Leah’s Reviews > Ulysses > Status Update

Read Chapter 13, which highlights yet another reason to dislike Joyce: His obvious sexism. All women are presented in a negative light, from the adulterous Molly, the ditzy Martha, the flamboyant prostitutes, the silly, petty Edy and Cissy, and finally culminating in the vain and tempting Gerty. To Joyce, all women are predators, each with her own hunting style. I've read Victorian dramas more progressive than this.

Reed Chapter 13, which highlights yet another reason to dislike Joyce: His obvious sexism. All women are presented in a negative light, from the adulterous Molly, the ditzy Martha, the flamboyant prostitutes, the silly, petty Edy and Cissy, and finally culminating in the vain and tempting Gerty. To Joyce, all women are predators, each with her own hunting style. I've read Victorian dramas more progressive than this.

Finished Chapter 12. Have no idea what I just read. Why did this chapter suddenly switch to first person?

Finished Chapter 12. Have no idea what I just read. Why did this chapter suddenly switch to first person?

Finished chapter 11. Honestly, I'm trying really hard to be intellectual and have something smart to say about this book, but I just...can't. The fuck?

Finished chapter 10. Now this is by far the best chapter in the book. Joyce has an ability to deftly set the scene with just a few words. The series of vignettes that makes up chapter 10 is the most interesting chapter so far. I think excess of words (Stephen, anyone?) is what makes most of this work so unenjoyable.

Finished Chapter 7. "O! Mr Dedalus cried, giving vent to a hopeless groan. Shite and onions! That'll do, Ned. Life is too short."
I'm adding 'onions' to my list of acceptable swears. "Shit and Onions". Alphabetized, goes right before "Sucks royal hippogriff" in my curse dictionary.

Finished chapter 6. I will say that this was the most enjoyable chapter so far. I'm wondering who the target audience was for this masterwork. Did Joyce even have a target audience in mind?

Finished Chapter 4.
The notes on this chapter chiefly consist of bragging about how deep Ulysses is. Stephen had breakfast, and how Harold had breakfast. See how they're connected? So deep! So meaningful! Then they both thought about death. Just wow. And here's the clincher: Stephen took a wee, and Harold pooped. WHAT AN INCREDIBLY PROFOUND STATEMENT! DEPTH! ANALYSIS! MEANING! CONNECTION!

Headache.

Finished Part 1.
Oh, Stephen Dedalus, please shut up and move on. His POV is both entirely repetitive and completely nonsensical, a continual stream of gratuitous misery that chafes against the inside of my brain. He's the kind of kid who's always telling you "I'm going through some stuff. Like, I'm in a crisis, man," but never seems to get through it. He wallows in it. He enjoys being a wasted little dipshit. UGH.