Welcome to Litsy!

Needlessly abstruse intellectual masturbation.

All right Joyce. A sentence should not be 43 pages long. You are not in a big dick contest with Tolstoy. Fucking men.

“You have made your second-best bed and others must lie in it.”

I will totally be adding this to my repertoire of baffling things I will say knowingly to strangers as a gray-haired old lady.

June #BookSpinBingo! I completed 11 books this month, and I was most satisfied to make it through Ulysses on schedule for the #SandCoUlysses centenary read. I also truly appreciated the message of Tenant of Wildfell Hall (with #PemberLittens) although it was kind of a tough read in places as well. I also stayed on track with the #BibleBuddyRead so we‘re now officially halfway through our yearlong Bible read!

#ReadingStats #MonthlyStats

“… he growled unamiably …”

Is there really any other way to growl, Joyce?

“The movements which work revolutions in the world are born out of the dreams and visions in a peasant‘s heart on the hillside. For them the earth is not an exploitable ground but the living mother.”

Wishing I loved the book as much as the art.

In honor of the centennial of the events of Joyce's Ulysses, I'd like to post a link to Bloomsday by Irish band Fontaines D.C. Skinty Fia is one of my favorite albums of the year. If you like Joy Division or Interpol, give them a chance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsiB_0C5-8c

Well, I did it! Today I finished Penelope, the last chapter of Ulysses, and thus concluded my reread of the book on the best day possible - Bloomsday! ??? I had to scramble to finish the previous two chapters earlier in the week since I fell behind, but it was all worth it to get to that final chapter, which is my favorite!

"...yes I said yes I will Yes."

#ulysses

HAPPY BLOOMSDAY! 🎉💚🎉💚🎉💚🎉💚🎉💚🎉

June 16th, 1904 is the date on which Ulysses by James Joyce takes place! Because of this, the date has long been known and celebrated as Bloomsday! 💕📚 This year is even more special than most because it is the 100th anniversary of the publication on Ulysses! #ulysses

✅ Completed! June 16 is the day on which Ulysses is set & I did manage to read it between February 2 (date of publication & Joyce‘s birthday) & today along with the Friends of Shakespeare & Co centenary read! I won‘t say I completely enjoyed it, but I believe it is well worth the effort of reading. I found all the writing styles fascinating, was amazed by the allusions, and truly enjoyed parts of it. Happy #Bloomsday!

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

#OnThisDay in (fictional) 1904 "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead…" and the following Chronicle of a day in the life of Leopold Bloom left an indelible mark on the literary world. The first mention of a Bloomsday celebration comes from a letter written in 1924, and it has evolved into a global celebration of Joyce's work. One famous literary couple got married on 16 June 1956 to honour the day (any guesses who?) #HistoryGetsLIT

#BloomsburyDay

I‘m quite taken by this.

#bookmoods #dnf
I rarely if ever bail but in the year of its publication I have to confess tried twice, failed twice. One day !!!!!!

Loving the art of this edition

“Paris rawly waking, crude sunlight on her lemon streets.”

Well, that‘s fucking delicious.

“History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”

From your mouth to God‘s ears, James.

I‘ve made it to and have begun reading the final episode! Written from Molly‘s perspective, this one is tough for me because of the very meandering style and complete lack of punctuation. I‘m getting the gist of it and also referencing the Ulysses Guide website for further clarification.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

“Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can‘t wear grey trousers.”

The Ithaca episode of Ulysses is written with a catechism technique, in that it‘s a series of questions & answers, and uses complex vocabulary even when describing simple things. The audio podcast by Shakespeare & Co includes most of it read by 2 narrators for the questions & answers. It provides a lot of information; however, not all of the information can be trusted as accurate. Read over several days, it was fascinating & sometimes amusing.

I‘m working this week to make progress and catch up on this centenary read of Ulysses. This evening that includes some pages of Eumaeus in the hammock.

