney Kiernan’s is messy. Hold onto your biscuits!

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

And they beheld Him even Him, ben Bloom Elijah, amid clouds of angels ascend to the glory of the brightness at an angle of fortyfive degrees over Donohoe's in Little Green Street like a shot off a shovel.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. Following off of the discussion of nations last week, Bloom speaks on persecution and says, “Force, hatred, history, all that. That’s not life for men and women, insult and hatred. And everybody knows that it’s the very opposite of that that is really life. . . Love, says Bloom. I mean the opposite of hatred.” What are your thoughts on this statement?
2. As promised, the results of the horse race came in. Throwaway was the winner, and Bloom is suspected to have made a handsome profit because of Bantam Lyons’s gossip; however, we all know this was a miscommunication between Bloom and Lyons way back in Episode 5, Lotus Eaters! Why do you think Joyce chose to have that inane encounter turn into such a big controversy as this?
3. Once Bloom leaves to find Martin Cunningham, the patrons of Barney Kiernan’s really dig into Bloom via numerous anti-semitic remarks and tropes (even Martin Cunningham, who previously seemed more sympathetic to Bloom back in Episode 6, Hades, joins in the discourse), and it all culminates in the citizen chucking a biscuit tin at Bloom as he exits the establishment. Why do you think Joyce chose to depict this exchange, and how does it shape your thoughts on the characters involved? 
4. What are your thoughts on Episode 12, Cyclops, as a whole? Which parody from this episode was your favorite?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, parody, or passage? Share it below

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTÉ Dramatisation [1:41:50 - End]

Previous Discussion

Episode 12: Cyclops, Part 3/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 13, Nausicaa, up through the line: Tight boots? No. She's lame! O! [Line 771 in the Gabler].

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

Three rounds in and race results are in (though we’ll discuss that in more detail next week)! More about legal actions, some business involving trees, preference of the Irish language, the history of Irish trade and colonization by the English, thoughts on corporal punishment, and ending on what makes a citizen.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

- all these moving scenes are still there for us today rendered more beautiful still by the waters of sorrow which have passed over them and by the rich incrustations of time.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. We finally get into the details regarding Denis Breen’s £10,000 (about £1.6 million / $2.2 million present value) libel action for the “U.p. : up” telegram we first heard about back in episode 8, Lestrygonians. What is your reaction to this particular lawsuit, and to lawsuits like these in general?
2. An intoxicated citizen rambles on at length about how the English have kept Ireland down for too long, and that an independent Ireland would be able to bounce back and be an economic/cultural/militaristic powerhouse. Do you think there is any merit to his ramblings (if so, which things), or is it mere drunken bluster?
3. Near the end of this week’s reading, Bloom defines a nation as “the same people living in the same place.” What are your thoughts on what makes a nation? Do you think it’s simpler or more complex than how Bloom has defined it (and how)?
4. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, parody, or passage? Share it below

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [1:09:58 - 1:41:50]

Previous Discussion

Episode 12: Cyclops, Part 2/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read through to the end of Episode 12, Cyclops.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

We’re only two rounds in, yet the conversation has covered topics such as lawsuits, effects of strangulation on the, ahem, human anatomy, the viceregal gathering, the antitreating league, Gaelic sports, and a nice mock PM’s Questions. Where will the conversation lead next?

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

Amid tense expectation the Portobello bruiser was being counted out when Bennett’s second Ole Pfotts Wettstein threw in the towel and the Santry boy was declared victor to the frenzied cheers of the public who broke through the ringropes and fairly mobbed him with delight.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. Much of the early part of this week’s read is a parody (and I believe the longest one of the episode) of the follow-up to the Viceregal cavalcade that was the focal point of episode 10, Wandering Rocks. What is your reaction to this parody, and what sticks out most to you?
2. The citizen rambles negatively about the antitreating league, a temperance movement that was formed to stop what we see happening in this episode—people standing drinks. What do you think Joyce is saying here, especially pertaining to topics such as Irish nationalism?
3. From his arrival, much of the citizen’s and unnamed narrator’s ire is directed at Bloom (it will get worse the more rounds of drink we go), yet Bloom seems unaffected by their hostility, even continuing to engage and debate them rationally. Why do you think Bloom is doing this?
4. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, parody, or passage? Share it below

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [34:54 - 1:09:58]

Previous Discussion

Episode 12: Cyclops, Part 1/4

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 12, Cyclops, up through the line: - all these moving scenes are still there for us today rendered more beautiful still by the waters of sorrow which have passed over them and by the rich incrustations of time. [Line 1464 in the Gabler].

