Why I Own Two Copies of Ulysses, by James Joyce

[@spacewhales5111]

Just about every literature student I've talked to has a story about Ulysses. Personally, I wish I had more time to read it--my professor gave us a month to tackle this whole novel. It was a painful read because of the pace, but I still loved the complexity of it and the absolute mastery of modernist experimentation. Anyway, I met my best friend through my reading of Ulysses. An acquaintance of mine in a different class was a classics major so I enlisted her help in understanding the classical allusions in the novel. Over that month we became (and to this day still are) best friends. So, Ulysses is more than an important landmark in my literary study, it's how I met my best friend. It's so interesting to hear how Ulysses shaped you as a reader and a writer.

[@RyanRabid]

It seems there’s no way to do Ulysses exactly right, only the way you end up choosing or the way that is forced upon you. And hey, what an experience. Glad you had the Classical battalion at your back, that’s one of the ways I suffered most in the book and had to do the most work!

[@hoyyali1594]

There is nothing to be understood about that book.Is a joke

[@jagdeepkaul1261]

Ryan, sir... I started Ulysses 15 years ago and I'm nearly one third of the way through it ... i'm 70 now so i should hopefully finish Ulysess before I die

[@kasiaprada]

hahahahahah

[@lemonchicken507]

hahahahahahahaha

[@indiangirl874]

Good luck sir(hope you might have completed, this book) I'm reading right now 🙃

[@Ellen_Seokjin]

lol

[@KathrynTanner-t8f]

I'm 73. About halfway through Ulysses, reading along with a group. That group is SO important to understanding and appreciating the book. Don't think I could have done it on my own.

[@KathrynTanner-t8f]

Makes sense to me! I have a couple of books that are now held together, literally, with string to hold them together. A book that you have to open so often that it falls apart is a special memory.

[@andreamorales3924]

Hi! I'm Andrea from Argentina. I can't agree more with you! I t happened to me that I was terrified by the idea of reading Ulysses. But one day I gathered all the necessary courage to buy it and start an adventure. Difficult? That's not enough. Tough, intricated? Yes. I read it just for pleasure but, as you said, I counted on an extra book by an Argenitinian writer who helps you grasp the very soul of the book. Result? I became a Ulysses fan: read it all the time, dreamt about it and so many other oddities . It really took control of me. Now it is on of my favorite books ever! Tell me if it is possible to read YOUR paper on the book. I'd be really interested in getting to know other people's views about this master piece. Greetings from Argentina!!

[@ianp9086]

Close reading does have great returns - maybe Joyce wrote it with this in mind. The down side is it can become an obsession - I have six different editions with minor textual differences! I read it a few years ago in quite a structured way, used the Bloomsday book which is great, but also had the unabridged audio book (I think it is 23 CDs!) read by Jim Norton which was fantastic in helping to distinguish the voices. For each episode I first listened to the audio, then read Bloomsday book, then followed the text while listening to the audio, and then read the text alone. Took three months but was life-changing, and it really worked after a couple of previous efforts had got bogged down in the third episode. Thanks for the great video.

[@RUTKN2ME92]

Such a beautiful video, Ryan! Knowing that you own two copies of Ulysses makes me feel a little less weird about owning six copies of Lolita, three copies of A Streetcar Named Desire, two copies of Wuthering Heights, and two copies of Leaves of Grass. I have a bit of a problem, as you can see! Again, this video is absolutely gorgeous and so meaningful. Thank you so much for consistently producing wonderful bookish content. I have never read Ulysses, but I have read three of Joyce's short stories: The Dead, Eveline, and The Boarding House. I loved all three. I'd love to complete Dubliners soon, and then move on to Portrait. Hopefully I can tackle Ulysses in this lifetime, but it is quite intimidating! Your passionate connection to Ulysses, and to literature in general, is so inspiring to watch!

[@RyanRabid]

SIX! PS my favorite theater professor is directing a version of The Glass Menagerie this spring; it somehow makes sense that you’d love A Streetcar Named Desire :). I think Ulysses more than most long books is a “bucket list” kind of read, just because it’s been an institution for three quarters of a century. The only thing comparable is Moby Dick, and even that is a skewed comparison. Thanks for the passionate-as-always comment, Sadie :)

[@signore1043]

Book lovers sure are a special kind of person. I love those who fetish the smell and the feel of the ages. Reading becomes such a personal and solitary experience all the way back to childhood.

[@CarolH2O]

Hi I'm reading a Dubliners and am about to read The Dead...love that you made this video...I've wanted to tackle Ulysses since I was a teenager. I did read Portrait back then but I will be rereading it soon...

[@elenagreads]

I've only read Dubliners, and I agree with you: "The dead" is such a powerful story.. It's the perfect short story to end the book and it completes the cicle of life that is "Dubliners". I don't think I'd be able to read Ulysses in English, though. My native languages are Catalan and Spanish, so I'll have to do some research on the translations. I read "Dubliners" in English and I could see that Joyce doesn't make things easy for the reader. Great video!

[@RyanRabid]

Ive said it before, but I cannot even IMAGINE reading Ulysses in translation. On the other hand, I’ve never read a single thing in translation... one of the larger regrets of my reading life :)

[@gisellagrciadmnech]

Elena G. Hola!! Jo tinc moltíssimes ganes de poder llegir James Joyce en anglès, no em puc esperar a començar els estudis d'anglès el proper curs a la universitat i de moment només l'he llegit traduït al català, ara estic amb el Retrat de l'artista adolescent. Em vaig mig obsessionar amb Joyce des que vaig llegir Dublinesos a l'institut. El meu somni és llegir l'Ulisses en anglès, evidentment. L'únic contacte que hi he tingut va ser un dia amb la traducció que hi ha al català per Joaquim Mallafrè, la primera pàgina ja em va fer ballar el cap d'allò més i no recordo haver-hi entès res. Tot i les constants frustracions, no sé perquè però sempre que em poso a llegir Joyce sento alguna cosa dins meu, com una emoció continguda, un foc que em crema per uns instants... En fi, no sé ni com he arribat aquí ni què faig escrivint aquest comentari, es nota que no tinc ningú amb qui parlar d'aquests temes hahaha

