Introduction
James Joyce's 1922 epic novel Ulysses heralded a remarkable achievement in world literature. Quite literally, there had been nothing like it. Many readers were perplexed by the chaotic nature of the prose, others were offended by its sexual details and language, and a few saw it as one of the most important novels ever written. James Joyce's novel has been described as the ultimate 'modernist' text.
The Narrative
Ulysses is the story of a single day - the date 16th June 1904 to be precise. It is the story of the city of Dublin. It is the story of two men. It is the story of a woman. The two men are Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. The woman is Molly Bloom, the wife of Leopold.
Their lives interconnect over the course of this day in a variety of ways. What is special about Ulysses is its stream-of-consciousness aesthetic. Not only does the reader get the characters physical movements and environments, Joyce uses their secret thoughts and processes to enrich the text and story. The story begins in the early morning and ends at the night - throughout the day, the reader will see these characters and their mythical counterparts and realise there is truly something epic in everyday life.
Ulysses and The Odyssey
is very loosely based upon Homer's epic poem of the wandering Greek hero Odysseus as he struggles to return home to his wife and son. James Joyce quite masterfully re-creates this narrative re-setting the tale on a single day in Dublin. To help the reader, it is best to note that in very loose associations Leopold is Odysseus, Molly is Penelope and Stephen is Telemachus. It does help if one is familiar with Homer's classical tale, but Ulysses also offers allusions to Shakespeare's Hamlet.
It is a very true statement that Ulysses is not for the faint-hearted. Joyce weaves so many stylistic devices and narrative voices that some have deemed Ulysses to be 'unreadable'. That opinion is absolute nonsense! Ulysses is perhaps one of the greatest literary achievements in world history. Joyce was no literary snob or elitist like the other modernists at the time, he wrote Ulysses for everybody to enjoy. And it is a very enjoyable novel if one pays close attention and is prepared to seek its rewards.
Summary
Ulysses is a beautiful and often very funny novel. It's ultimate message is of love. It is a novel unlike any other.
