Friday, June 16, 2006
Happy Bloomsday!

Today is Bloomsday. Today is what?!? It's Bloomsday, silly! On this day, June 16th, in 1904, the book Ulysses by James Joyce takes place. That's right, the entire book spans the course of one, long day in Dublin, Ireland.

Now, before you pick up this book, let me warn you: it will frustrate you. It's not an easy read. Not by a long shot. It's not even a quirky challenge. When I first tried to read Ulysses, I got about 100 pages in before I gave up and threw it across the room, screaming and tearing out my hair. Ever since then, I have tried time and time again and every time I pick it up, I get just a little bit further, a little bit further. And yet, this mammoth novel never seems to end. It just keeps on going and I keep on chucking it. And every time I pick it up again, I start at the very beginning and slowly work my way through. The last time, a chunk of pages came out and I actually had to glue them back together. That was kind of amusing.

You would think that, from my words, I am chastising Joyce and giving Ulysses a scathing review. Quite the contrary. Although I have never actually finished reading Ulysses, it is one of my favorite reads. Now how in the heck is that possible? Well... I figure it has to be one of my favorites because I keep coming back to it no matter how insane it makes me. I love trying to figure out what exactly is going on and just when I think I've got it, I realize that, oops, I don't. So I go back and I try it again. And if I can't get it, I make something up and it's kind of like I'm writing my own story along with Joyce. And mine and his are interwoven and they become a third. And that's better than fine with me. That's awesome.

Click below to read the opening lines from Ulysses. Don't worry if you can't understand it. Try to figure out what is going on, and, if you can't, try to make something up that is somewhat close to what is going on. The more you read it, over and over again, and the more you fill in your own version of the story with details, the more you will come to realize that your vision and Joyce's really aren't that different.

It's good stuff, right? Happy Bloomsday!

Click here to read the opening lines from James Joyce's Ulysses.


# (3)#
Bryon    Posted by
Bryon
on 6/16/2006
2:57 AM
6/16/2006 1:05:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
It's called Bloomsday because one of the characters is named bloom ... right?

Or did he mean to call it brooms day, after the one day a year he swept, and he just made a spelling mistake?
Jives
6/26/2006 10:11:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
Yes indeedy roo! The main character of Ulysses is Leopold Bloom.

Another interesting fact - Joyce picked the date of June 16, 1904 for his novel because that was the day he went on his first date with Nora Barnacle, the love of his life.

Awwwwwwwwwwww!
Bryon
6/26/2006 10:45:03 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
Bloom as in Leo! The protagonist is actually named Leopold Bloom. What did Joyce mean to do? That’s a different story… I think he’s kind of the literary equivalent to Picasso. Meaning becomes kind of irrelevant.

I tried to read this book several times after college, and like Bry, I found it difficult to get through. I managed to finish it on my third try, and I am the only person I know under 50 who has read it... or I should say finished reading the book… Did I understand what I was reading? Not quite sure really. That may be part of the fun. Now Finnegan's Wake, THAT book is a serious challenge, it makes Ulysses seem like Green Eggs & Ham!
owen
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