[@elenagreads]

Gisela GD Gisela GD Hola! A mi també m'agradaria llegir-lo en anglès perquè prefereixo, dins de les meves possibilitats, llegir en la llengua en què és escrita originalment una obra, però crec que l'Ulyses és una obra tan complexa que sense un transfons acadèmic per donar-me suport en entendre-la bé només em falta tenir trabes amb el llenguatge... Tot i que no l'hagis llegit, saps si aquesta traducció que comentes en català està bé? Jo vaig llegir Dubliners en anglès i déu ni do... també és cert que ja fa força anys que el vaig llegir, i estic convençuda que ara no em resultaria tan complicat com fa uns anys. M'agradaria rellegir-lo per veure què en penso ara, però la sensació que em va deixar després de llegir l'última història, The Dead, va ser impressionant i no me la vaig poguer treure del cap en uns dies :) Encantada d'haver-nos trobat en aquests comentaris, haha!

[@bart-v]

the one book I would take to a desert island is Finnegans wake (or Faust, or Atlas Shrugged or the Tao Te Ching)

[@donlevy8960]

I tried reading Uylesses a number years and I only got to the second chapter. I love though how he uses the language. I love his short story "Araby" and I read Portrait and really loved it. Maybe when I retire I will try Ulyess again.

[@RyanRabid]

The love of language was one of my favorite parts too 💙

[@fredparker7403]

I own three copies. I also duplicated the routes of the characters just for fun, since I wasn't in university when I did it.

[@lareinathelassa]

I have never been more intrigued to read a book.

[@RyanRabid]

Sounds like I did okay then :)

[@ryokan9120]

Is that the Gabler edition I see?

[@roccolampone2283]

"I would rather listen to Seona Dancing than watch The Office"- Ryan

[@luisarzate9456]

you should do a long video on ulysses. i just got my copy and a in depth video would really help.

[@grmasa]

I listened to most of Ulysses but quit quite close to the end, not because it was difficult, but because it was just too full of shit, literally. Then I read that Virginia Woolf hated Joyce. Definitely understood why. Then had a conversation with a friend who loves literature and whose son is a literature scholar. He suggested the trajectory of tackling Joyce that you took in your class and got me curious again. At the moment, I still think that all that shit is a boy thing that many men never get over. At the moment, I think that since women are the ones that generally clean up shit, they have an entirely different take on the whole subject. Then there's the homoerotic aspect I suppose? Plus all the cultural taboos in so many cultures for LGBTQP? Because many women can and do have babies, and in addition whether of not we have physically brought a child into this world, have a biological to the bone marrow love of children exactly as they are, the female aspect in every person has a whole lot less "perverse" fascination for shit and diverse sexual expression for that matter. I just now realize that I think it's the same for violence, death, "lustful" sex and probably other things... I believe that we all have the same urges and darkness within us and that learning how to allow awareness and observation of all while choosing to act from whatever we find is most true, most loving, most, yes, ethical and all those other constructive forces and ideas, is the "reason" for life. [All these quotes are partially because I wish there were better more precise words to get at what I'm trying to say and because "perverse and lustful" are so judgmental and "reason" seems inadequate and dated]. Anywho... I'm going to re-listen to "Dubliners". Read the stories you suggest. Read "Portrait..." and give Ulysses another go with the help of the book you suggest and my friend and his son if I can arrange that. After that, or maybe before? might try the first review I watched of yours: "Gravity's Rainbow". I loved your reviews and am delighted to find you! Thank you for doing this

[@alessial.6988]

Last year I attended an English literature class that was supposed to be a quick introduction to modernism, so we only read chapter 10 "The wandering rocks" from Ulysses alongside of Pound and Eliot. Considered I'm an Italian student, reading it was extremely hard. I even tried reading in translation, but that didn't work out either. I believe I didn't have enough tools to do it and ofc language was a big obstacle. I've talked about the book with people at the time and I've been told that it is a book "that you just don't read" lol! I'd like to read it, and I hope I will someday. I live an hour drive from Trieste, btw ;) Anyways I think the way you loved this book and the whole experience around it really showed up in the video!:)

[@RyanRabid]

Oh god, I hope you’ve visited Trieste quite a bit then :)! Wandering Rocks is a fav of mine, though what a way to enter the book! I can imagine that was crazy difficult. Anyways, I hope you get a chance to read it too :)

[@benjamMin278]

I picked up a copy of Dubliners in Italian and it did not go well but I do love Dante. Joyce was the "Irish Dante." His Beatrice was Nora Barnacle.

[@tesres2169]

What college did you attend?

[@borux193]

If interested - look for "The Most Dangerous Book - The Battle For James Joyce's Ulysses" fantastic read - and true! By Kevin Birmingham.

[@bradythecamel]

I am interested to see your review of Everything is Illuminated.

[@RyanRabid]

I’m gonna do a little Everything Is Illuminated teaser first ;)

[@KitchenJames]

also did you read iliad/odessy before reading ulysses? i haven't read any joyce other than some of dubliners and some of portrait. i didn't finish portrait because i wasn't really in the mood for that kind of novel when i started it. i really did not like the stories i read from dubliners though. the way the simple style was injected with somewhat random complicated language was not very effective in my opinion.

[@RyanRabid]

I didn’t, I only read a summary. And then I kind of touched up my knowledge along the way! I think Dubliners is a bit of an acquired taste, so you aren’t wrong there 😂

[@anridvalishvili5908]

Read original not almost retold ones dude

[@johnofarrell812]

I'm happy that you like Ulysses so much. I've been a Joyce lover for over 50 years, and it's great to see a younger person who will carry on reminding future readers as yet unborn, how great and relevant his work has been. I am Dubliner, and have lived very near to many places he resided in with his family. Happy Bloomsday, too. The world of literature has had many great writers, but for me J.J. is just out of reach.

