The Guide to James Joyce's Ulysses

by Patrick Hastings

From the creator of UlyssesGuide.com, this essential guide to James Joyce's masterpiece weaves together plot summaries, interpretive analyses, scholarly perspectives, and historical and biographical context to create an easy-to-read, entertaining, and thorough review of Ulysses.

In The Guide to James Joyce's 'Ulysses,' Patrick Hastings provides comprehensive support to readers of Joyce's magnum opus by illuminating crucial details and reveling in the mischievous genius of this unparalleled novel. Written in a voice that offers encouragement and good humor, this guidebook maintains a closeness to the original text and supports the first-time reader of Ulysses with the information needed to successfully finish and appreciate the novel. Deftly weaving together spirited plot summaries, helpful interpretive analyses, scholarly criticism, and explanations of historical and biographical context, Hastings makes Joyce's famously intimidating novel—one that challenges the conventions and limits of language—more accessible and enjoyable than ever before. He unpacks each chapter of Ulysses with episode guides, which offer pointed and readable explanations of what occurs in the text. He also deals adroitly with many of the puzzles Joyce hoped would "keep the professors busy for centuries."

Full of practical resources—including maps, explanations of the old British system of money, photos of places and things mentioned in the text, annotated bibliographies, and a detailed chronology of Bloomsday (June 16, 1904—the single day on which Ulysses is set)—this is an invaluable first resource about a work of art that celebrates the strength of spirit required to endure the trials of everyday existence. The Guide to James Joyce's 'Ulysses' is perfect for anyone undertaking a reading of Joyce's novel, whether as a student, a member of a reading group, or a lover of literature finally crossing this novel off the bucket list.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Literature, Classics, Criticism, Ireland, Books About Books

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Eddie Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is superb - a really indispensable help for the first-time reader of Ulysses.

[Bárbara Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was perfect for a first-time reader of the famous colossus. It didn't try to explain every obscure detail (which would have been way too overwhelming), but offered a comprehensive overview of all the works that are relevant to get the main themes and influences. It also had amazingly thorough guides per episode, covering everything from main stylistic and structural choices, to explanations and overviews of the plot (especially noting bits that would be important later on), and even funny Joycean trivia, like the debates about the Liffey currents and pamphlets.
The narrator makes it his personal mission to guide you and keep you motivated while reading the book, and his enthusiasm and love for the work are clear throughout these pages (and basically all this material is available for free in his website! How awesome is this guy??). I might have gotten personally attached to this invisible Guide, and by the end of this experience I could only be grateful to have this vital help, without which I would have never been able to finish Ulysses, nor have as much fun!
Other guides or annotated versions might be useful for an even more in depth understanding of the work if you already have some base knowledge, but this was just ideal for a newbie like me, and it made it an incredibly enjoyable experience.

[diario_de_um_leitor_pjv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um dos guias que usei na leitura do Ulisses. Um bom instrumento para nós ajudar no caminho de leitura desta obra tão difícil de James Joyce.

[Jason Furman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reliable and helpful guide to Ulysses, complete with timetables and maps and context like the value of money then and now. It was one of two guides I read (the other was Ulysses: A Reader's Odyssey). What guide and whether to use a guide at all depends on your taste. If I had to choose one it would be Ulysses: A Reader’s Odyssey for reasons I described in my review for that one. But this was really helpful too, just a bit too exhaustive at times in covering seemingly every aspect of every episode in the book. (I realize “exhaustive” is a relative term and there are guides that are much, much longer that go into every word, sentence and allusion in Ulysses.) On the other hand, this is a bit more grounded in scholarship—although that is a matter of degree not a dichotomous difference.

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just posted a link-laden review of Ulysses: An Illustrated Edition where I recommended this guide as critical to actually making it all the way through the novel. Hastings offers both critical acumen and grounded encouragement. Each chapter is specifically helpful, sometimes absolutely essential, to understanding what is going on and how it all fits into Joyce’s visionary masterplan. The chapter introducing “Eumaeus” kicks off with a list of critics’ opinions on its writing (for example, “a tired, threadbare, flatulent narrative larded with commonplaces”) that keep you centered. When you’re headed into a modernist nightmare, it’s good to know in advance about the maze and the minotaur.

