Madeleine Dunkers discussion

All page numbers from the Gabler edition (thanks, Bill!), with titles based on the Gilbert schema. I'll get discussion threads posted later tonight. The discussion threads will be by episode, so you can feel free to read and comment at your own pace without worrying about spoilers.

As a reminder, everyone can read whichever edition they prefer. I just used the Gabler page numbers because Bill had already noted them, and I was too lazy to add others! They should give you a good sense of the length of the episodes.

Part I: The Telemachiad – pages 1-42

January 6-12: Part I: Telemachia – Episodes 1-3, pages 1 – 42
• Episode 1: Telemachus – pages 3-19
• Episode 2: Nestor – pages 20-30
• Episode 3: Proteus – pages 31-42

Part II: Odyssey – pages 45-500

January 13-19: Episodes 4-6, pages 45-95
• Episode 4: Calypso – pages 45-57
• Episode 5: The Lotus Eaters – pages 58-71
• Episode 6: Hades - pages 72-95

January 20-26: Episodes 7-8, pages 96-150
• Episode 7: Aeolus – pages 96-123
• Episode 8: The Lestrygonians – pages 124-150

January 27-February 2: Episodes 9-10, pages 151-209
• Episode 9: Scylla and Carybdis, pages 151-179
• Episode 10: The Wandering Rocks, pages 180-209

February 3-9: Episodes 11-12, pages 210-283
• Episode 11: The Sirens, pages 210-239
• Episode 12: The Cyclops, pages 240-283

February 10-16: Episodes 13-14, pages 284-349
• Episode 13: Nausicaa, pages 284-313
• Episode 14: The Oxen of the Sun, pages 314-349

February 17-March 2: Episode 15, pages 350-500
• Episode 15: Circe, pages 350-500

Part III: Nostos – pages 501-644

March 3-9: Episode 16, pages 501-543
• Episode 16: Eumaeus, pages 501-543

March 10-16: Episode 17, pages 544-607
• Episode 17: Ithaca, pages 544-607

March 17-23: Episode 18, pages 608-644
• Episode 18: Penelope, pages 608-644

Thank you, Kris.

I'm curious where and when the section and episode titles (referencing characters and episodes in Homer's Odyssey) originated; does anyone know? They are not in the original text. (I'm reading a facsimile of Joyce's first edition.) Did Joyce himself add them later, or if not Joyce, who?

(I'm fine with not having them in the edition I'm reading; I can always cross-reference this list if I need to.)

Hi Caterina! The episode titles are definitely Joyce's. He used them for the chapters when the book was being published serially in both England and America before the book was finished. It was chapter #13 Nausicaa that brought the chapter publishing to an end. When Joyce finished writing and Ulysses was finally being printed he deleted the Homeric chapters titles from the text. I'm not sure he ever told anyone why. He just did it. This was also the time he divided the book into three sections: The first 3 chapters, then 12, then the final three. This was also the stage at which he added the newspaper headlines in the Aeolus chapter. Also maybe of interest, Joyce added a third of novel, some 250 pages, to the proof sheets as they arrived from the French printers. It drove the type-setters crazy.

Mark wrote: "Hi Caterina! The episode titles are definitely Joyce's. He used them for the chapters when the book was being published serially in both England and America before the book was finished. It was cha..."

So I got it backwards, sort of. Thanks for clearing it up for me, and for the additional information, Mark! Today I've just read episode one, twice -- and I'm even surprised that didn't get it shut down. And what intensity, what seriousness, what art. Already so much to discuss, without my even touching the tie-in to the Odyssey (and Hamlet?) But I'll put any further discussion on the threads Kris sets up.

Your welcome! Imho the relationship to the Odyssey is much over-rated. I think Joyce picked Homer's story because he liked the way the cast was set. A tenor and a baritone and the soprano who is almost always off-stage. The first time I read Ulysses my only back-up was a dictionary. I'm not bragging, I just mean that I wasn't even aware that their were auxiliary books out there. And in the 30 years since then I never found a book or a website worth bothering with. You read chapter 1 twice. That's a better use of time and resources than anything else you could do.

I just finished grading (grades due in a few hours), so I'm a little delayed in getting the threads set up. Will get some sleep and get them up tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!

Discussion threads are up here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... I made one for each episode, so that people can comment when they finish an episode. I've included the schedule dates, but you don't have to follow the schedule. Page numbers are from Gabler.

Cool! and thank you. - )

Fantastic! Thank you, Kris, for all the work and guidance you're putting into this on top of your teaching schedule. I feel lucky to have found this group.

This is great Kris, thank you.

Thanks Kris! I didn't realise you had to submit marks now. Sorry to ask for this on top of everything...

My pleasure, everyone! And Bill, no worries - I offered to do it, and it didn't take long. I just procrastinated on my grading!

Haha I know what procrastinating is like! Well done anyhow. I am just starting, and also re-reading (it's all lost to time...) Ellmann's bio at the same time. I will start a thread for that if anyone wishes to do the same...