Happy Bloomsday!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsday

Keillor concluded the Writer's Almanac this morning by reading Molly Bloom's final monologue in place of his usual poem.

Anybody here actually read Ulysses?

 

I tried, many years ago. Couldn't do it.
My mom listened to it on "books on tape." I think even that was an accomplishment.

BTW, on "Prairie Home Companion" a few weeks ago, they did a Joyce-among-the-cowboys-in-a-movie skit that was pretty funny. Keillor, as one of the cowboys, introduced it like this:

"It's called "Ulysses West of the Mississippi." I guess the studio bought the rights to James Joyce's "Ulysses" but they couldn't afford to shoot in Ireland, so they made it into a western. Billy the Kid rides into town and shoots a guy named Finnegan and there's a wake. And he meets James Joyce in the saloon-and they face off in the street."

It also included this song snippet:
"And this is the story of Joyce's Ulysses,
Life is a voyage and it isn't for sissies
Some things end and others begin again
Here's a toast to good old Finnegan."

 

I've read it.
It is difficult but worthwhile.

 

I plowed through it in college, but can't remember much. I'll take Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners and leave Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake to the academics.

 

I've never made it through 'Finnegan's Wake.'
I read 'Ulysses' in high school after rescuing a copy from a dumpster. I only partially got it.
I read it again in college and got a lot more out of it.
'Portrait' is still far and away my favorite Joyce book and sometimes my favorite book overall.