Bloomsday

[Guest]

From the Writer's Almanac

Today is Bloomsday, a day to celebrate James Joyce's novel Ulysses, whose action takes place on June 16th, 1904. It's called Bloomsday because the main character in the book is Leopold Bloom, a Jewish ad salesman who lives on the north side of Dublin. Bloom is introduced in the fourth chapter of Ulysses; he eats breakfast and serves his wife breakfast in bed. He spends most of his day wandering around Dublin doing errands.

Joyce (books by this author), chose June 16, 1904 as the date for his novel because it was on that day that he went on his first date with the love of his life, Nora Barnacle.



Has anyone here ever made it through a Joyce novel? I've read many short stories, but not the novels.

 

[fieryjen]

From the Writer's Almanac

Today is Bloomsday, a day to celebrate James Joyce's novel Ulysses, whose action takes place on June 16th, 1904. It's called Bloomsday because the main character in the book is Leopold Bloom, a Jewish ad salesman who lives on the north side of Dublin. Bloom is introduced in the fourth chapter of Ulysses; he eats breakfast and serves his wife breakfast in bed. He spends most of his day wandering around Dublin doing errands.

Joyce (books by this author), chose June 16, 1904 as the date for his novel because it was on that day that he went on his first date with the love of his life, Nora Barnacle.



Has anyone here ever made it through a Joyce novel? I've read many short stories, but not the novels.

I have yet to get through Ulysses all the way, but it's on my list of things to do before I die.

So is there a set way to celebrate Bloomsday? Are we supposed to go on pub crawls?

 

[Guest]

I have yet to get through Ulysses all the way, but it's on my list of things to do before I die.

So is there a set way to celebrate Bloomsday? Are we supposed to go on pub crawls?

As I understand it, people walk through Dublin visiting all the locations Bloom visited. That might include a pub or two.