decadent_and_depraved reviewed Ulysses annotated by Don Gifford
Review of 'Ulysses annotated' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Ulysses is a book about everything, but not for everyone. I always sort of knew how important this book was for the birth of the insane styles of writing that I enjoy, therefore, I knew I had to read it, at least out of respect. On that side, the book absolutely exceeded all expectations. The style is mesmerizing. It is rhythmic and poetic, putting you into a trance of sorts which I would describe as akin to music. Yet, it is more like listening to music with lyrics in a language foreign to you. You can appreciate it, it could even move you, but forcing yourself to understand it, every god damn word of it, would drive you absolutely mad. So, as soon as I gave up on even attempting to decipher what in the actual fuck Joyce was meaning to say, I started enjoying the aforementioned rhythm of the …
Ulysses is a book about everything, but not for everyone. I always sort of knew how important this book was for the birth of the insane styles of writing that I enjoy, therefore, I knew I had to read it, at least out of respect. On that side, the book absolutely exceeded all expectations. The style is mesmerizing. It is rhythmic and poetic, putting you into a trance of sorts which I would describe as akin to music. Yet, it is more like listening to music with lyrics in a language foreign to you. You can appreciate it, it could even move you, but forcing yourself to understand it, every god damn word of it, would drive you absolutely mad. So, as soon as I gave up on even attempting to decipher what in the actual fuck Joyce was meaning to say, I started enjoying the aforementioned rhythm of the words. I am not even fully convinced, either, that there is an actual meaning to this narrative, to these characters, to these events, but I suppose that does not matter. I can appreciate when the work excels at something, and Ulysses truly does so in its prose.
