James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses: persist to the end!
On first reading, you will probably be preoccupied with difficulties, even appalled by the size of Ulysses as a literary work. The first thing to understand is that Literary Modernism was in full swing when Joyce was writing Ulysses between 1914 and 1922. This literary movement was a stimulus for writers to break with the traditions of the past. It was a stimulus to explore new forms and new styles of writing and incorporate them into his work. Other important influences were also at play, influences that propelled the movement of literary modernism forward and upward. Such influences derived particularly from new trends in the study of philosophy and psychology.
As a result, great importance was placed on exploring unconditional subjectivity in novel writing. He gave himself credit for exploring the basic impulses of the non-thinking mind. Unique literary techniques were developed. the phenomenon of stream of consciousness it was taken to new and dark levels. Emphasis was placed on internal monologues, circular arguments, and mixed judgments, all of which are generally broad and often contradictory. Cynicism, disillusionment, and mistrust flourished, especially mistrust of the government and the church. Sacred truths and inherited values were rejected. The depiction of cold and violent reality has become a standard in the new world of modern writing. And this new world arose from the ravages and brutalities of the European war of 1914 – 1918.
That’s why you need a good companion book, a good guide, and commentary to recognize these influences. This book will help you understand why Joyce relished the opportunity to take advantage of many of the then modern techniques in her writing. There is no doubt about it; James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses, is a product of his time and a product of the influences that abound in a very turbulent European continent. It is the product of a highly devalued narrative method of literary expression. It is the product of a popularized system of defragmentation, a defragmentation that is seen particularly in the structure and plots of new novels, a system that is seen especially in the art world, for example in cubism and expressionism.
It can be quite correctly stated that when Joyce wrote Ulises he wrote it with many of these influences in mind. She certainly did not write it to meet the expectations of the readers. Readers of the expected narrative in time. They expected plots, plots with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Instead, Joyce took to literary modernism with gusto and wrote with vigor and verve to make his text complex and intricate. She mixed styles. He devised new techniques. The experiment. He played with words, meanings, and syntax, and very often did so in a casual, carefree manner, and for good measure, often in a variety of languages and idioms. Let none of this ever tempt you to give up on Ulysses.
Joyce reveled in producing his own blockbuster and did it, or tried to do it, independently of another great literary movement, a movement of which he was well aware, namely the Irish Literary Revival. This literary renaissance was a fantastic revival that had a huge impact on all aspects of Irish life at the time. Large numbers of people in Ireland and in his hometown of Dublin were involved in the creative arts; in prose and poetry; theater and fiction; art and sculptor; music and entertainment; language and scholarship; religion and politics, even in sports. Joyce rebelled against this movement and severely mocked it throughout his life. She disliked him so much that he left the country and went to live in Europe. He seems to have had difficulties with many of the important leaders of the Irish literary revival. In fact, Joyce was so upset by the move that he unflatteringly incorporated many of his important personalities into his epic.
Today’s reader, now far removed from Joyce’s times and trends, may have great difficulty understanding the details and nuances of literary movements, writing styles, historical events, and personality dynamics. Today’s reader cannot be blamed for thinking that Joyce’s epic is incomprehensible in parts, often tedious, and, in fact, maddening. But the message is clear: don’t let this win you over. Instead of trying to conquer difficulties head-on, walk around them and push them aside. Rise above them. Use any, some, or many of the helpful support books out there. Ulysses is a rare work of literature and it will surprise and enrich you each time you return to it.