R2OK!

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5789 Location: Hampshire

Has anyone ever attempted reading this? I thought I should give it a go as a friend is doing the same.

Phew! Hard going. So many classical allusions which go over my head, although I'm reasonably erudite. I think you are supposed to let anything you don't understand pass you by and let the language flow over you. Last night I read about eight pages of disconnected phrases and images, nothing much happened. Then I got to the section introducing us to Leopold Bloom which shows signs of some kind of narrative developing.

I believe this book is characteristic of the "stream of conciousness" genre. If things don't look up soon I feel I shall abandon it, as I've heard countless others have. Life is too short to spend time reading certain books "because you should" rather than because you actually enjoy them.

Opinions on the internet range from "the greatest novel ever" to "pretentious arty rubbish". One snooty poster advised anyone thinking the latter should perhaps go back to their John Grishams. Good idea. I'll persevere for a while longer. Maybe.

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6851