Hastings also loves the novel and makes a strong case for its existential relevance. Even if I was not convinced, I appreciate his enthusiasm. More than once that enthusiasm encouraged me to persist. Homer is a cakewalk compared to Joyce, and the reader is aware from the first sentence forward that that is exactly what Joyce intended.

[Dimebag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngl, this guide was my fidus Achates whenever I needed it the most. A fresh set of eyes at service for the aid of the purblind.

[Marg Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is a high school teacher of English - the bio endearingly records that he coaches soccer too! - which means that he is able to pitch this complex novel and its complex action clearly and to the level of a general reader. Makes me think that more guides to difficult novels should be written by high school teachers! Thoroughly useful and a welcome addition to the Joyce bookshelf for those of us who have struggled with his dense prose and plotting

[Jens Middel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems a bit off to give a guide to ‘Ulysses’ a higher rating than ‘Ulysses’ itself. But in terms of reading pleasure, it certainly deserves it. Patrick Hastings’ book is very appealing and accessible in terms of content, style and structure, without treating the reader as an infant; it is frequently funny and personal without becoming clownish or otherwise annoying; it is (in spite of being called THE guide, and not A guide) modest and honest in stating it won’t be able - and doesn’t strive - to explain EVERYTHING in ‘Ulysses’; and all in all, it helped me to both appreciate and understand ‘Ulysses’ to a much higher degree, from its references to classic literature to its many linguistic innovations. In fact, to me, the author’s passion for ‘Ulysses’ was slightly contagious (as is often the case when I hear someone enthusiastically talk about their passion), although I don’t think this contagion will ever lead to the same type of eternal, unconditional and increasing love the author himself seems to cherish for this particular masterwork. To my own surprise, while reading Hastings’ guide, I did feel tempted to re-read ‘Ulysses’ (as one apparently is supposed to, and not just once, but a million times or more). At the moment, though, I feel even more tempted to resist that temptation. But who knows, maybe in a few years…?

[Rod Naquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guide to an exceptional book; helpful, event oriented summarizations, with lots of scholarly touchstones interspersed. Plus Hastings joined our chat this summer—excellent

[Christian Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than the actual book

[Jesse Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary was the most helpful resource that I found for processing the behemoth that is Joyce’s “Ulysses.” The author strikes a difficult balance of highlighting the essential parts while also digging into scholarly conversations about the text. He also throws in lots of welcome humor, and his enthusiasm for the book (he’s read it 15+ times!!!) is palpable.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It being the 100th year anniversary of the publication of "Ulysses", I decided to dust off the book and give it a thorough read. (I read "Ulysses" when I was in college so this go-around was my second time reading this difficult book.)

Hasting's companion made "Ulysses" immensely enjoyable. He gives the reader enough information to understand the book's overall themes yet one is not drowning in facts and theories.

If you are attempting to read this book for the first (or second), I recommend first reading Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" followed by "Dubliners". This will give you a good understanding of Stephen (one of the main characters in "Ulysses"), and acquaint you with some minor characters that appear in the book.

Then, buy Hastings' "The Guide to James Joyce's Ulysses (Paperback)" and read it chapter by chapter alongside "Ulysses".

Enjoy the ride!

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed this guide to get through Joyce's "Ulysses." Without it, I would have been lost. Hastings is a good writer, and he does his job very well here in describing this novel, and the difficult parts of the work.

[Chris Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. A first-time reader of Ulysses, in this its hundredth year I found it helpful to read each episode guide before starting on the text. Far from being a spoiler, it allowed me to appreciate the book more. A very readable guide from someone who clearly enjoys Ulysses.

[Leonart Maruli]

Buku panduan ini baru saya baca sampai Episode ke 6 sesuai dengan episode yang saya baca terakhir kali di novel Ulysses.

Sama seperti novelnya, saya akan kembali ke buku ini pada saat saya membaca Ulysses lagi suatu saat nanti.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta guía supuso para mi una gran ayuda en los primeros episodios, pero ya hacía el final fui encontrando más y más interpretaciones y lecturas especulativas del autor, que son suyas, son subjetivas e interfieren con el criterio propio del lector.