[@remyfink5927]

I finished Ulysses a few days ago. I didn't read it with a guide (but did have my ipad present to translate all of the other languages in the book, and had also previously read Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners). I absolutely adored it. I think the problem for a lot of people who struggle get through this novel is that they overcomplicate it. The plot is minimal, and not the main, or even secondary focus. Once you resign yourself to that and dig into the moods and the flourishes, the book really opens up. I found it to be a kind of rorschach test, where certain things pop out and some fade back. Despite the fact that I didn't understand every single thing, by the end, I felt that I had absorbed a ton of really exciting ideas, and more importantly, had been moved deeply on an emotional level. It's a difficult read, but by no means impossible, and if you are willing to patient and persistent, it is an experience that is unlike any other.

[@GenerationKill001]

"I've put so many enigmas and puzzles in the book [Ulysses] that it will keep the professors guessing for centuries what I meant... that is the only way to assure immortality." - James Joyce. (He really did say that. Makes me feel like the "joke" is on us).

[@Tolstoy111]

If the book is so enjoyable to read does that statement really matter though?

[@bulkarn]

I loved this video on Ulysses, Ryan. I've started the book several times but never finished it. I would need a course and have never taken one. I did however see Zero Mostel as Bloom in Ulysses in Night towns an off broadway production in 1958 in NY, at 18 or 19 years old. I'd already read Portrait of the Artist. I've already The Dubliners, and traveled to Ireland many times and seen Martel Tower and many other Joycean spots. I've written my own novel on the Irish famine so Ireland is deep in my fibers also. You've encouraged me to give Ulysses one more try before I give up this coil.

[@MBCthunderstruck]

This actually inspired me to start reading Ulysses, with the goal of finishing it before Bloomsday, when I'll visit Dublin to celebrate. I've already finished the first two episodes, and I get the feeling that this won't be easy, but nevertheless I'm excited!

[@RyanRabid]

YES YES YES. Keep going Viktor! It’s such a worthwhile book, and celebrating with Bloomsday would be incredible.

[@dukadarodear2176]

I agree that 'The Dead' is one of the greatest short stories ever written. I come from the same county in Ireland as Nora Barnacle. Looks like Joyce had to be content with the second chamber in her heart, her young and deceased first love forever occupying the premium one. Nora was probably the only woman in all Ireland that would put up with Joyce. Without her we would not have the portfolio of classics that Joyce has left us. Her family members were as thick as double ditches though. Her father (or perhaps uncle) ashamed before the Galway city Bishop and clergy, ceremoniously burned a copy of Ulysses in the kitchen stove. His neighbours testified to this and were of course in full agreement with the action. We were similar to the sow that devoured her own farrow.

[@mangstadt1]

I too have two copies of Ulysses, but they are two different editions. One is the Gabler/Garland edition published by Penguin in the 1980s, which I read in 1991 and then again early this century. The other one is a paperback edition of the 1922 text (with all the errata) published by Oxford in 1993. 4 euros at a used book shop in Madrid. I plan to read it next year to commemorate the centennial. My Faber & Faber edition of Finnegans Wake has a bookmark on page 50-something. I don't think I'll finish it, but every now and then I read a page or two.

[@Endymion766]

No one has been able to tell me what the book is really about without being vague so I decided to read it myself finally. It's really just an encyclopedia of every Irish pun, joke, and metaphor in existence, isn't it? I have to say I was very disappointed with it after having my expectations for it built up so high. So to explain it for the layman, from a layman, it's a fellow that just goes about his day while getting his ears and head full of Irish everything to the point where the reader is ready to swear off anything Irish for the rest of their lives, even if they're themselves Irish. There I just saved you about 6 months of reading. Apologies to the fans of the book. No offense intended. How this book got picked as best of the 20th century is baffling to me.

[@skyillegaldiver8962]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@connorwatersmith5575]

A video on Ulysses? Awesome! I finished it earlier this year (reading Portrait and Dubliners beforehand), my senior year of high school, and it also had a profound effect on me. It took me six months, but the rush I felt when I was finished was something else. Joyce is definitely my favorite author, so I'm glad you enjoyed him so much! I ended up reading all of him, but the only work of Joyce I did not like was his play, Exiles. Anyway, I can 100% relate to Ulysses being an introduction to behemoth-sized novels; it parlayed me into postmodernists like Pynchon and Gaddis and Wallace. You definitely should read Finnegans Wake. It's his aesthetic masterpiece, even more so than Ulysses, though I enjoyed Ulysses more. Similar to how Ulysses follows one day (and two men, Stephen and Bloom), the Wake follows one night (and one family: the father HCE, the mother ALP, the sons Shaun and Shem, and the daughter Issy)... narrated--probably--through the father's dream that night, which is why it's so difficult to read. I recommend reading it OUT LOUD and alongside Campbell's "Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake" for help. I also have an article about the Wake that may serve as inspiration that I'll link below. But definitely try. It's a worthwhile read despite being daunting. www.nybooks.com/articles/2012/07/12/what-make-finnegans-wake/ Cheers!

[@RyanRabid]

Thanks for the comment! I’ve dabbled with the Wake a bit and it has always honestly struck me as a thing I might attempt at retirement. As insane as it sounds to plan 40 years in advance, especially knowing I’m not guaranteed another day, I think the Wake is both very valuable as a reading experience and also something I’m willing to put off for 4 or so decades.... that doesn’t stop me from revisiting Wake articles and wikis about once every 3 months or so ;) so glad you found such meaning and fulfillment in Joyce 💙

[@signore1043]

Thanks for the article in the NYBR.

[@johne.nobody2946]

Wow. Glad to see someone who shares my passion for Joyce’s work. I, too, found reading Joyce to be rather transformative, and I do not think it was just my age or the particularities of the time I was in. I suppose Joyce just has that effect on people. Edit: Great channel, through-and-through. I will be subscribing for sure!

