Feature

The book describes a day in the life of its main character Leopold Bloom, after whom Bloomsday is named, as he wanders around the city, pausing in venues from time to time where the story is continued. Many of the places Joyce mentions in the book still exist today or can be recognized from the book’s attention to detail, which is testament to Joyce’s memory, as he wrote much of the book over a period of 12 years while in exile on the European continent.

The book was controversial in its day, because Joyce was not shy of writing about prostitution, drinking or swearing, and it has taken many years for Irish society with its strong Catholic heritage to recognize and accept the genius of Joyce, and the importance of Ulysses.

Joyce chose June 16th 1904 as the focus of the story, because it was the day of his first date with his future wife, Nora Barnacle. And today this anniversary is celebrated by Joyce fans and scholars from around the world, who gather in Dublin a few days around June 16th. Many dress in Edwardian costume, and entertain or are entertained by readings, tours and symposia, but the main focus is to retrace the steps of Bloom through the city. A day might begin with breakfast at the James Joyce Centre, followed by lunch in Davy Byrnes pub, where Bloom enjoyed a glass of Burgundy and some gorgonzola. It all finishes in the small hours in Bewley’s Cafe in Grafton Street with the final soliloquy of Molly Bloom.

Joyce was born in Dublin in 1882, but spent much of his life abroad, and he died in Zurich in 1941. His other great works include the short stories Dubliners, the autobiographical Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Finnegan’s Wake, an ambitious work which intertwines English, Irish, Norwegian, and several other languages.