ULYSSES BY JAMES JOYCE

“You should approach Joyce’s Ulysses as the illiterate Baptist preacher approaches the Old Testament: with faith.”

William Faulkner

This study is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses in February 1922, when it was judged by many to be profoundly obscene.

According to Salon Director and study facilitator Toby Brothers: “There is a strong argument for studying this huge and intimidating text – chart-topper of the 100 greatest books of all time, critics’ darling, the most lauded and least read, the book that many literary academics dedicate their lives to studying – but you will only know for yourself by diving in. I believe the best way to study it is with a group of hungry, curious readers who all contribute to evoking meaning, through their questions as well as their insights.

“The good news: reading Ulysses is fun. And I don’t mean in a frustrating, overly-analytical see-how-much-you-know way. The language is amazing – even when I don’t understand it. Perhaps, especially when I don’t understand it, because meaning sneaks in through more than my critical faculty. Meaning slides in through sound, through the lushness of the language, through the filmy and substantial images, and suddenly I find myself transported from a walk on a beach to a contemplation of the origins of man – thank you James Joyce.

“Any time spent studying Joyce leaves one a better reader – a broader thinker – even if all the references, repetitions, epiphanies and allusions are not immediately understood.”

Salon participant feedback:

“Joining the Ulysses salon is one of the best things I have ever done. This was a book I had wanted to read for years but never got past the first section. I had no idea what the salon would be like and was very apprehensive about joining up. But Toby so skilfully guided us through it, her knowledge of the text seemingly inexhaustible, that with her warmth and generosity and sensitivity she got everyone involved and the satisfaction of participating in the salon and in getting an understanding of this marvellous work was immense.”

See more feedback here.

SALON DETAILS:

A) DAYTIME: Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 PM   **This study will be VIRTUAL**
B) EVENINGS : Tuesdays 5:00-7:00 PM  **This study will be VIRTUAL**

• Both afternoon and evening studies start 11 January and finish 19 June (both groups combine on Sunday evening) 2022; there will be a number of special Sunday evening meetings for both the afternoon and evening groups to address the longer chapters
• There will be 21 meetings with a few breaks around school half-terms
• The total cost for the 21-meeting study, with notes and background resources, is £455
• Please purchase these editions in preparation for our study:
  • Ulysses, by James Joyce, Annotated Students’ Edition (Penguin Modern Classics), ISBN-10: 0141184434. (There are many editions of Ulysses – I find this edition is most coherent and the notes and introduction by Declan Kieberd very helpful; as we will constantly be referencing particular passages, having the same edition will be extremely useful).
  • The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide Through Ulysses, by Harry Blamires, ISBN-10: 0415138582