Bloomsday

Categories: Fiction

I have a confession to make: I've never read James Joyce's Ulysses, have not so much as scanned a few pages in order to get through a literature course.  And so today, Bloomsday 2009, I shall attempt to rectify this situation.

Upon initial inspection, I can see what all of the fuss is about.  Joyce stirred up the literary world with his story of a few people who make their way through a day in Dublin on June 16, 1904. Beyond that, it is obvious that it could take a lifetime to get a grip on this novel, which required a decision from the US District Court in December 1933 to be published legally in the United States. 

Happily for me, I work in a library where there are seemingly hundreds of books that have been written about Ulysses, each of which I may need to consult.  Among the most useful is a small book that was published in 2004, for the centennial anniversary of Bloomsday.  Yes I said yes I will Yes, edited by Nola Tully, includes interesting tidbits, quotes, maps, and stories of how people around the world celebrate Bloomsday (the diehards call themselves "Bloomers").

Perhaps author Samuel Beckett nailed it down when describing the work of his friend James Joyce: "His writing is not about something.  It is the thing itself."