[@Sewnkinmusic]

I just finished reading this beautiful book last week. It took me 2 months of hard reading (all out loud in my room in an Irish accent, embarrassingly enough, just to let the language and rhythm of Joyce's words be given their full musicality and breath), looking over annotations online (although I didn't get any of the add-on books, I probably will in the future when I re-read it), and really just trying to appreciate the variety of writing styles and techniques he uses. I don't think anyone will ever fully understand Ulysses as a novel as much as Joyce ever did, no matter how much time they devote to it. In fact, I think that's where a lot of the beauty of the book comes from. I found that the book rejoices in the absurdities (farts included), tragedies (Molly and Boylan/Dignam's Death/the loss of Rudy and it's turmoil on the Bloom family/so much more it's hard to list out), sexualities (Not only Molly's final episode, but also the Firework scene) bigotries (the Citizen), bizarrities (that fever dream episode was so insane, but hilarious at the same time), and whatever else comes through within life. As generic as it is to say, it kind of makes you feel more human, and less like a piece of shit at the end of the day, in recognizing that humans are insanely flawed and nuanced no matter who you are. Life has a bunch of horrible sad, depraved, and nihilistic bullshit at times, but it also has lots and lots of beauty, happiness, embarrassments, oppressive and repressive incidents, and small little elements that portray the ephemeral nature towards existence and what comes along with being one person out of a race of billions of others living on a floating rock out in the boundlessness of space. It makes you realize how small and insignificant, yet somehow, in contradiction, very important we are to each other, even though we might constantly be at odds (or in love, or both) with one another. And all through the simplicity of one day (allbeit through 700+ pages of mind boggling prose) in two (including Dedalus) Irish guy's lives. I know a lot of people might not get it, but I think it's important to take this one super duper slow. You won't get everything and that's fine. Sometimes, I think Joyce might have intended that too. There's a lot of virtue and allurement in not understanding something and just letting it stay unknown, mysterious, or personally meaningful to yourself. I really want to come back to this book in 5 years from now, and see how I take it in then. I feel like I really pushed myself more with this book than I have with any other book ever, and it makes me proud that I could get it done, almost like I was finishing a marathon or something. But it really did change my philosophy and perspective on life and existence more than anything else I've ever watched, read or listened to, and that's gotta say something about. In that sense, I think that everyone could really benefit from reading Ulysses, even if they don't pay attention to all the literary crazy stuff in it. Just appreciate spending time in Leopold's, Stephen's, and Molly's head, so that you can feel a little less weird about what goes on in yours on a daily basis.

[@RyanRabid]

Well damn. This is an incredible comment, and on days when I don’t want to make videos or talk about books, I hope I remember this comment. It sounds like you had an incredible and personal relationship with Ulysses, and I think that’s beautiful beyond description (though I did love a lot of yours. Thanks for the comment!

[@RyanRabid]

Hey, PS, write a book someday and title it At Odds, Or In Love, Or Both

[@billcrowle]

Con Bon agreat review, if I may, I will quote it on my Facebook to some literary friends!

[@dukadarodear2176]

Yep. Ya sure read the bleedin' buke.

[@pp-qg7pf]

This is an incredible comment. I finished the book a month ago and felt everything you described. "There's a lot of virtue and allurement in not understanding something and just letting it stay unknown, mysterious, or personally meaningful to yourself." I couldn't agree more and take heart knowing that others felt the same way.

[@daysleeper999]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours. You're very good at getting someone intrigued to read whatever book you're discussing!

[@RyanRabid]

Hopefully it’s an authentic interest, because it’s an authentic expression of my love for Ulysses :) thanks for the comment!

[@micahlawrence8684]

What a cool class! Working my way through Infinite Jest (a little over 1/4 done) and already feel like I'm obsessed and want to read so many postmodern books like Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow and anything by Proust but probably got to pace each reading out by several months or my brain might explode!

[@conallharkin5365]

I got through ulysses in 10 days (with a lot of free time and no note taking) but finnegans wake is still staring at me intimidatingly from my shelf. Very much envy getting to do a james joyce course like that tho. I obviously took a sort of different approach to reading ulysses than many people, i.e. I didn't use any companion texts or anything. I googled stuff like Latin phrases and so on, but I wasn't too concerned about understanding every last thing and every reference, I just enjoyed the beautiful imagery and so on. it probably helps that I'm Irish and so have a grasp already of the places and the history (parnell and home rule and all that). I also did read dubliners, portrait of the artist, and the odyssey before starting, which I think was vital. I imagine some day I'll come back to ulysses and read it along with a text to help me understand it more deeply. There were definitely sections that went right over my head (oxen of the sun was an ordeal). What was an incredible help was listening to particularly difficult parts while reading along, and there's a brilliant reading of it uploaded chapter by chapter on youtube. Their performance of the play episode is incredible and it makes such a difference.

[@elizabethmedina3920]

you should read your essay to us!!! I'm very curious now or at least a little piece of it....

[@Sams911]

I own 4 copies of Ulysses and 3 copies of Finnegan's Wake... A reading copy of both, and then some very rare and collectable versions from various sources.

[@paulwilliams6913]

My friends and I are going to read Ulysses this summer. We’re going to get Gifford’s annotations to help us out and meet every week to discuss what we find. My dissertation chair (who claims Ulysses as his favorite novel) is going to join us a few times also and help us out. We’re all a bit nervous (especially for the Oxen of the Sun episode), but also really excited. I appreciate the authentic enthusiasm you express for the novel; it helps pump me up for this summer. Whether my group enjoys the novel or hate it, this’ll be quite the experience.

[@KathrynTanner-t8f]

That is the right way to do it--with friends, and some helpful annotations. Hope you had a great experience.

[@paulwilliams6913]

@@KathrynTanner-t8f it worked out well enough. Only a fraction of the original group reached the finish line but each of us will remember it. We had a spectrum of responses and I don’t think anyone was truly smitten by the book, but we scaled the slope and that’s worthwhile :)

[@cufflink44]

Very nice video, Ryan. Thank you. And if you're still reading comments in 2021, a question: It's always been my ambition to read and understand Ulysses. I started once and got through three or four chapters, but bogged down after that. Now that I'm retired, I want to return to it. But I'm wondering about editions. I see you used the Gabler edition (which I own). I don't have to tell you it's controversial. Is it still the edition you would recommend?

