Litsy

Ellmann's Joyce: The Biography of a Masterpiece and Its Maker | Zachary Leader

Recent acquisition for our personal library.

An advance reader copy collected for me from this year's American Library Association conference by my new boss and library director. A kind and unexpected gift.

#joyce #ellmann

5 likes

CindyMyLifeIsLit

Ulysses | James Joyce

My dear friend recently went to Ireland and Salem, MA, and she thoughtfully brought me a few keepsakes from those regions. Of course, they were book-related! 🥰 I love having friends who know me so well!

Leftcoastzen Nice! 1y

Ruthiella How neat! 😃 (edited) 1y

45 likes2 comments

Branwen

Ulysses | James Joyce

Working on a Saturday isn't great, but there are definitely great moments! I am wearing my Ulysses shirt today and have already had three conversations with patrons about the book! Did I read it? Is it good? Is it really THAT challenging? (Yes, twice! Yes, very good! ABSOLUTELY YES! 🤭)

Having fun conversations about books with strangers is definitely one of my favorite things about being a librarian! 💕📚

Leftcoastzen Great conversation starter! Loves me some Jimmy Joyce ! Hope you had a happy Bloomsday! 1y

CindyMyLifeIsLit I read it once, did NOT love it, and have been trying to gird my loins for another run at it. I‘ve heard that audio is the way to go, so will probably add that to the mix next time (along with the three additional books that explain all the allusions and other literary shenanigans going on!). I also love your necklace!! 🎈 1y

AnnCrystal 📚😎👍💝. 1y

Branwen @Leftcoastzen Yay! You too, my friend! 🥰 @AnnCrystal 💕📚💕 @CindyMyLifeIsLit Thank you so much! It's my new favorite necklace! 😀 Ooooh I've never listened to Ulysses before! I bet that's going to be such an incredible experience! 🥰 1y

43 likes4 comments

Bibliobear

Selected Letters of James Joyce | James Joyce, Richard Ellmann

“There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being.“

Remembering James Joyce on his birthday.

7 likes

michellelav

Ulysses | James Joyce

bailed

Guyyyssss, I tried SO hard to get through this book but I‘m 9hrs in out of 42 and I just can‘t do it 😭 it‘s on my scratch off poster so I was trying so hard to get it done but I‘m so lost, bored and just keep zoning out. And that‘s with a website guide for each book 🙃 You win some, you lose some 🤷🏻‍♀️

TieDyeDude Scratch it off, you tried! 2y

michellelav @TieDyeDude I did, I‘m not trying that one again 😂 2y

43 likes2 comments

TheEllieMo

Ulysses | James Joyce

After 5 months of reading, I finished this one in June, which was otherwise a very disappointing reading month for me 😔, so despite being tricky to read and mostly bonkers, this one is my #12BooksOf2023 choice.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 A classic! 2y

22 likes1 comment

Andrea313

Finnegans Wake | James Joyce

This story popping up in my feed today was a delight. I especially love the no-nonsense group leader insisting, "It wasn‘t like I saw God. It wasn‘t a big deal.” ?

Read all about it:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/finnegans-wake-james-joyce-book-club-2...

LeahBergen That sounds excruciating 😂 2y

22 likes1 comment

ShyBookOwl

Finnegans Wake | James Joyce

Came across this in the news and HAD to share 😅 Has anyone here read Finnegans Wake?? Did it take TWENTY-EIGHT years!!? That's commitment.

JamieArc I kind of read it? I took a James Joyce class in university. It‘s such gibberish though that I understood nothing. 2y

ShyBookOwl @JamieArc 😅 2y

Ruthiella I read it, but like @JamieArc , I understood virtually nothing. But I had to cross it off my list. I can‘t imagine reading it with such intensity like this group did. 2y

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ShyBookOwl @Ruthiella 😬 I see the ebook is only $1, and am tempted to check it out, but I don't think I have the discipline or time to really go for it lol 2y

GondorGirl I took a Joyce seminar in college and the professor (who was a Joyce scholar) admitted that he's never managed to finish Finnigan's Wake. It's the only lit class I ever dropped... 😅 2y

ShyBookOwl @GondorGirl Wooooww 🤣 2y

66 likes6 comments

squirrelbrain

Finnegans Wake | James Joyce

Love this article from The Guardian!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/12/california-venice-book-club-finnge...

Particularly this bit…. 🤣

Fialka, who started the group in his early 40s, is now 70. “I don‘t want to lie, it wasn‘t like I saw God,” Fialka said, of reaching the book‘s end. “It wasn‘t a big deal.”

TrishB I just read this too! Some perseverance there! 2y

squirrelbrain Did you see the Orwell article too? @TrishB I seem to recall you didn‘t love the book anyway. 2y

Ddzmini 🤣🤣🤣 2y

See All 18 Comments

TrishB I did and would totally agree with the criticisms tbh. I enjoyed the horror article too esp as I‘m in the middle of reading one of the Argentinian authors. 2y

squirrelbrain I don‘t think I‘ll bother with the Orwell book @TrishB 2y

Ruthiella I read it with an online group on Goodreads and it took about a year. I got absolutely nothing from it, except maybe the answer to a pub quiz some day! 2y

BarbaraBB This is so funny. I read Ulysses a few years ago and decided I‘ll never try Finnegan‘s Wake! 2y

TrishB No I wouldn‘t really recommend on reflection! 2y

squirrelbrain Only a year?! @ruthiella 2y

squirrelbrain I‘ve still to try Ulysses @BarbaraBB …. One day! 2y

Ruthiella I just read the words without trying to comprehend. I also read a reader‘s guide. It was almost all gobbledygook to me. (edited) 2y

BarbaraJean On the one hand, I love this level of passion. On the other, there‘s this: “[Joyce] once described the perfect reader of Finnegans Wake as ‘suffering from an ideal insomnia,‘ and said: ‘The demand I make of my reader is that he should devote his entire life to reading my works.‘” Hahahaha nope. 😂 2y

squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean - can you imagine devoting your life to reading *any* author‘s works, never mind one so difficult to read as Joyce?! Not for me! 2y

Leniverse This just reinforces my impression from reading Joyce's other works, that the man himself must have been insufferable. 2y

LeahBergen 😆😆 2y

SamAnne Visited Dublin this summer. Grabbing lunch at the pub Wilde frequented, ran into a group of passionate (obsessive?) Ulysses devotees. They curate the apothecary across the street where Joyce was a customer and bought the lemon soap mentioned in Ulysses. Now it is a shrine to Joyce and they host daily out loud readings in multiple languages. I‘ve not read it, but at least had my copy of Dubliners along! 2y

squirrelbrain @SamAnne - people certainly seem to get rather obsessed don‘t they?! 2y

sarahbarnes 😆😆😆 2y

65 likes18 comments

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