While reading (and, ultimately, finishing) this novel requires some measure of dedication, the rewards are well worth the effort.

Even the most unremarkable moments (taking a sip of wine or eavesdropping on a passing bicyclist) can trigger a remarkable passage of literary expression. And Bloom knows about it.īy experiencing these events through the inner-monologue of these characters, we access Stephen and Bloom's unfiltered thoughts on the people and places they encounter, their memories of past joys and pains, and their concerns about the future. Oh, and Bloom's wife has sex with another man in the afternoon. Bloom makes breakfast for himself and his wife, Molly, runs some errands in town, attends a funeral, does some business (he works in advertising), has lunch, gets into a political argument with an Irish Nationalist in a pub, 'relaxes' on the beach for an hour at sunset, visits a maternity hospital where a friend is in labor, crosses paths with drunk Stephen and decides that he should look after him. Oh, and Stephen is haunted by the recent death of his mother, for whom he refused to pray on account of his rejection of religion. Stephen has breakfast with his roommates, teaches a class, goes for a walk, engages in scholarly conversation with other intellectuals, gets drunk, goes to a brothel, and gets knocked out for speaking loosely to a belligerent British soldier (Ireland is under English rule). In terms of plot, the novel depicts the events of one day (June 16th, 1904) in one smallish European city (Dublin, Ireland) through, mostly, the consciousness of two men (Stephen Dedalus, 22, and Leopold Bloom, 38). Written in a revolutionary style, the novel challenges the conventions and limits of language.įamously, not much happens in this book, yet all of life is contained in its pages.

One of humanity's great masterpieces, James Joyce's Ulysses celebrates the strength of spirit required to endure the trials of everyday life, exploring the patterns of human thought while also fostering an appreciation for differences between people.

Ulysses by James Joyce