[@jesionkowal9981]

I've been thinking the same thing. I thought these would be two different editions -- that is to say, if you own a Gabler (which, incidentally, I also have for, ehm, archival reasons), you might want to back it up with the more cannonical [ :D ] edition, right? Then again, tyhe whole matter probably serves as a reminder of what you are getting yourself into if you start reading Joyce. Bottom line: the Gabler edition has been heavily criticized and, from what I could gather, it is rather hard to defend. Clearly, they might still use it as basis for academic courses, so it begs the question of whether it comes with some sort of caveat at the start. Anyway, I do envy Ryan the whole experience, especially that it was paired with a trip to Ireland. And, since he says that one day he would like to revisit the novel, having read the Gabler and being aware of the criticism could be treated as an excuse for diving into to the 1961 edition and consequently finding a sort of a 'new', cleaner version. Hearing him speak with so much passion about his process of reading makes me look fondly at my own copies, so... Two articles to read and make an informed decision: a) a short and sweetly to-the-point one: infinitezombies.com/2010/06/25/which-edition-of-ulysses-is-best/ ; b) longer, but infinitely more insightful -- and with a masterful coup de grâce delivered with a flourish right into the heart.. of the matter, shall we say: www.nybooks.com/articles/1988/08/18/the-scandal-of-ulysses-an-exchange/ All the best, JK

[@cufflink44]

@@jesionkowal9981 Hey JK. Thanks SO much for the excellent resources! I haven't been through them yet, but you can bet I'll peruse them carefully. All the best to you as well, Cuff

[@kenanderson66]

Ryan, get an earlier copy than Gabler's edition. Modern Library offers a nice, well-bound, hardcover and its cheap--only about $10 at a used bookstore. There are important textual differences in pre-Gabler editions and in one instance a CRITICAL DIFFERENCE. Given that Joyce was nearly blind at the time Ulysses was completed, it is doubtful he would have read the finished copy. So, while reading the Gabler edition is nice, it is worth noting that the Ulysses read and lauded by Joyce's contemporaries was a slightly different book. I have an assortment of editions and use them (as you have) for marking close readings and for collecting, loaning, etc. But it's important to get a sturdy copy of an early edition to read for the differences that created the controversy among Joyce scholars for which the Gabler edition is (in)famous. Read on, Ryan, and RE-JOYCE!

[@jennyaldridge4186]

I’ve just found your channel and am on page 42 of Ulysses. My aim is to read 100 pages a month. I definitely need to invest in the Bloomsaday book though. Im looking forward to watching more of your videos now I’ve found you.

[@thebritishbookworm]

What an amazing class!! I can’t believe I haven’t visited Ireland yet (when I was so close when living in England!) but it’s definitely high on my bucket list. I’m also really jealous you got to read Ulysses in a class setting. I think that must help with the understanding so much!

[@RyanRabid]

It did help, especially considering my professor is a devout Joyce scholar. Also, LOL at Joyce being someone you can be “devout” to 😂😂

[@bradlap9046]

I read The Dead in University but Two Gallants is one of my favorite short stories ever written

[@herrklamm1454]

Most misunderstood novel ever written. Most scholars make the mistake of trying to draw parallels with Homer’s Odyssey, when in actual fact Joyce modelled Ulysses on Danny The Champion of the World.

[@paulkinsella6536]

I got less than 1/3 of the way through Ulysess and had to stop. Found it very difficult. I then listened to it narrated on C.D. and i enjoyed it. I may try and read it again sometime. I did read A portrait of the artist as a young man, fully, and thought it was very good. I'm from and live in Dublin and Ulysses is celebrated on Blooms day every year, June 16th.

[@Counter_Magic]

I've recently found your channel (deciding to read Infinite Jest). I'm curious. What do you think attracts you to notoriously difficult books? Maybe you've already done a video on this.

[@sineadlamont9833]

Please ! The 17th March is Saint PATRICK’S day . Not not PADDY’S No no. No!!

[@havefunbesafe]

Nice!!! Have that relic that’s falling apart re glued or something…it’s got sentimental value bro.

[@Craw1011]

Would love for you to do a video on the Dead! I read it and though the writing was beautiful I don't think I fully understood all that there was to get in it

[@TheSaarangadhara]

That is a nice introduction. I started reading it on Kindle but being a hardcopy fan of anything, I've ordered mine and I am going to get it this Thursday. Watching your talk, I just ordered the Bloomsday book too. Have you created any other videos or articles on this book? Would like to know as I am sure I would be needing guidance in wading, fathoming and finishing this magnum opus! Thanks

[@ltfringr]

I read Ullyses a few months ago, and I feel like I really need to read it again with a guide like you said. I felt like it went over my head quite a bit. Afterwards I read Portrait of the Artist, and that really resonated with me.

[@Darjeelingla]

Portrait of an Artist, got me hooked. Once upon a time, and a very good time it was. Yup, changed the direction of my life. Wandering 😊

[@waltersboxx]

/Oxen of the Sun/ and /Ithaca/ [my capstone paper] are my favorite episodes. Joyce is second only to Shakespeare for me, an aesthetic genius, and a great humorist, a point frequently neglected.

[@markkavanagh7377]

I love Dubliners, it proves his genius, but in Portrait of the Artist... he turns onto a path of pure self centered egotism halfway through it and so I have never finished reading Ulysses, it is the expression of the pure narcissistic and arrogant love of self which defines the 20th century, it is the individual selfishly defining themselves outside of the community, it is utter EGO alone, MEMEME. I will Yes.