[Chris Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished reading Ulysses and it was simultaneously the single greatest book I’ve ever read and a book that is hard to recommend to anyone. It is a massive undertaking to read it in a way that allows you to stick with it and truly appreciate it. To even scratch the surface of really understanding it, I found it incredibly helpful to simultaneously (with each chapter) read/listen to the corresponding parts of the Ulysses Great Courses audiobook and this ‘The Guide to James Joyce’s Ulysses’. The two companion volumes were incredibly helpful for a first time reader and complemented each other nicely. The Great Courses course focused more on the overlap with The Odyssey, parallels with Hamlet, condensing things down to a series of well structured half hour lectures. But this one, ‘The Guide’, was even more helpful on picking up on some of the important and/or interesting details and giving an incredibly good run down of what you need to pay attention to as a first time reader. I liked the Guide slightly more, but they were both very worthwhile using together. By the middle of the book, I had fallen into a pattern of reading or listening to one of the companion volumes ahead of reading the chapter and then the other after finishing it. Very helpful.

[Daniel Ronan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without this book, I'm not sure if I would have realized Ulysses takes place in Ireland.

Hastings gave me the confidence to read Ulysses and the permission to skip over the many parts that I didn't understand. There is no way I ever would have been able to finish Ulysses without this book, Don Gifford's Ulysses Annotated, and to be completely honest, if I had a job (I was laid off a few months ago and just have so much time to read complicated books like this for the time being).

I hope Hastings has a sequel planned for second time readers because I'm sure I'll still need a lot of help whenever I decide to do a foolish thing like reread Ulysses.

Update for 9/7/2025: still an invaluable resource for reading Ulysses, but I think for my next re-read, I might just try raw-doggin' it, as the kids are saying.

[Gabriela Morales Santana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations, you’ve read Ulysses

[Bennett Windheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the pleasure in reading James Joyce's "Ulysses" is found in the company of Patrick Hastings, author of "The Guide to James Joyce's Ulysses". So let me say at the outset: Enter "Ulysses" without him only at your peril.

I had already read 200 pages of "Ulysses" before realizing I didn't know what the hell I was reading. Another 500 pages of this? No thank you. But was I about to quit? Not a chance. I needed help. After a bit of research I hit on www.ulyssesguide.com and its accompanying book version.

For nearly six months "Ulysses" and "The Guide" sat on my nightstand together, read simultaneously. When I felt brave, I'd begin an episode, and check in with Hastings periodically to see how close my understanding of what I just read was to his. Other times, I'd check in with him in advance of entering a new episode, for a roadmap of what's to come. Sort of like checking in with the concierge of your hotel before starting out on a day of sightseeing a new city.

Want to know what "Ulysses" has to do with Homer's "The Odyssey"? Refer to Hastings.
Want to untangle the myriad literary references tossed about in the book's first half? Ask Hastings.
Want to understand how to engage in the rhythms of Joyce's writing?
Want to have some inkling of what's going on in this book? Hastings is your man.

He has a bottomless passion for "Ulysses." He's done his homework. He's taught the book. He's read it at minimum 15 times (saints preserve him!). So when he speaks about gaining, with each new read, a greater understanding, and appreciation, for what Joyce was doing, I get it. It's only thanks to him that I have any understanding of what Joyce was up to. But now that I do, I really appreciate it.

He's a brilliant teacher, Hastings. He has a great sense of humor - comments through snarky asides are found throughout "The Guide" - and more importantly, empathy. He knows we're struggling. He's been there. And now he's here to help.

"The Guide" is an indispensable companion to James Joyce's "Ulysses" and I'm grateful for it.

[Declan Melia · Rating 3 out of 5]

You made the right Joyce.

A readable and engaging guide for first time readers wanting to get the most of out of Ulysses.

All the sources agree that the essential text for navigating Ulysses is Gibson’s Ulysses Annotated (1998) (including this one). That might be true for Joyce scholars, but for first time readers, Hastings has it on lock. Without this book, Ulysses wouldn’t have been incomprehensible, but it would have been unenjoyable.

