Thoughts of the Day

So, the slog continues…just kidding. I am enjoying the book for what it is, as I knew I would. It is true though, this one is not for the fainthearted. So I though I would work the old bullet point review this time as I have a few thoughts that are vaguely, if at all, related.

1) I’m working through Episode Six (Hades). Everyone’s in the carriage on the way to the funeral. You really, really have to pay attention here as the narrative jumps all over the place, from spoken words to thoughts, between the characters, like a beach ball bouncing in the summer surf and wind. One comment or thought yields to another in quick succession. It’s kind of a work out for the reader but I see what he (Joyce) is doing here, mirroring the way reality flits and flops around sometimes. I have noticed that if you stick it out and focus, you get into a flow and things do become clearer (like if you go for at least ½ hour of reading with little resting). It’s like getting your heart rate up on the treadmill: getting there is painful but once your up and running, you feel like you can go forever (runner’s high).

2) Lots of pieces here on death and dying. Much talk of funerals and suicides. Happy times! I’m not exactly sure where this theme is going (besides the obvious of course) but it is a strong presence in the book at this point.

3) The thoughts and words of each character, presented as stream of consciousness of course, are starting to feel personalized, especially in looking at Bloom versus Dedalus. You can start to tell who it is without being told, which is cool. Dedalus is the thinker, with witticisms and occasional high-mindedness. A teacher. A scholar. Bloom is more basic, more the everyman. This technique of characterization is interesting.

4) Still more grossness, this time in relation to death. Detailed and disgusting descriptions of corpses, burials, funerals, and more corpses. At this point, I am certainly expecting no less.