[@mangstadt1]

I studied Philosophy at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and was always interested in literature. In the summer of 1990 I read Rayuela, by Julio Cortázar, and often say that it was the book that opened my eyes to literature. The following summer I read Ulysses and there and then found that it was the real thing. I re-read both books early this century, but sadly I got the impression that Rayuela had not aged too well. Maybe it was just me. I often say that James Joyce is to 20th century literature what Arnold Schoenberg is to 20th century music. Joyce, with his different narrative procedures used across the various chapters of Ulysses, opens up so many new paths for literature (William Faulkner is arguably his best offspring, though Faulkner is much more than that), in the same way that Schoenberg opened up new paths in music. Schoenberg, however, by turning his back on tonality, closed quite a few paths at the same time. Eventually, some composers got past the constraints set by Schoenberg, but back in the day atonalism, twelve-tone music and serialism were the Gospel.

[@seanmcveigh27]

It's interesting, I own over 20 copies of Ulysses.

[@avantgardenovelist]

11:21-11:45 beautifully put

[@allenatkins2263]

And you made a trip to Ireland! How much are your college loans!

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

I have never been able to read Ulysses so have been listening to a wonderful audiobook reading of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIPIlICvlJqSi5I I have ordered your recommended book by Blamires from my library and I think there is a pdf available online via Google search. Thanks again! The language is consuming, Joyce makes my brain ask what the hell is going on.

[@robertbaillargeon3683]

I read Ulysses pretty "casually" and still had a good time. At times I just let myself not understand what on earth Stephen Dedalus was referencing or why a chapter was structured in such an odd way and moved on. It's still a good book from nothing more than getting to know the characters and caring what happens to them. I may never get around to really digging into Joyce, and that's okay, I think.

[@RyanRabid]

I think that being okay with a failure to understand is a prerequisite for Ulysses 😂

[@johncomito383]

I read a lot of reading about reading Ulysses before beginning it this Summer, and started reading The New Bloomsday Book along with it during the last handful of chapters. I'm now partway through a second reading, using both The New Bloomsday Book and Ulysses Annotated. Both are enormously helpful to understanding details and meanings of the text (as was the CliffNotes). I'm finding the second time so much more enjoyable, especially in noticing small mentions of things that come further in the book. I read Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man first given how Stephen Dedalus is a main character in Ulysses, and am looking forward to reading Dubliners after Ulysses as many characters are in the Dubliners stories also.

[@chokingmessiah]

I love James Joyce, so here's a little advice Ryan: You don't have to study the text or know the meaning of everything when you read Joyce. The references and allusions in Joyce are fun to get off on but you definitely don't need any study guides to read his work. Enjoy the text. Take a first pass, especially with Finnegans Wake. Finnegans Wake is for the reader. It's for the reader to take his own meaning from the text. It's not something that's meant to be one thing. It's a magical text. Read a couple of secondary texts to give you some basic ideas and run with it. The Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake by Joseph Campbell and Joyce's Book of the Dark by John Bishop are two good places to start. The introduction to the Penguin 20th Century Classics Edition by John Bishop (the one with the Book of Kells cover) is really great, too. Have fun! Love your channel and I'm glad you're back, btw. Missed you.

[@RyanRabid]

Thanks for the advice :) and the good resources! Hopefully anyone looking to start Joyce will find this comment

[@signore1043]

The study guides are helpful, however, especially for those who don't know many allusions. I have Ulysses Annotated and sometimes enjoy reading through it simply for the information about the allusions or the historical background revealed about Ireland.

[@briancoveney3080]

Neat story My Good Man, about the carrying it with you.

[@Tryunderstandingsarcasm]

I wonder if James Joyce read his books after he wrote them.

[@breathevideopro]

While the slow reading of this book with academic supplementary texts like Blamires's can be rich and fulfilling experiences no doubt, this video sort o shrieks "pedantic lite." You don't need these page-to-page supplementary texts to enjoy Ulysses (though you do need some). If you just want to understand the narrative and the major literary themes, all you need are some online guides (even SparkNotes has some pretty solid material) explaining the book chapter by chapter. Now, it's probably going to be a pretty boring experience for you if you aren't versed in seminal lit like Dante, Homer, Chaucer, the Bible, Shakespeare, etc., but frankly, I don't know why anyone would read this book for pleasure if they aren't already the kind of reader who is. If you are that type of reader, all you need are the Sparknotes chapter by chapter summaries/analyses, Nabokov's map, some videos of or movies about Dublin if you've never been, and wikipedia. Once a name like AE or the Invincibles come up, go down a wikipedia bunny trail. The New Bloomsday Book is certainly useful and ideal for the richest possible experience with Joyce, still just as relevant as ever, but less essential since we now have the internet and smartphones to do our own research with. Ulysses can actually serve now as a sort of makeshift/makebelieve hypertext experience, whereas from 66 until recently the book was one of the only shots you'd have at understanding this book. Remember, a physical trainer and gym membership are idea if you want to get in shape (going to college and taking courses on the subject) but you can and should still work out if you have to go it alone and use cheaper home equipment (the priorly mentioned material). Also, this finnegan's wake taking three years nonsense should just be put to rest right now. There are multiple academic interpretations of the wake but there is no consensus on what the text means or whether the bulk of it means anything. The music of the text is beautiful and hilarious even without pedantry and ostentatious speculation. I think I'd rather kill myself than go through Ulysses line by line or spend three years reading Finnegan's Wake, and you should too. The key to Joyce is not to understand minute detail in a first reading. It's to get what you can out of it and either leave it in the past (you don't want Joyce himself to be a nightmare from which you are trying to awake) or return to it later on. Ulysses is meant to be enjoyed more than once, and it is abundant in new things to appreciate and enjoy with each reading.

[@breathevideopro]

That said, he is right about how close and careful readings of texts provide us with the richest experiences (when it comes to books like these--wouldn't recommend trying to overanalyze books by Vonnegut or Philip Pullman lol) and you should by no means read ulysses or the wake if you're going to just lazily skim through the text or speed read it or something.

[@PetrSvoren]

Do you have any tips on how to read it? What edition is the best?

[@RyanRabid]

My knowledge of the editions is so incredibly subjective it’s not even funny, so no advice there. And in terms of tips: just make sure to read it every day. Because after 2 or 3 days of setting it down, it’s easy to step away forever. And also to read it aloud to yourself during the most confusing parts 🙏 it’s musical

[@herrklamm1454]

Get the Jared Leto translation.

