A marvellous episode of Melvyn Bragg’s BBC R4 In Our Time; in this case discussing James Joyce Ulysses. Bloomsday this coming Saturday, 16th June. (*)
Not just the content of the programme – Ulysses itself and the life and work of Joyce contributing to it – but the enthusiastic scholarly interaction of the participants. (Yes, I did read it cover to cover and enjoy it, but you can never cease to get more out of it, if you’re motivated to give it the attention. Ulysses and Nietzsche, Nietzsche and Joyce.)
The throwaway story about “throw it away” is a classic example of a story you could never get from just reading it.
[(*) Post Note : Not just Bloomsday, but the BBC has several special Joyce / Ulysses programmes over the weekend including a dramatisation of the book – I was going to say “hard to imagine”, but thinking about it I have the film “Bloom” on DVD. And another dramatization next weekend, 23rd, of Pirsig”s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I remember now why I had to consciously give up reading for a while.]