Episodes

So I've purposely been avoiding the Wikipedia entry on Ulysses, mainly the book summary (I have checked out some of the biographical and historical stuff). It just seems like cheating to get info before reading the thing. Also, I don't like spoilers (I like to head into a book completely clueless. Let it stand on it's own. As such, I try not to ever read the dust jacket summaries, reviews, or anything before beginning a book. Only after.) However, I will be using Wikipedia to help with the blog, namely to label and reference the different "episodes." You see, apparently I have the old school version of the book which doesn't label any of them (apparently Joyce didn't do so originally.) However, most other versions do. So I will be using Wikipedia to find the episode labels and use them to give you, blog reader, an idea of where I am in the book. Incidentally, and on a similar note, so far the episodes are very "digestible" in a single reading session. A close reading of each one takes no more that an hour (sometimes much less), which seems good. Like I said, I'm in no rush. So that being said, I just finished Episode 5, The Lotus Eaters. More of the same. We did find out that old Leo is cheating on his wife (or merely thinking of cheating?) and that his junk, as viewed while taking a bath, is a "limp father of thousands, a languid floating flower." Clearly too much information here.