[@cryingaboutbooks]

Only you could make me actually want to read Ulysses 😜🤦🏼‍♀️📚

[@RyanRabid]

😊

[@MyBookishEmpire]

I have always wanted to read this novel, however I am intimidated that I will not understand it completely. I too am a Biology student at College who loves literature, however, as a junior I will stick with Bio. I read difficult novels like War and Peace and hopefully Ulysses will allow me to vicariously experience my version of a lit degree. How would you best recommend I read this book? Do I need to research Joyce first or should I dive in?

[@gbluecheez]

You should read dubliners and a portrait of the artist as a young man firs. I got both of them for 5 dollars at barnes and noble, good deal

[@connorwatersmith5575]

Definitely read both first, especially Portrait, whose main character is prominent in Ulysses.

[@chokingmessiah]

Dive in anywhere. Joyce is to be enjoyed.

[@RyanRabid]

Do what you will do and don’t listen to KZbin commenters or KZbin creators :) but in all seriousness: do what interests you. I can see perks to both methods. If you pick up dubliners or portrait and aren’t interested, hop straight into Ulysses. Or vice versa. Each work is its own self-contained and beautiful world worth reading in its own right. Just. Don’t. Stop.

[@TeachUBusiness]

I have a video series to walk you through Ulysses. Come join us! It is actually fun!

[@julzAas]

Oh dude Finnegans Wake is so worth it though!

[@randomdron4410]

Sorry but you only say that the book is difficult, what it´s obvious, nothing more. I mean, whats the secret of that curse you take? Pure redundance. Please say something of the notes you did or how you see it at personal level, what parts have meaning, what to pay attention when we read it; I will like to know what´s the escence of the book or even how a reader from another idiom (like me) can understand it, or at least approach a better point of view with the problems of translation. Most important, what is that you mention about Joyce that makes the novel special and turns out his great theme or the element who can give sense to all the text? The part when you say that you startet to see the world like Joyce...Thank you

[@Abhishek-fe3zs]

It's a 10 minute video on youtube.com

[@keter1234]

What does quote unquote mean? Just useless words.

[@touieg1211]

Happy Saint PaDDy's day to you too.

[@Anna-wh1zn]

It intimidates the hell out of me which is exactly why I would like to tackle it. You mentioned that you almost have to immerse yourself in Joyce's world and that is why I have decided to wait (3 years) until I retire to tackle it. I want to be able to put everything else aside and focus on this book as a bit of a project. I appreciated your recommendation of the Bloomsday book. I have made a note of it and will plan to use it along with my reading. Ulysses and Infinite Jest are 2 of my biggest retirement plans. I really enjoyed your videos on Infinite Jest as well. Thanks for the video. Very enjoyable.

[@RyanRabid]

Thanks Anna!:) glad I could be a small part of your journey to reading these great books. And hopefully your retirement comes as quickly as possible ;)

[@tatteredreader2163]

I just finished Ulysses and loved and I appreciate it so much. I didn’t use a guide to read it so I’m sure there’s some symbolism or references that’s lost on me but I appreciate it for its different writing styles, and how he plays around with language and his writing really inspires me as a writer to take risks. Great video.

[@RyanRabid]

Thank you!:) and I’m glad you had such a powerful experience with the book. It’s an incredible novel.

[@julissa6715]

ForTheLoveOfRyan what do you mean that it has different writing styles?

[@thzzzt]

There are many ways to read. I also have two copies of Ulysses, and read them, one copy for each eye, in "stereo" so to speak. It takes a lot of practice to move ones eyeballs independently, but I find the prose "sinks in" better.

[@jojohairee9987]

I can't tell if you're joking or what

[@stevef.2549]

Most Joyceans swear by the 1922 edition, I know, but I still have the copy of the Gabler edition I bought when it came out in the 80s! I reread it a couple of years ago. And I loved Finnegans Wake too.

[@RyanRabid]

At that international conference I mentioned I listened to oh, maybe 5 straight days of bickering among Joyce scholars about the different editions 😂

[@signore1043]

I have both and there isn't that much of a difference between the two unless you're nit-picky and a scholar.

[@mynciee]

I just picked it up because I haven't read anything in a long time, and I felt that pull to get a book. I read House of Leaves and Infinite Jest first so I'm happy to have a super dense book in my hands! Luckily mine's the Oxford 1922 text reprint with the explanatory notes in the back. So I shouldn't have to get a second book to help :P

[@coenraadwalters1990]

I once had "speed-read" Ulysses in three weeks - not the best approach for such a complex tome. Subsequently I listened to the Naxos CD set with friends - but only a part. The reading by Jim Norton is sensational. I bought myself a copy of the CD set - but it is still in its plastic wrapping! Working up courage ... I have two different editions of Ulysses, but they do not count under my "most read" books. Slightly more so than Finnegan's wake, however!

[@omarelric]

Hey, I’m kinda curious about this book, but as a Mexican I’ve had trouble reading foreign literature like this, because well, i haven’t travelled around the world and I don’t get all the cultural/historical nuances, Do you think I could still enjoy/need to read this book?

[@MrUndersolo]

I have two copies of the Penguin edition (one is a student edition; the other was the 1968 version I read when I was house-hunting for a place as a grad student - actually finished it in a bed; very key to the book). Makes perfect sense!

[@czgibson3086]

I have eight copies of 'Ulysses'. Several are based on the 1961 Bodley Head/Random House text, one of which stays at my parents' house. Others are the 1922 text, the 1939 Odyssey Press text, the 1984 Gabler text and Danis Rose's 1997 text. The differences between them are small but numerous, including the surprising addition of apostrophes in Rose's 'Penelope'.

[@Idazle]

Thanks for a hugely inspiriring and motivating video for those of us who are about to start reading Ulysses. As a companion book I've chosen Ulysses Unbound by Terence Killeen. However, I am still hesitating between the Gabler and the Bodley Head edition reset by Penguin. After reading different opinions on the controversy about the Gabler edition (including the famous 1988 Kidd's paper "An Inquiry into Ulysses: the Corrected Text") I haven't made my mind yet. I bet you had good reasons to choose the Gabler edition at your College course?