#SandCoUlysses

I‘m diving into the middle of the long Circe episode of Ulysses with the podcast from Friends of Shakespeare and Company alongside a simple supper tonight. This episode is written in the style of a play script, and the audio by multiple readers is a great way to listen along. Also, even with my pre-reading prep and explanatory podcasts, this episode is crazier than I expected.

#ReadAndEat #SandCoUlysses #1001books

Chapter Thirteen: Nausicaa
Scene: The Rocks
Hour: 8:00 pm

I got off track on my Ulysses journey and missed a couple weeks of reading. But as long as I read one chapter a week from here on out I'll still have it completed by Bloomsday! 😀 This is my second favorite chapter, with Penelope being the first! 💕📚

#ulysses

Last night I finished the Nausicaa episode of Ulysses, which was my #BookSpin square 5 for May. Today I‘ve been slowly reading through the episode Oxen of the Sun. The quote on the left is from the Ulysses Guide website episode description. So far, I‘ve been a bit lost, noticed several Biblical references, learned some vocabulary, actually laughed at a few phrases, and even recognized one of the styles of writing on my own. ⬇️

Today was an absolutely beautiful day, and I enjoyed a good part of it outside. This evening I started the Cyclops episode of Ulysses while getting the grill ready, paused for supper itself, and then finished the rest of the episode. Overall, I found this to be an entertaining section. I started out confused, but the Ulysses Guide website was helpful in clarifying the writing style.

#SandCoUlysses #ReadAndEat #1001books

How did I miss this?! The famous Paris bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publishing of James Joyce‘s Ulysses by releasing a chapter a week in podcast, read by authors such as Colm Toibin, Douglas Stuart, Ali Smith, Katie Kitamura, etc… Which is perfect timing because I‘m currently reading The Paris Bookseller and so motivated to finally read Ulysses.

Chapter Twelve: Cyclops
Scene: Tavern
Hour: 5:00pm
Favorite quote:
"But it's no use. Force, hatred, history, all that. That's not life for men and women: insult and hatred. Everybody knows that it's the very opposite of that which is really life. Love, I mean."

#ulysses

Chapter Eleven: Sirens
Scene: Concert Room
Hour: 4:00pm
Favorite Quote: "The sweets of sin. Sweet are the sweets. Of sin."

#ulysses

This morning‘s reading included continuing Ulysses. Sirens is definitely written in an interesting style and one I very much appreciate listening to with audio.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

Chapter Ten: Wandering Rocks
Scene: Streets
Hour: 3:00pm
Favorite Quote: Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground of all minds that have lost their balance."

I'm halfway through Ulysses! Well, in terms of chapters anyway - eight left to go! This chapter, Wandering Rocks, is my favorite so far. I really loved seeing the wide panoramic view of Dublin and its inhabitants!

#ulysses

After reading very little of it in March, I‘m back to Ulysses. To be honest, I got stuck in Scylla & Charybdis, so this morning I just pushed through it without trying to follow closely or check any references. Now, I‘m on to Wandering Rocks with the Joyce Project.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

Chapter Nine: Scylla and Charybdis
Scene: Library
Hour: 2:00pm

Nine chapters down and nine to go! I think this is one of the more difficult chapters to get through. But! I liked being back with Stephen Dedalus again!

#ulysses #catsoflitsy #chaplin

Chapter Eight: Lestrygonians
Scene: Lunch
Hour: 1:00pm

This chapter, though enjoyable, felt really long somehow. #ulysses

I haven‘t been reading much of Ulysses during the week, but I felt I should read a few pages of this Irish classic to celebrate St. Patrick‘s Day. I started Scylla & Charybdis and will continue it this weekend. I paired my reading with some Jameson.

#SandCoUlysses

This is the chapter I struggled with the most so far, and I remember the same struggle from the first time I read it! ?? There's just a lot going on here, but it's ultimately very rewarding if you stick with it.

Chapter Seven: Aelous
Scene: The Newspaper
Hour: Noon
Favorite Quote: "Everything speaks in its own way."

#ulysses

I missed my weekly Ulysses chapter last week so I'm doing two this week to catch up! This is a somber chapter - lots of ruminations about death and about life. Much to consider here!

