The Ulysses Read-along

Ulysses wordle (img src)

Early this year, during a conversation on Twitter, Jaclyn of a book diary and I decided that we'd have a read-along. I'd never done one before and I thought it might be fun. Besides, I figure that, sometime during the year, I'd need this push in my reading. And so, Jaclyn suggested Ulysses. Perfect, really, since I only went as far as the second page long in my previous readings of the work.

We decided we'd check in on each other every 16th of the month, since Bloomsday, the day in celebration of Joyce and Ulysses, happens on June 16. I do not take credit for this idea. To be honest, I stole it from dovegreyreader who ran a Ulysses read-along almost 3 years ago.

So, this is the first check-in.

Frankly, I'm 6 pages into the text.

However, I did read the introduction and the publication history. Around 3 or 4 years ago, I took a course called History of the Book. One of the most fascinating examples of a book with an intricate publication history was Ulysses. Sadly, I've since lost the reference materials I had showing how involved Joyce was in publishing Ulysses, how he dipped his hand even into the composition and the layouting of the text. Even more sadly, I can't recall which version we talked about. And so, I hedged my bets with the original 1922 version and got myself the OWC edition. And because I am now incapable of going through a book's text without reading all, and I mean all, of the front matters--yes, including the copyright page--I went through the first two sections before I dove into the text.

I will not attempt to go into a discourse about the intro and the composition and publication history. In the first place, I don't think I'm capable. In the second, I have 20 mins. before this day ends and I would really like to post this while it's Jan. 16 in my part of the world. Suffice it to say, however, that my eyes did not glaze over as I read Jeri Johnson's introduction. I often like entering into a book cold, but I don't think anyone who was born in the 20th century onward can enter into Ulysses cold. And so I appreciated the context that Johnson provides, from the initial to the latter readers of Ulysses. Not having read the text completely yet, I like can't say if I'd agree with Ms. Johnson, but I can agree with her when she says,

While every new reader faced with this book addresses it new, this newness is modified by the generations of readers who have come before and whose disseminations of it have seeped into virtually every aspect of high and popular culture.

Like I said, who hasn't heard of Ulysses?

And so, though I shunned this novel before, by virtue of rumors about it being too dense and incomprehensible, I think what consistently brings me back to it is the idea of history--both it's publication history and the history of all the readers who have ever tried to make sense out of it. It is exactly a book like this that keeps reading alive--because people can't agree about it, because it is hard to fully understand, because no matter how long it's been around, people still discover/rediscover things about it and it still has something new to say. I don't know if I will end up liking it, but if only for its history, it earns my great respect.

That said, 6 pages into the text itself, and I wonder why I dropped it at page 2 years ago. Sure, I have no idea yet what exactly Buck Mulligan and Stephen Dedalus are talking about, but I have to say I'm enjoying reading the prose. Reminds me a great deal of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land. And therein lies the reason. Except that this is prose, not poetry. I wonder how that will turn out eventually.

Thus goes my first month check-in for our Ulysses read-along. Jaclyn, I hope you're doing much better than I am.:)