[@End-Result]

This was excellent, thanks for sharing your insights in such a candid way. I usually loathe the superficial way in which most booktubers present themselves but I found your video really engaging without being at all tiresome.

[@hanffd]

You’ve really inspired me. I read The Odyssey and am now reading Portrait, all in prep for reading Ulysses. Thinking of getting the Ulysses guide you recommended.

[@tamartamunanemsadze7750]

I love literature but when I had choice I choose something practical. How does your love to literature help you to live? Would appreciate the honest answer because I still dream of changing my profession from Speech Language pathologist and it seems you have gone through that daring decision in your 20s. Thank you .

[@frankgray5718]

Reading it now for an English Fiction class.. this is going to be the only novel we concentrate on. My Professor acted like he wasn't much of a fan of this novel but provided so much intricate knowledge and geeky sort of facts about it.. as well as mentioning he has been re reading it for 20 years.. Anyways he did not just pick this book by random. It is odd, standing In Portland's Powells book store two years ago, I really had the urge to buy Ulysses, but thought it was not time.. now in LA 2 years later, I m getting a chance to take a dilated look this great piece of work. Thank you for the video Ryan.

[@sarahloffler1872]

A book has to be worth such a close reading, and Ulysses is DEFINITELY worth the climb. Joyce more or less trains you how to discipline yourself in study, almost as if to encourage you to take on the rigors of Jesuit scholarship.

[@richardbenitez7803]

As a mex-am growing up in California, I’ve been infused by Irishisms by co-workers, friends and Catholics stuff in Orange County and in San Francisco....point of this, I am expecting an annotated Ulysses to arrive in mail today. I want to try to engage myself because I do like Irish thought-patterns, strange history, socialization, Catholic outline in the Irish brain, and art of rebellion. Some how it all works for me. (And... that Irish person’s attempt to do something or fix something often ends as a screw up is a focus.)

[@katietatey]

I'm reading it now which is how I found this video... searching for some help. That's 2 recommendations for the Bloomsday guide but it must be out of print - it's frightfully expensive online, even used. Soooo, I'm going to keep plugging away and might buy the guide in the future for a re-reading. I have already read Portrait, Dubliners, and Stephen Hero so at least I somewhat knew what I was getting into. Wish I could go back to undergrad and take some lit classes... stuck with the bio major myself and now I'm a veterinarian. :)

[@Obanshee2002]

You got two? I have over 100 in different languages from all over the world. And counting!

[@ellyreads4886]

Hi Ryan! My first time to visit your channel. I am also a senior student of English literature, and I fell in in love with this study after years of studying and working in the field of health care. I like your passion for literature and the effort you put in it. Thanks for your video, this year we will do James Joyce among other authors of the modern and postmodern novel, and you made me more excited to read Joyce's works. Greetings from Egypt!

[@signore1043]

Joyce - if his spirit is roaming earth - must be having a snicker and a snort over all these people reading and reading and reading and wondering what the hell is going on between these pages that ultimately become so worn you need a new copy of the book. I too read Ulysses over a summer - along with Glibert's help -and there is no way if you want to be a writer that you can't be influenced by the style and the freedom of expression. If you are repressed and afraid to say what's on your mind Joyce helps release those bonds and helps you find your own voice. I'm happy to find so many people wanting to read or have read Joyce. I recently started Finnigan after many years of intimidation and find it's not as difficult as I thought it would be as long as every once in awhile I read out loud. I felt like I was in a Paris cafe listening to Joyce talk about the things that go bump in the night. Try it.

[@judilopez1811]

Interesting. I haven't read it. Just wondering what you learned from this book? What was it that made you gain insight or new perspective?

[@KingfisherLtd]

Well it's year now of my Ulysses reading. I don't get most of it, but I like to read it to taste particular words, sentences or landscapes Joyce has created. I'm starting to think if it's even possible to read it translated?

[@samliske1482]

Could you make a video about your advice as an English lit student? I’m a freshman with the same major and I’d love to see your insights about the major and it’s utility in life and the workforce.

[@shankaraiahnarayanadasu3409]

I started reading ulysses first 100 pages only. Plz give advice

[@dragonlaker]

I started reading the Ulysses 3 year ago, and am still on page 2.

[@myriahcastillo2720]

Hey! Just found your channel. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I did. I studied lit in college, tried my damndest to get into grad school, but ultimately didn’t get accepted. For the last two years I’ve missed this type of conversation, so incredibly much. This channel makes me want to go back and revisit the books that made me feel the way Ulysses does for you. I turned my back on this world and now I realize how much I miss it. Thank you so much!

[@RyanRabid]

I’m not sure I need to be the person to tell you, but just in case: never give up that lit dream :) grad school will be there if you want it in the future! Thanks for your far too long comments, too 💙

[@originoflogos]

Hey man, I own like four copies of Gravity's Rainbow (two of which are first edition hardcovers), two editions of White Noise, Two editions of Underworld, Two editions of Tree of Smoke, three editions of Ratner's Star by DeLillo (which you should read), there are many novels I have multiple copies of. I enjoy keeping them in pristine edition and collect them as well as read them and digest them. haha Also, YOU NEED TO READ CORMAC MCCARTHY!!!!!

[@RyanRabid]

I’m just playing this game of seeing how long I can string along you specifically as a person on this channel with the promise that someday I’ll read CM... so far the game has been massively entertaining ;) in all seriousness my plans include getting to him before the end of the year 💙

[@originoflogos]

ForTheLoveOfRyan Blood Meridian, Suttree, Outer Dark, Child Of God, The Road, the Border Trilogy, The Orchard Keeper. READ EVERYTHING!!!!!!

[@signore1043]

Glad you mentioned DeLillo. I think he is very underrated and it's time he snagged some of the big awards. Libra, White Noise, and Underworld are great reads.

[@amedeomodigliani4389]

My copy of Ulysses definitely looks similar to yours