This book is so successful because it sets its own limitations. It has no intention of helping you understand every sentence of Ulysses. In fact, helping the reader “understand” the book is not its main thesis: Hasting’s aim is to help you get to the end. This might sound cynical, but Hastings also has an awareness that unlocking the most accessible details of Ulysses are precisely what make it enjoyable enough to keep going.

Hasting does this by shedding all pretentions and focusing on the most important points. In fact, the author is highly forthright in his approach, often writing things to the effect of: “this is a point in Ulysses where many readers give up” but he gives the reader the tools to get through the more difficult sections by suggesting they focus on certain aspects and approach other aspects on the next read through. (It’s treated as a given that you will read it again – and you will want to.)

The language can be pretty goofy. The little jabs at Bloom’s sexual proclivities and nods to cultural references are a little too at odds with the tone of the source text (I’ll bet this is the only Joyce study guide that references 2-Pac) but I think being a little cringey is part of the territory of being a guide.

Best of all, it’s 100% free online. Hasting’s gift to the world.

[Jack Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment I started to really love "Ulysses"-- I mean, like, loving it, as in constantly thinking about its passages and characters and themes, interspersed with the word "Yes"-- was during my roughest time with it. I was about a third of the way through (what I later learned was) "Oxen of Sun" when I was like, fuck this cold turkey shit, I need help... and consulted my link text. It was learning about Joyce's insane ambition with that section, and hearing Patrick Hastings' sympathetic, encouraging words to first-time readers overwhelmed with that ambition, that spurred me on and helped me trek through the remainder of the novel. I checked out this book from the library somewhere in the middle of "Circe," and dipped into it periodically to fill in gaps. Upon finishing "Ulysses" I turned around and read the whole damn thing (this guide, I mean) from cover-to-cover. Maybe you're a genius literary god... but I'm not, and it was helpful and enlightening to have Hastings' commentaries by my side during my spring Joyce quest. What makes his book especially valuable is how it's NOT a comprehensive explication of all of "Ulysses"' mysteries, but a sort of invitation to keep reading, keep exploring, keep thinking, and keep loving what Joyce has wrought. I intend to seek out some of the books and essays Hastings recommends this coming Bloomsday, and I imagine I'll be picking up his "Guide" too several hundred more times before I die. Thanks, Patrick!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the companion books that I read alongside Ulysses. This book puts the whole story in context, with a dose of humour, which is an essential ingredient to getting through Ulysses. It takes Ulysses down from his pedestal step by step to make reading more enjoyable. Each chapter begins with a map showing the whereabouts of Bloom, Stephan or both… Molly never really leaves her house. Explanation of James Joyce’s style, which changes throughout the chapters, clarification of the references to The Odyssey, Hamlet, Dante and tutti quanti, placement in the historical context, all so as not to get lost. For the more difficult chapters, Patrick Hastings offers encouragement to make sure we get through the reading. This book also offers a chronology of Stephen’s Day, a chronology of Bloom’s Day and the Linati Scheme. Each chapter is completed with references to articles on that chapter, and there are even more notes at the end of the book. To complete all this, Patrick Hastings has a website, ulyssesguide.com that has a wealth of information. This book felt like a real guide in the flesh, taking me by the hand and walking me through Ulysses. I must confess that it was the guide I preferred.

https://redheadwithabrain.ch/index.ph...

[Jeff Keehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather pedestrian book: it summarizes the events of the one day that transpires in Joyce's Ulysses. One of the benefits of being familiar with Joyce's novel is being able to enjoy all of the books that have been written about it. Off-hand, I don't recall anything that was revelatory about this book; i.e. I don't think I learned anything new and exciting. I did appreciate the author's attention to the marital balance in the Bloom household. Leopold has blamed himself for more than a decade for the lost of his baby boy. The child died naturally and simply wasn't fit for this world but somehow Bloom blamed himself; given that Bloom is Jewish, maybe we can attribute the guilt to his genes. After Molly has her tryst with Blazes Boylan, Leopold is no longer nursing his guilt and he expects his wife to start acting like one. It's a strange situation but then again marriages often give birth to strange behavior. Hastings also sheds light on the strange events that occur in the Nighttown episode. Miriam and I recently saw a play in Ann Arbor, based on Ulysses, which was much too short to even approach doing justice to the book. But this effort, as well as this book, are nice reflections of the incredible story the book attempts to tell.

