When James Joyce created the novel "Ulysses", he is said to have produced the best piece of prose in literary fiction of the twentieth century. Often if you have pleasure or luck to attend a literary party, the novel may be discussed, and you will have the priviledge of meeting all sorts of intelligent and literate individuals. Many of these individuals are great writers, who have won great awards with their prose or poetry. Others are scholars or professors in the humanities or the arts. Such individuals will spout the names of great literature for hours, throwing around bits and phrases from the classics, or describing their latest adventures in extravagent places in Europe. Sadly, such literary events often backfire. Instead of giving people a desire to study Ulysses, such parties turn the general reader away from the novel. Joyce, being the eccentric character that he was, would probably have been horrified to see how his book is presented to the general public. Originally, meant to be an enjoyable read, it seems to have been reassigned to the back rooms of bookstores, or specialty events. A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle points out some of the misconceptions that the novel generally receives. When interviewed on their opinion of the novel of "Ulysses", The Chronicle discovered some interesting opinions from some of the persons polled. Some were printed, and they reflect a common attitude held by many people around the country concerning the themes discussed in this great work. For example, Candace Russell had this interesting comment,
"I began reading it in l971, but the cuisine of of Leopold Bloom grossly excerbated my morning sickness at the time. I wasn't able to pick it up again until l972, seven months after my son was born. I think it's one-of-a-kind literature, so I wouldn't want to say its reputation is undeserved. Just not for anyone with a sensitive stomach." (1)
Or this comment, by Benny Minn of Walnut Creek, reflects another typical response often heard when a reader is asked what he or she thought of Joyce's work.
"I tried reading it in l985, after a friend volunteering in the Peace Corps in Tonga told me his goal was to finish it during his tour of duty. He made it; I didn't. Literary masterpiece ? It's a literary piece of something, but what, I've not quite figured out." (2)
A third response reflects the frustration that many readers have when encountering the "Ulysses." Darren Prince of San Francisco relates his first
