James Joyce’s
Ulysses (published in 1922), captures a day in the life of fictional Dubliner, Leopold Bloom, hour by (some critics might add “by excruciating”) hour, as he wends his way through the Irish city on June 16, 1904. Whether or not you’re a fan of this book, it’s a modern classic, and well worth a try. Joyce’s idea was “…to give a picture of Dublin so complete that if the city one day suddenly disappeared from the earth it could be reconstructed out of my book." Fortunately, Dublin is still with us.
If the stream of consciousness style of
Ulysses is not your cup of Guinness, you might try Joyce’s
Dubliners, a collection of short stories that shed light on working class life Dublin in the early 20
th century. This book has a more straightforward narrative and is an enjoyable read, although its literary importance has been eclipsed by Joyce’s master works, including
Ulysses.
Bloomsday, named in honor of the character Leopold Bloom, has become an annual celebration in Dublin. Now it’s being celebrated right here on the Monterey Peninsula, on Friday, June 16, from 3 – 10 p.m. at the
Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. The festivities will include films, lectures, readings from
Ulysses, live music and Irish fare. It sounds like fun!
You can find copies of works by James Joyce at the library anytime during the year for now,have a Happy Bloomsday!
