Ulysses: Final Post

Finally finished! It was a tough ride. There were sections I loved and others I really struggled with. Joyce is undeniably talented, the chapter where he walks the reader through the entire history of the English language proves that. But his style isn’t my favorite and I frequently felt lost in his ramblings. I’m glad I read it and I’m also glad it’s done! Once again, please check out Adam's awesome episode break down here. 

The supplemental material in my book explains some of the background on the censorship of the book and includes a letter from Joyce to his Random House publisher. It also includes the monumental 1933 decision to stop people from banning the book in America. The ruling changed the way censorship was approached in our country.

I absolutely loved some of the comments from Judge M. Woolsey, the man who made the decision. To me, his summary of the book captures so many of my feelings perfectly.

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“Ulysses is not an easy book to read or to understand. But there has been much written about it, and in order properly to approach the consideration of it it is advisable to read a number of other books which have now become it’s satellites. The study of Ulysses is, therefore, a heavy task. The reputation of Ulysses in the literary world, however, warranted my taking such time as was necessary to enable me to satisfy myself as to the intent with which the book was written.

It is brilliant and dull, intelligible and obscure by turns. In many places it seems to me to be disgusting, but although it contains, as I have mentioned above, many words usually considered dirty, I have not found anything that I consider to be dirt for dirt’s sake.

Joyce has attempted — it seems to me, with astonishing success — to show how the screen of consciousness with its ever-shifting kaleidoscopic impressions carries, as it were on a plastic palimpsest, not only what is in the focus of each man’s observation of the actual things about him, but also in a penumbral zone residua of past impressions, some recent and some drawn up by association from the domain of the subconscious. He shows how each of these impressions affects the life and behavior of the character which he is describing.”

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The very final episode of the book is a crazy onslaught of thoughts from Bloom’s wife Molly’s point of view. She flits from thing to the next with no real pattern. She is just thinking, so her thoughts are unfiltered. It’s oddly refreshing even if it’s hard to follow. How many of us have had the same thing happen as we randomly think about our day? I could immediately relate.

Joyce’s honesty his characters really struck me in the final few chapters. He writes about Bloom’s flaws and fetishes in detail, something that just wasn’t done before. Yet by the close of the book you feel a bit hopeful about his marriage. There was something powerful about that. No matter how gross or strange Bloom was, he might have found his equal in his wife Molly.

BOTTOM LINE: Reading Ulysses was an experience. I struggled with it. I was blown away by the lovely language at times and at others I was completely weirded out. I can’t really compare it to anything else and that alone makes it a unique book. I am so glad I read it and I also don’t think I will ever read it again!

“Still you learn something. See ourselves as others see us.”

“Life, love, voyage round your own little world.”

Ulysses Readlong: Part 2

So I've officially made it halfway through the book and it hasn't killed me yet! I won't pretend that I've understood everything that has happened in Joyce's epic novel, but I will say Adam aka Roof Beam Reader, has provided notes and thoughts on each section and they are invaluable! Here are the notes on episodes #7-12.

This section of the book has quite a bit more in the way of crass humor and I'm not shocked that it was so frequently banned in the past. It also gives us a deeper view into our characters, both how they see themselves and how others see them. I'm also both impressed and often overwhelmed by how many different styles Joyce uses in his writing. Sometimes his parodying something, sometimes it fits a new narrator's point of view, etc. But it always keeps the reader on their toes. 

For me, I like to read an entire episode, then go back and read a summary and some notes. I like to let the language flow over me first before I bring someone else's opinions into the mix. I'm looking forward to the second half, but I'm also already a bit exhausted by Joyce!
 
Once again, I am positive that if I wasn't combining the audio version (seen above) and print, than I would be losing this fight. Being able to hear the story and following the random bits of French, Latin, and songs has helped so much. If you're thinking of reading it, I would highly recommend trying this! 

"Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves". 

Sedaris Giveaway

I've said before how much I love David Sedaris' sense of humor, particularly on audio, but I don't think I've ever mentioned his sister Amy. She is a comedian in her own right and has been in tons of TV shows and movies (Elf, Strangers With Candy, Sex and the City, etc.). A few years ago I read her book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence and it was hilarious.

Now both she and her brother have new books out. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some Sedaris love and give away a copy of each of their new books, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris. I'm giving away the audiobook version of both, because I think that's the best way to experience their work.

I haven't read either of these yet, so I can't say whether I love them, but I can say that their other books crack me up.

To enter, leave a comment below with the following info:

1) Your e-mail address

2) What book or author never fails to make you laugh?

For a BONUS entry:
If you've been to New York City, tell me your favorite thing you did there. I'm especially curious to hear bookstore recommendations (I've been to the Strand), places with literary significance or things to do in Brooklyn.

The giveaway will close on Friday, June 24, and the winner will be chosen at random.

On Audiobooks

(My stockpiled audio cassettes from the library)

On thing I've rarely talked about on this blog is my deep and abounding love of audiobooks. In honor of Audiobook Week, hosted by the wonderful Jen at Devourer of Books, I thought I expound on the topic.

I started listening to audiobooks sometime in high school and have been a devoted listener for the past decade. I quickly found that I could double my reading time by listening to audiobooks while driving, cleaning, showering, cooking, etc. I've also found that listening to a favorite book, instead of re-reading a hard copy, adds a new layer of depth. It draws my attention to different aspects and makes me notice things I may have missed before.

(One of the last audio cassette players I've been able to find)

There are some genres I prefer to listen to in audiobook format. I love listening to nonfiction because a huge tome on WWI or a massive biography on a dead president might be daunting to pick up if it's a hardback, but listening to it makes the book fly by. I also prefer light mysteries, like the Kinsey Millhone series, in audio format, because they're easy to dive into while doing something else and I never want to write down quotes or highlight passages. Audiobooks are a great way to introduce yourself to new series or different genres. You don't look at a cover every time you pick it up to read, so it's easier to set aside preconceived notions and try out a western of sci-fi book for the first time.

My brother LOVES to tease me about my obsession. He'll ask "Oh did you read that book or just listen to it, because that's not really reading." He only does it because he knows it drives me nuts. I actually pay more attention to a book when I listen to it than when I read a hard copy. It forces you to listen to every single word instead of skimming a paragraph and pulling out all of the major ideas. I often take more from the book when I listen to it, because I spend more time with it. The narrator will never speak as fast as I can read.

(My record player, which also has a CD and cassette player for my beloved audiobooks)

I've been incredibly lucky with the wide selection of audiobooks my library offers. I've only used audible once or twice. It's great, but I go through too many books to be able to afford it. I pick new audiobooks each week. I listen to mps on my iPod while walking the dog and cleaning. I listen to a CD audiobook in my car. And I may be the last person alive to do this, but I also listen to cassette tapes at home. I love being able to turn them on while getting ready for work and then hitting stop and knowing I won't lose my place. The technology is faulty and the reels often get caught, but I still love them. I buy them whenever I find them online or at yard sales. My library has been getting rid of all of its audiobook cassettes and so I've been stocking up at every book sale they hold. I'm not sure what I'll do when I run out.

If you've never read an audiobook before I'd encourage you to give it a shot. Maybe listening to it in the car won't work for you, instead you can try listen to a book while going on a walk and give it your full attention. Try starting with a book you've already read. The Harry Potter books (narrated by Jim Dale) are fantastic. I also loved The Help and The Secret Life of Bees. Audiobooks narrators are as diverse as the authors themselves and if you find one that doesn't work for you, just put it down and try another.

Happy listening!

Photos by moi.