Chapter Six: Hades
Scene: The Graveyard
Hour: 11:00am
Favorite Quote: "If little Rudy had lived. See him grow up. Hear his voice in the house. Walking beside Molly in an Eton suit. My son. Me in his eyes. Strange feeling it would be."

#ulysses #catsoflitsy #chaplin

Joyce made these notes when writing chapter 14. Each time Joyce used an idea he crossed it out in red or blue pencil. I love the Treasures Gallery at the British Library - there‘s something so special about being near the page that an author has touched!

I prefer listening to a few podcast readings of Ulysses together rather than 1 daily, so today I listened to all 6 of the Lestrygonians readings. This episode includes Bloom stopping for lunch and has lots of food discussion. As usual, I supplemented my reading with the Ulysses Guide website, the Joyce Project website, & annotations in my print copy. I‘ll listen to the newest Bloomcast before tackling the next episode.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

I‘m reading Ulysses along with Friends of Shakespeare and Company read Ulysses by James Joyce & some of my Litsy Book Club members.
The going is slow, while reading along with Frank Delaney‘s Re: Joyce podcast, but I‘m loving listening to him and hearing all the backstories & annotations.
#SandCoUlysses #LitsyBookClub

I'm finally at chapter 4. #SandCoUlysses @Daisey @tpixie @Branwen I find that I am listing all the literary references that I can easily identify. I understand that he references the Bible, but I can't tell if I think it blasphemy. I think he writes Mulligan to mock Christianity. It is how Joyce feels. I get that.

I haven‘t picked up Ulysses in a full week. I did listen to the Friends of Shakespeare & Company Bloomcast episode about Aeolus & Lestrygonians while driving to and from school one day. This evening I started listening to Aeolus with supper, and I may try to finish it later this evening. I found the style of this chapter an interesting change, and I especially enjoyed some of the word play.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books #ReadAndEat

I don't think Chaplin is very impressed with Ulysses! He fell asleep on the corner of the book before I even finished this week's chapter! 😂😹💕📖 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #chaplin

Chapter Five: Lotus Eaters
The Scene: The Bath
Hour: 10:00am

Favorite quote: "Nice kind of evening feeling. Just loll there: quiet dusk: let everything rip. Forget. Tell about places you have been, strange customs. Getting the supper: fruit, olives, lovely cool water out of the well stonecold. She listens with big dark soft eyes. Tell her: more and more: all. Then a sigh: silence. Long long long rest."

#ulysses

Chapter Four: Calypso
Scene: The House
Hour: 8:00am

I don't have a favorite quote for this chapter, because I really love this entire sequence! After the lofty tangle of tortured thoughts we experience being in Stephen's head (which I also loved!), the utter physicality of Leopold Bloom's morning is absolutely delightful! ❤ #ulysses

It‘s been a busy week without a lot of reading time, but tonight we got an announcement of a regular snow day tomorrow so I decided to stay up late and finish reading the Hades episode of Ulysses.

#SandCoUlysses #1001books

“Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past”
So very happy to see several people reading one of my favorite books! Perhaps it‘s time for a reread 🙂
@Daisey @tpixie thank you for letting me know about the SandCo read along!

Last Dedalus chapter before plunging into Leopold Bloom's day! ?

Chapter Three: Proteus
Scene: The Strand
Hour: 11:00am
Favorite Quote: "He had come nearer the edge of the sea and wet sand slapped his boots. The new air greeted him, harping in wild nerves, wind of wild air of seeds of brightness."

#ulysses

Finally!! My book came in! It was delayed by all of the snow last week. I‘ve been reading a great companion novel and listening to the podcasts. Now it‘s time to dig in and read!
#SandCoUlysses #Ulysses

This evening I read all of Calypso and finally met Mr. Leopold Bloom. Being in this man‘s head might lead to plenty of moments of thinking he could share a bit less, but at least I found this chapter easier to follow than Proteus. I especially enjoyed the cat in this chapter. 🐈‍⬛

#SandCoUlysses #1001books