James Joyce's Ulysses

"So warm. His right hand once more more slowly went over again: choice blend, made of the finest Ceylon brands. The far east. Lovely spot it must be: the garden of the world, big lazy leaves to float about on, cactuses, flowery meads, snakly lianas they call them. Wonder is it like that. Those Cinghalese lobbing around in the sun, in "dolce far niente". Not doing a hands turn all day, Sleep six months out of twelve. Too hot to quarrel. Influence of the climate. Lethargy. Flowers of idleness. The air feeds most. Azotes. Hothouse in botanic gardens. Sensitive plants. Waterlilies. Petals too tired to. Sleeping sickness in the air. Walk on rose leaves." - Ulysses (1922) by James Joyce.

Took three tries, but this time I read it straight through. It is magnificent. A tour de force. Challenging, difficult and incredible.

I highly recommend accompanying the book with the Great Lectures series, and if you really want a treat, also buy the "whisper sync" version for your Kindle, and read along as it is read to you.

The last chapter is unbelievable, the perfect ending to this extraordinary book. The chapter on child birth is perhaps my favorite: he recreates the pregnancy term, by starting the chapter in Elizabethan English and slowly, gradually advancing to modern English. Brilliant.

All in all, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

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