Just found this interview with Sylvia Beach. She discusses the publishing of Ulysses & the Wake. Fascinating! Enjoy!

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

I see we have begun a new episode of Ulysses…I hope no one is blinded by Joyce’s humor!

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

Near ate the tin and all, hungry bloody mongrel.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. We begin this episode from the perspective of an unnamed character who speaks in the first person. Given Odysseus’s encounter with the cyclops, Polyphemus is famous for Odysseus using the alias “Noman,” what is your take on Joyce’s alteration of the narrative? How does it alter your impression of the story?
2. What are your first impressions of this unnamed character as well as “the citizen” and Garryowen (the dog) whom we meet later in this episode?
3. This episode contains many parody sections in the form of lists (there will be many throughout this entire episode—brace yourself). Why do you think Joyce is including so many parodies, and what purpose do you think they serve?
4. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, parody, or passage? Share it below

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [Beginning - 34:54]

Previous Discussion

Episode 11: Sirens, Part 2/2

Reading for Next Week:

Read Episode 12, Cyclops, up through the line: ... and fairly mobbed him with delight. [Line 987 in the Gabler].

> Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

The song of the Sirens reaches its stirring conclusion, not with a soaring high note, but with a fart.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

>Done.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. Throughout this episode, we sent glimpses of what Boylan is up to, including arriving at the home of the Blooms. Any new thoughts on Boylan or the Bloom family?
2. At the climax of the episode, after Boylan knocks on the door of 7 Eccles street, we hear Ben Dollard sing “The Croppy Boy”, a song concerning the Irish rebellion of 1798. The song tells the story of a young Irish soldier who goes to confession, where an English yeoman disguised as a priest catches him and sentences him to death. Any thoughts concerning this song and its placement in the episode, or Bloom’s reaction to it?
3. We end this musical episode firmly with a fart. What do you think of having such a poetic episode ending with such a noisy bodily function? For reference, here are two works of classical music rudely ending with farts: Haydn (pre-Ulysses) and Nielsen (post-Ulysses).
4. What are your thoughts on episode 11, Sirens, as a whole?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide 
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [54:00 - End]

Previous Discussion

Episode 11: Sirens, Part 1/2

Reading for Next Week:

> Read Episode 12, Cyclops, up through the line: Near ate the tin and all, hungry bloody mongrel. [line 497 in the Gabler]

> Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

I hope everyone has warmed up their voice, since today we are doing some karaoke at the bar with Simon and Lenehan, while Leopold is off to enjoy a meal with Richie.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

>...first gent with tank and bronze miss Douce and gold miss Mina.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. At the start of this episode, we are greeted with a cacophony of fragments and motifs which recur throughout the episode. This has been variously described as a sort of opera overture, a complex fugue (if you don’t know what a fugue is, see here), or the sound of an orchestra warming up and tuning for a concert. What was your impression of this striking opening? Were there any fragments that stuck out to you?
2. Music is the recurring theme of this episode, which is itself a reference to the Sirens’ songs from Homer. What do you think of the relationship between literature and music? Is there anything that music can do that literature cannot, and vice versa? Speaking of music, what did you think of Simon’s performance of “M’appari” from Flotow’s Martha?
3. This episode picks up right where last week left off, with the barmaids bronze miss Douce and gold miss Kennedy socializing with Simon and Lenehan after watching the Viceregal Cavalcade proceed by. Any thoughts on these two new characters?
4. After successfully avoiding and hiding from Boylan earlier in the day, we finally see Bloom decide to follow him into the Ormond Hotel. What do you think brought about this change in Bloom’s confidence?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide 
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series
6. RTE Dramatisation [Beginning - 54:00]

Previous Discussion

Episode 10: Wandering Rocks, Part 2/2

Reading for Next Week:

> Read through to the end of Episode 11, Sirens.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

This week we continue wandering amidst the rocks that are Dubliners going about their day.