[Jack Reilly Gillic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever played Dark Souls? Elden Ring? Bloodborne?

I have — and I love those games. They’re notorious for grinding the unwary player into dust and spitting them out. Before picking up my controller, I’d watch YouTube walkthroughs so I could navigate efficiently: meet every character, complete all side quests, and prepare myself as best I could before facing the bosses.

Patrick Hastings has written the definitive walkthrough for Ulysses. If you want to survive Joyce’s labyrinth, you’d be foolish to ignore it.

This guide is thorough, clear, and honest about the book’s challenges. It doesn’t sugarcoat or simplify; it equips you with the tools you need to find your way through the dense, layered text. Hastings respects the complexity without making it inaccessible — a rare achievement.

If Ulysses is your Dark Souls of literature, consider this your essential strategy guide.

[A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god. It’s over. My long ordeal has finally ended. I can sleep now.

But in all seriousness, this was mildly helpful in understanding whatever was going on, but it feels like Hastings just ignored everything he was uncomfortable with. Like, I’m sorry, HOW did you do a summary/analysis of Scylla and Charybdis without mentioning homoeroticicism? How do you go the entire book without mentioning it, for that matter. It was very much a cishet white man who worships the classics’ perspective. Granted, I think that’s the only type of person who enjoys Ulysses, but I digress. He spends way too much time worshipping Joyce as the ultimate genius instead of getting to the point, and after so much of that it becomes nearly as tedious as just reading Ulysses.

[Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit... Hastings takes the 'fear' out of not understanding "Ulysses" on a first read.
The book itself is a fascinating read as to its language and style, and of course the story itself, but because there are so many references to literature, history, religion and just about anything it is hard to fully get your arms around it.
Hastings helps tremendously with his guide. It made me better understand what I read and was now reading again.
Hastings provides a detailed examination and explanation of each of the eighteen episodes and discusses the action involved and the references made (not all and not to the point of boredom) but the key ones.
He also includes the specific references to "The Odyssey" which is the key point of the entire story.

[Brett Linsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly helpful. Highly recommend to anyone thinking about working through Ulysses. Does an excellent job charting the plot and gives some helpful pointers for future re-reads. Very funny as well. The only downside, that I imagine would be true of any such book, is that this does draw your attention to certain aspects of the book more than others. That said, this is exactly what would happen if you took a class on the book. And truthfully, there’s no way I would have gotten through Ulysses without help so this is really not a discredit at all. 100% recommend picking this up if you are a lay reader attempting Ulysses for the first time. And YES, you should work through Ulysses. It is worth the work, especially if you have a good guide.

[Jimgosailing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my re-read of Ulysses, along with Gifford’s Annotated Ulysses and Frank Delaney’s Re:Joyce (wonderful podcast with early episodes turned into a book) while also listening to Tadhg Hynes’s brilliant audiobook reading.

Of these, I liked Delaney the best as I felt as he explained things he put them in context; next I liked this Guide by Hastings - he provides an excellent roadmap to navigate each chapter; least liked was Giffords - while it is somewhat exhaustive, it doesn’t differentiate the unimportant from the important (and I’m not sure it’s exhaustive as I seem to recall gems from both Hastings and Delaney not found in Gifford.)

See more extensive notes under each of these separate titles.

[David A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a first time reader this was a huge help for making it through the linguistic “odyssey” that is Ulysses. I don’t think I would have finished the novel without it, and certainly would have missed at least 1/3 of the plot (… maybe more, there is a lot of subtle but important content that can be lost within some of the somewhat bizarre prose).

I particularly appreciated that the author never takes this book (or the source material) too seriously, and the humor in supporting of the offbeat protagonist was on brand (point Bloom, and Hastings).