fantastic narrators

both narrators were superb, and with lovely singing too. my first time 'reading' Ulysses was good, although long parts were indigestible, other parts were great, especially the ending. Will read again in book form one day

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Long overdue read... beautiful language

A book I long longed to read but which I had previously abandoned on more than one occasion. Not this time.

Having it beautifully read and listened to made it much more of a pleasure; accompanying it with a Kindle to see the text and its layout, added further value. I also listened to the Great Courses series of lectures on Joyce's Ulysses (further insights and depth into Joyce and the allusions and parallels with Homer's Odyssey and original Ulysses); this further enriched the experience of reading, listening and thinking about the book.

If you've wondered about Ulysses and its famed free associations, descriptions of everyday life and sex, humour and onomatopoeia... just get it and start listening.

This is an in-depth analysis of the experiences and lives of three people (Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and Molly Bloom) over an 18 hour period. We learn about their struggles and interactions in the context of anti-semitism in Dublin Ireland at the turn of the 19/20th Century. It is described in great depth, breadth and more than a little mirth.

Joyce's sense of humour shines through; it may not be easy going but it is always interesting and entertaining and often hilarious...

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15 people found this helpful

Did not....

really understand it, however I realize that this piece is something of a must read for everyone that enjoys and studies literature. I think I must listen to again and again and mabey once again then perhaps I will understand it. I also bought the Great courses Ulysses and will continue to listen to that to mabey understan.

Special shout out to the narrators who did a superb job of reading this confusing text and making it a little bit easier to comprehend.

It is a long listen, took me an avid listener over month to finish, I recommend listening for 30-40 minutes a day so not to overwhelm yourself and give you a time to process it.

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5 people found this helpful

Amazing - get this version!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It took me a while to decide which recording to opt for, but this is the one. It is astounding.

What about Donal Donnelly’s performance did you like?

Donal Donnelly's performance is fantastic. He was chosen to do it by Joyce's estate, and he's great.

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17 people found this helpful

A Challenging Read, but Clever Writing

Contains much symbolism and references to Homer's Odyssey. To better understand what is going on, you really need to read that book first, or do what I did and follow Spark Student Notes which explains chapter by chapter.

Donal Donnelly as narrator does a great job of helping us differentiate between the actual narration and what the characters are just thinking. He seems to completely understand Joyce's poetry & prose and relishes the sound of every word that he reads. That all helps. He does read rather slowly though, hence the book lasts over 42 hours. I'm pleased a went for this version. It is clear that a lot of work has gone into making this the definitive recording of the book.

The story is superficially quite simple, following just one day (Thursday, 16th June 1904) in the life of the 3 main characters in Dublin. Our main, main-character, Bloom, goes to the butchers, buys a kidney, comes home makes breakfast, goes to the toilet, then off to church, then a funeral, then a pub, then the beach... (hope that isn't too much of a spoiler!) Paths cross with the other two main characters.

Mainly, I think, James Joyce just seems to be exploring the possibilities of the English language and its sounds. At times he doesn't even bother to use sentences. A real challenge to follow, especially episode 14 where the author is playing with all kinds of writing styles (alliterative Anglo-Saxon, Medieval prose, seventeenth century prose, etc.) Each of the 18 episodes of the book are different in some way. Very clever writing.

5 stars on the basis of a good intellectual challenge. For me, a refreshing change from the usual over-commercial, domestic thrillers.

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2 people found this helpful

There is no 'story'.

Thank goodness for the extraordinary performances from both readers otherwise I would have given up. I know Joyce is considered a genius but listening to the protagonist's ego for hours on end, was torture - like being infinitely stuck inside a washing machine with his dirty laundry. Once we got inside Molly's mind however, things changed and it was a joy to listen to.

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Worth the effort - what an education !

It took me a number of phases, going quiet for a while before getting back into it. I listened and read at the same time to assist with understanding and then used the new bloomsday book by Harry Blamires to help with the basic narrative.
Favourite word " Topnobber" - a social climber, someone who tries to only associate with those perceived to have influence and / or wealth!

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Fantastic way to read this classic

Brilliant! Completely brought the text to life in a hugely meaningful, emotionally connected and relevant way.

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brilliant boom, geest performance

I listened to three performances before buying thuis book. Ulysses was not an easy read for me, being dutch. listening to mr. Donnelly made it not only easier but also a joyous experience. I am in awe of the performance as well as the boom. Such originality, beauty of language. Go listen!

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2 people found this helpful

This book is like Jazz

This book is like Jazz: you will have to go through an awful lot of subpar dribble to find some -but only some- interesting gems. Like Jazz there are scores of people who like it. I am not one of them.

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