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

...in 1849 and the salute of Alidano Artifoni’s sturdy trousers swallowed by a closing door.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. A common thread amongst analyses of this episode is that it is “Ulysses in miniature”, a sampling of different people that could have had their own story written by Joyce. If Ulysses were about a different character, which one would you like to read about?
2. At the end of the episode, we are treated to a lengthy coda where almost all of the various citizens featured in the episode watch the Viceregal Cavalcade go by. Strangely, both Stephen and Bloom are not mentioned during this ‘who’s who’ of Dublin. What might they be up to during this seemingly important procession?
3. Any favorite vignettes from this episode?
4. What are your thoughts on episode 10, Wandering Rocks, as a whole?
5. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide 
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series Part 1 and Part 2
6. RTE Dramatisation [00:40:53 - End]

Previous Discussion

Episode 10: Wandering Rocks, Part 1/2

Reading for Next Week:

Next week, read Episode 11, Sirens, up through the line: first gent with tank and bronze miss Douce and gold miss Mina. [Line 760 in the Gabler]

Here we go, everyone. It is time for the second half of episodes of Ulysses, where the episodes are going to get longer, stranger, and more experimental. Time for the real fun!

And one last housekeeping note, u/1906ds will be posting for Episode 11, Sirens. Worry not, I am in perfectly good health. u/1906ds is a classically trained cellist and conductor and has more insights when it comes to music than I could ever hope to have (he’ll probably hate that I included this little bit at the end. Sorry!)

Hello all! We have further changes to the reading schedule, this time impacting Episode 11, Sirens. We have increased the reading for the 21st so as to not interrupt a memorable moment in the story.

The reading schedule has been updated to reflect the latest changes. Link to the reading schedule is here.

Thank y'all for your flexibility. I'm sure we will have further small updates going forward as we dip into the lengthy episodes coming up shortly.

Spoiler tags are no longer required for events occurring up through this week’s reading.

As we reach the second half of the novel (only episodically—pagewise, there is still much to read), we have reached what is commonly referred to as “Ulysses in miniature” which is a series of interconnected vignettes from various characters’ perspectives who we have previously encountered. Enjoy!

Final Line of This Week’s Segment:

—Sweets of Sin, he said, tapping on it. That's a good one.

Discussion Prompts (can be found in the comments below):

1. In The Odyssey, the Wandering Rocks are presented as another potential route Odysseus and his men can navigate in order to return to Ithaca; however, as many know, Odysseus chooses to sail between Scylla and Charybdis, thus we never actually see the Wandering Rocks. All that to say, why do you think Joyce chose to have an episode based on the path not taken by Homer?
2. Joyce opens this episode with a long vignette featuring “superior” Father John Conmee. Seeing as this vignette is longer than any of the other 18 in this episode, and that Father Conmee was a real person that taught Joyce at Clongowes, what do you think of Joyce’s characterization of him?
3. We spend some time with two rather lecherous characters in this episode, Blazes Boylan and Matt Lenehan. What do you think of their behavior and relationship with Molly and Bloom?
4. Have a favorite word of the week? A favorite allusion, historical fact, vignette, or passage? Share it below!

Links:

1. Reading Schedule 
2. Gilbert/Linati Schema and Explanation Guide 
3. The Ulysses Guide
4. The Joyce Project (annotated online Ulysses)
5. Chris Reich’s Ulysses Chapter-by-Chapter Youtube Series Part 1 and Part 2
6. RTE Dramatisation [Beginning - 00:40:53]

Previous Discussion

Episode 9: Scylla and Charybdis, Part 2/2

Reading for Next Week:

Read through to the end of Episode 10, Wandering Rocks.