Ulysses

By: James Joyce

Narrated by: Jim Norton

Ulysses is regarded by many as the single most important novel of the 20th century. It tells the story of one day in Dublin, June 16th 1904, largely through the eyes of Stephen Dedalus (Joyce's alter ego from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman. Both begin a normal day, and both set off on a journey around the streets of Dublin, which eventually brings them into contact with one another.

While Bloom's passionate wife, Molly, conducts yet another illicit liasion (with her concert manager), Bloom finds himself getting into arguments with drunken nationalists and wild carousing with excitable medical students, before rescuing Stephen Dedalus from a brawl and returning with him to his own basement kitchen.

In the hands of Jim Norton and Marcella Riordan, experienced and stimulating Joycean readers, and carefully directed by Roger Marsh, Ulysses becomes accessible as never before. It is entertaining, immediate, funny, and rich in classical, philosophical, and musical allusion.

Download the accompanying reference guide.(P)2004 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Classics, 2005

"As ambitious and rewarding an audio production as any that exists, an audio experience that truly deserves to be cherished....Readers of Ulysses have long been encouraged to read out loud the more difficult sections for added comprehension and enjoyment of the language. Now, thanks to Naxos, the entire book is available in a performance to savor. It is safe to say that anyone wanting to experience the preeminent work of modern fiction has in this package the perfect audio companion." (AudioFile)

Ulysses (Unabridged)

This book was well worth the money and time invested - a master work which was read accurately and in keeping with the spirit and culture of the writer. The Irish accents of each character were deftly done and easy to identify for without the changes in irish dialect for different characters it would have been very difficult to follow - this book is like Shakespeare - easier followed when performed than when read. Some of the passages were in turn hilarious and disturbing - I was constantly impressed by the narrators skills. The book is NOT AN EASY LISTEN - it requires and deserves a lot of concentration which many folks wont be interested in giving it - it took me a long time to get through, but it was entirely worth it and I doubt if I would have had the stamina to read through the book. The narrators accents and infusion of life and character into the text were wonderful. I intend to listen to this one at least twice to get full richness of the work - Highly recommended.

there is no better book on audible

this is #1.

Ulysses is the single best book on audible.

One of the most incredible books of all time. Stream of consciousness… pure thought coming out in words. Simple and complex at once. A masterpiece. The masterpiece.

I thought nothing could make it better. I was wrong.

This reading brought the novel to life in no way I could have imagined. Any other reading pales in comparison. And it’s not just Jim Norton that gives a stellar performance. No no… Marcella Riordan … is amazing. absolutely amazing. She gives the end monologue so much sensuality that i get chills when I hear it.

I truly believe there is no better audiobook on audible.

i hope you get the pleasure

-m

Music to the ears

I'd always wanted to read Ulysses but had been scared away by Joyce's writing technique. As an audio book, on the other hand, it was an absolute delight. This is writing that is meant to be read aloud. The stream of consciousness prose was like music. Pick it up, listen for a while, put it down, listen again - it was always a joy. The narration was tremendous and the incidental music set the time and place perfectly. The is one of the most aesthetically satisfying books I've ever listened to. An amazingly easy book to listen to, well worth the invested time. Truly a thing of beauty and a joy forever. (I liked it too.)

Very good if you've read the book before

Would you listen to Ulysses again? Why?

Maybe in the distant future. It's too long for a lark.

What other book might you compare Ulysses to and why?

Maybe Pynchon.

Which scene was your favorite?

Wandering Rocks, Cyclops, and Oxen cane through particularly well read aloud.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not likely.

Any additional comments?

This recording reminded me of just what a feat Joyce pulled off with the book.

Amazing

I have tried to read this book many times through the years but never got much past the first two chapters. I couldn't have done it without the excellent narration. The last chapter is absolutely mesmerizing. I will probably read and listen to this again but now I need something a little different. I know why this book is considered by many as the greatest novel ever written. You could probably spend years studying this book but I would suggest to anyone giving it a try the first time to just listen to the great narration and the sound of the words themselves.

Overrated

My assessment is that while this may be important to the history of literature and has an interesting style, it is significantly overrated.

