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Reading Joyce

Instead of starting with his short-stories, I launched straight into Ulysses as a teen and retired hurt never to return to Joyce again. Recently, I watched the movie Nora which made me want to try again - see if knowing about the man and his life would make his writing more accessible. Also, I had age and way more life experience on my side now. This time, I decided to start with The Dubliners and see how I fared before taking on more challenging books. The writer of The Guardian article tells it exactly as it is:

When James Joyce finished writing Ulysses, he was so exhausted that he didn’t write a line of prose for a year. I can believe it; I needed a nap after reading 40 pages.

For the last three months, I’ve glared at its fat, lumpen form on my floor with a vague sense of personal failure. I’ve opened Ulysses twice, determined to finish it, and achieved getting all the way to page 46 (it’s a bit longer than that). I have read so little both times I started that I have never bothered with a bookmark; it seemed too sad flagging such a hollow achievement.

I doubt I will ever make it all the way through Ulysses but it is possible I may manage to read his less difficult looks now.

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