Anonymous wrote:1. I love the Great Courses. If they have something on Joyce, go for it.
2. Would it help to read it while drinking at the Dubliner? Somehow I have a feeling that would help. At least drinking at the Dubliner is fun.



Actually, that's a fantastic idea. Not the least because there's a local bar, and maybe it's the Dubliner, where there's a "Bloomsday" reading of Ulysses. Bloomsday is the day, was it June 16(?), when Ulysses' hero Leopold Bloom does his wandering around Dublin. I think the Bloomsday reading goes on all night.

Yes, that's the Dubliner. Enjoy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. I love the Great Courses. If they have something on Joyce, go for it.
2. Would it help to read it while drinking at the Dubliner? Somehow I have a feeling that would help. At least drinking at the Dubliner is fun.

PP who recommended The Great Courses book on Joyce here. Seriously, that's how I made it through to the end. It's one of their cheaper courses if you wait for a sale. The instructor is jovial, enthusiastic, and gives you enough so you understand the key themes and devices, but not too much. Listen to a lecture then read the associated chapters. Listen to the next lecture then read.... It wasn't the absolute most fun thing I ever did, but parts were actually pretty enjoyable and the sense of accomplishment at the end was amazing.

^^^ Great Courses lecture

Anonymous wrote:1. I love the Great Courses. If they have something on Joyce, go for it.
2. Would it help to read it while drinking at the Dubliner? Somehow I have a feeling that would help. At least drinking at the Dubliner is fun.

PP who recommended The Great Courses book on Joyce here. Seriously, that's how I made it through to the end. It's one of their cheaper courses if you wait for a sale. The instructor is jovial, enthusiastic, and gives you enough so you understand the key themes and devices, but not too much. Listen to a lecture then read the associated chapters. Listen to the next lecture then read.... It wasn't the absolute most fun thing I ever did, but parts were actually pretty enjoyable and the sense of accomplishment at the end was amazing.

There's a series of "annotated" books that I've been meaning to buy and get through. I have this one:

Charles Dickens, THe Christmas Carol

http://www.amazon.com/The-Annotated-Christmas-Carol-Hardcover/dp/B00IGYRHFS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409860027&sr=8-3&keywords=christmas+carol+annotated

It's wonderful - the original story as written with a ton of related facts - relevant historical or cultural reference explanations, etc.

There are a bunch more that I've been meaning to get (search "annotated books" on Amazon - the series all have similar book covers). Things like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, etc.

There are a ton of them (both this particular series and others) - I bet you can get most from your local library. I think it would help a lot.

Anonymous wrote:1. I love the Great Courses. If they have something on Joyce, go for it.
2. Would it help to read it while drinking at the Dubliner? Somehow I have a feeling that would help. At least drinking at the Dubliner is fun.

Actually, that's a fantastic idea. Not the least because there's a local bar, and maybe it's the Dubliner, where there's a "Bloomsday" reading of Ulysses. Bloomsday is the day, was it June 16(?), when Ulysses' hero Leopold Bloom does his wandering around Dublin. I think the Bloomsday reading goes on all night.

Anonymous wrote:OP once more. Take James Joyce. I look at Ulysses, and think What the hell? But, I should read it, right?

DH and I jokingly call the copy of Ulysses we have "the ambien", for when we can't sleep. We are both well read, in fact he's insanely well read and I think we have read about 30 pages TOTAL between the two of us!

Some classics are fine to skip!

That said, I love and will always love Count of Monte Cristo. And not that movie version crap where there is a fundamental change in what happened for the character!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP once more. Take James Joyce. I look at Ulysses, and think What the hell? But, I should read it, right?

You don't just randomly read Joyce. It is no joke. I would read about 25 others before anything by him.

I remember vividly in my "introduction to Occidental Civilization" class in college, my professor told us that so much of Joyce was never meant to be read without a college, if not post graduate degree to truly understand it. That convinced me that I did to need to attempt it myself.

I'm reading Mrs. Dalloway at the moment and love it. I'd start out with gripping and easy if I were you. PPs have excellent lists. Don't forget about the great writers of the west! Wallace Stegner's angle of repose is an all-time favorite.

The great gatsby and The Lord of the flies, repeating. The best. The east of Eden. Death of a salesman.

In a funny way I am sort of envious of you!!