The definitive Ulysses

I'm one of those acolytes who reads Ulysses over and over again. I choice to make my fifth reading this audio recording so I could hear the words in a new way. This audiobook may replace my beloved paperback with all its scribbled marginalia. The performance is breathless and rich with all of Joyce's wordplay, never missing a mark. I listen to all audiobooks a bit faster or else I get sick of the plodding pace, and this I liked at 1.25. Except for Molly's soliloquy, which I took at the given speed, because it deserves that much. Fabulous choice to use two voices, a man and a woman's - better choice still to only use the woman's voice for Molly, and let the other women be read by the man. The effect, I think, is a wonderful one in the context of the novel, where Molly is such an important voice, apart from Gerty and the other women of Dublin. I have no idea if this is a good introduction to Ulysses, but for someone who'd like to hear Joyce's words - and they must be heard - this is a fantastic option. The interstitial music is a nice context given how much music plays into the novel, and I was transfixed by the performance of Love's Old Sweet Song, and would love to listen to it on its own, pregnant as it is with meaning from Joyce's work, where it's the gift of a son to his dying mother, and a mother to her dead son.

For English Literature Professors Only

Ulysses, James Joyce. Read by Jim Norton with Marcella Riordan. This is an oft nominated master work of Western Civilization. That is because, in my meager understanding, it finds a new way to present the written word. Its story is not told in direct story telling but rather stream of mind consciousness. Think of Van Gogh’s Wheatfield and Crows and then ratchet the amorphous nature of the work up seven-fold and you have the spoken effect of reading Ulysses. Does this mean it is intriguing to read or unfathomable? Well, very much unfathomable until you master the mind talk, and then slowly, ever so slowly, you pick up its sense and sensibility. By about one third of the way into the book (some 8 hours labored reading) one begins to hear, think and visualize Joyce’s methodology and follow along with his form of communication and only then the story becomes alluring.
Every paragraph is laced regarding other western civilization works; and the work that is being used to carry the story-line is not always obvious. One finds himself wondering how could one man, Joyce, know so much about Western literature. How did he read so broad a spectrum of works and how in the world did he remember them so very well?

Do not read Ulysses unless you are willing to undertake a study in the humanities delivered through abstraction. But if you are ready, a unique experience awaits. I allowed Kindle to download the audible version which I own, and then nuzzled up to watch the words show in my Kindle as Mr. Norton read the effectively poetic prose. A wonderful way to experience this horribly difficult work of art. This is not a book to blow through fast, but rather a bit at a time, and the patience to give its thousands of declarations and thoughts some consideration.

A novel should provide one with a better understanding of society or one’s life. At first I was not sure that Ulysses taught me anything and then I remembered our present President Trump. I came to Ulysses thinking I knew much literature, and realized how ignorant I am compared to Joyce. I knew there was brilliance around me but I just was not smart enough to understand. So, I damn the book as being without worth. Sort of makes me understand the current President. He thought he knew enough, then he isn’t sufficiently aware of what is happening around him so he damns it all. Stupidity.

It would also help if you were eclectic and held a doctorate in Western literature that examines the nature of mankind. As noted above, Joyce was and his story has innumerable lines which make sense only if you know or at least possess a deep experience with English, historical and fable literature. To catch the references does add to the story’s import and reading enjoyment. In other words, keep Wikipedia close at hand. Of course, Kindle gives you direct access to Wikipedia as you read.

Awfully painful read, but for the sake of filling my existence with depth, probably a good read and experience well spent. Supposedly, the amorphous nature of Ulysses is nothing compared to Joyce’s next work. Finnegan’s Wake. Will I someday take that on: no way in hell.

More Augean than Homeric

I've tried to read this book a number of times and finally battered my way through the audiobook. The narration is excellent and really helps with some of the humour of the book.

The book however is a mess. You know after 100 pages, when the highlight is the purchase of a kidney for breakfast, that it is going to be offal. Some sections have charm, but there are long segments of pure self indulgence, interminable lists, and just godawful drivel. It's a canny trick to write nonsense and leave future generations to seek implied meaning.

The book needs serious editing, but where would you begin? In a story about nothing what do you cut?

Enthralling audio experience

It's poetry!
For so many years I have had people warn me away from Ulysses, citing its obscurity and density. Phooey! It is lyrical and complex. It may well be that one would get more out of it given a thorough grounding in classical literature, but not quite getting all the allusions and references doesn't diminish the power of Joyce's playful linguistics. The well is deep, so drink deeply.