Ulysses

By: James Joyce

Narrated by: Jim Norton

Length: 27 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

Fantastic !

I have been thinking about tackling this book for years and this audio finally gave me courage. I cannot imagine to going through it with out it. I listened to each chapter first following the text in the book and then second time just listening and enjoying poetry of the language. Highly recommend.

How did I get through it?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. It's an exceptionally tedious story.

What was most disappointing about James Joyce???s story?

Story? What story?

What about Jim Norton???s performance did you like?

Jim did an amazing job of making this impenetrable book vaguely accessible. His aplomb at tackling the rambling sentences was wonderful!

Any additional comments?

It's one of the great books, right? A must read. Thank goodness for Jim's narration to help me conquer this behemoth. While 95% of the book I found exceptionally dull and boring, every now and then it really does soar. Perhaps only because you grasp at straws, but I think there were moments that are sublime...

Masterwork of reading...mind bending writing!

I was just flabbergasted at the skill of Jim Norton (and the stream of consciousness by the female narrator was so much better than I could have interpreted the book chapter with zero punctuation!)

I thought of this as kind of like the Picasso of novels...totally new way of writing in my experience, unreal, confusing, lots of fun!!!

All-in, transformative performance

Jim Norton takes this classic to a new level. It's a pleasure, likely even a welcome aid in understanding to first-time readers and an exquisite, enriching new experience to those who are well familiar with the text. Think of this audiobook as performance rather than mere narration - much like reading Hamlet will not keep you from enjoying it on stage, prior study of Ulysses does not make this audiobook any less worthwhile (quite the opposite).

This recording stands alone as timeless art

Joyce's language is singularly musical, and so Ulysses might be compared to a great symphony. Following that line, the producer of this particular recording is an absolute maestro and his two readers sublimely gifted instrumentalists. What an interpretation! This recording should, along with Glenn Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations, be locked away so that future civilizations can see what this one attained.

Too hard to understand

I couldn’t understand the accent and probably some of the wording. I’m sure it’s a good story, just not for me

Excellent narration!

I might suggest, with such a strong, creative narrator, that it is easier, and more enjoyable, to listen to this classic than to read it.

James Joyce and Jim Norton at their best

Would you consider the audio edition of Ulysses to be better than the print version?

No. The print is indispensible to understanding the work.

What other book might you compare Ulysses to and why?

Paradise Lost. They both require work, but the pay off is unquantifiably great.

Which scene was your favorite?

Stephan Dedalus having to endure his crumby class of privileged brats. Serves him right!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Very well done. Excellent narration.

This is a real treat, at least for someone who already has read the book. The reader is superb and quite easy to understand. Some others commented about Irish dialect but I can't remember a single phrase that wasn't crystal clear.

Commit

An astoundingly modern, insightful and--frankly--filthy book. A whirlwind tour (yes, despite its length) of Dublin 100 years ago. Commit to this and you won't be sorry.