Thumbs Up for Episode 13

So far, Episode 13 is my favorite. I liked the characterizations, style, and structure and really began to feel like I was finally “getting” it. And yes, this episode is totally prurient and salacious like they said it would be but, as is the case with all good writing, it isn’t “obscene” in an sensational way but rather in a way that forwards the themes and ideas of the book. The section starts with a group of young people hanging out on the beach, with the thoughts and desires of Gerty MacDowell front and center. The prose is styled as “Romantic” (think Charlotte Bronte or Jane Austen) and in the third person (as such, is easy to follow and I did not find myself referring to the annotations much in this episode, which was a nice break). There is a nice flow and progression to this episode, even when the narrative switches later to a more typical, stream-of-consciousness style found earlier in the book (this time, Leopold Bloom’s thoughts). I don’t know, I guess I don’t have much to report here except for the fact the Episode 13 is great.