June 16, 1904 is a famous date in the literary world—the single day over which James Joyce’s epic 20th century novel Ulysses unfolds. Annually on June 16th (known affectionately as “Bloomsday” after Ulysses’s protagonist Leopold Bloom), literary fans in places like Philadelphia, Trieste, and of course, Dublin gather together to celebrate Joyce’s prolific novel. Join in the celebrations by exploring the literary colossus of Ulysses.
Start by reading the text itself, along with the works produced to make it a little more manageable:
James Joyce
Don Gifford with Robert J. Seidman
Harry Blamires
Not sure what the big deal is? Get the story behind the story with these books:
Edited by Nora Tully
Kevin Birmingham
Richard Ellmann
Or familiarize yourself with the history of the city from Dublin’s very own Odyssey.
Ian Gunn and Clive Hart with Harald Beck.
Edited by S. J. Connolly
Patricia Hutchins
Looking for a scholarly take? Try these central critical texts:
Edited by Derek Attridge
Edited by Michael Patrick Gillespie and A. Nicholas Fargnoli
Edited by Sean Latham
Happy reading, and happy Bloomsday!