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James JoyceUlysses

Librivox recording of Ulysses, by James Joyce.

Still considered one of the most radical works of fiction of the 20th Century, James Joyce's Ulysses ushered in the era of the modern novel. Loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, the narrative follows Leopold Bloom and a number of other characters through an ordinary day, twenty four hours, in Dublin, on June 16, 1904. The text is dense and difficult, but perfectly suited to an oral reading, filled with language tricks, puns and jokes, stream of consciousness, and bawdiness.

NOTE: Because of the nature of this project, there was a bending of usual LibriVox procedures: pub-like background noise was encouraged, as well as creative group readings; and no editing was required, so in places there may be some accidental variation from the original text ... Listener be warned!
(Summary by Hugh McGuire)

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: RadioTinnitus - - March 8, 2009
Subject: if u can't say sumpin nice....
Just to be contrary I gotta give this 5 stars even tho i really don't think i'll listen to more than what i already sampled. i did rather enjoy the noise and bad recordings for the few minutes i gave it. That's about how long i would give to actually sitting down and reading the novel!

How bout giving this a try instead?
http://www.archive.org/details/GlennSimonsen_LewisCarroll_CoffeeWorthJabberwockywithCoffee

Reviewer: CasualListener - - March 7, 2009
Subject: Skip this one
This is really not usable. Apart from the chapters read by Kara Shallenberg, who always take care to deliver her recordings with a professional touch, and some few others, this reading is really not meant for any listener. The readers might indeed have had fun while recording it, but they might as well not have recorded their voice at all. I think the main problem has been not editing stumbles, repetitions and errors plus recording in loud environments(in chapter 4 readers has actually to shout to make their voice clear over the noise. How is that supposed to enhance the recording? Is that even funny?).

I think the note should read "this has been badly recorded, and not even edited(God knows why), Listener be warned!", that would be more sincere.

Skip this one with a sigh, hoping some librovoxer shall make a solo-reading out of this great book, with the excellent quality librivox recordings used to guarantee.

Reviewer: wagstaff - - February 24, 2009
Subject: A Bit of Awful
This reading is an insult to a literary giant. Shame on all you purportrated this crime.

Reviewer: katekatekate - - February 22, 2009
Subject: VERY difficult to listen to
Firstly, whoever is playing the fiddle is quite frankly awful. Changing readers who can't actually read the text makes it even more frightful to listen to. I gave up fifteen minutes in when I couldn't stand it any longer. Waiting for readers to walk across the room, laughing, and not being able to read the words just makes it ridiculous, and an insult to one of the greatest novels ever written.

Reviewer: librivoxbooks - - November 13, 2007
Subject: listener be warned
as the warning says: "Because of the nature of this project, there was a bending of usual LibriVox procedures: pub-like background noise was encouraged, as well as creative group readings; and no editing was required, so in places there may be some accidental variation from the original text ... Listener be warned!"

plans are possibly afoot to do a cleaner rendition.

Reviewer: der kitty cat - - November 13, 2007
Subject: Irish Literature
First of all, it is Irish literature.

I don't care how experimental these people think this is, it's very difficult to listen to.

Since Joyce wrote in style that indicated he wanted this read aloud, it sould be much easier to listen to.

This is a total joke and a bit insulting frankly. If you're going to experiment, it's probably best not to mess with the initial intentions of the author.

There is lost of room for improvisation but improvisation should give the audiene the impression that the performers actually know what they are talking about.

Reviewer: mknyc - - August 14, 2007
Subject: Tremendously disappointing
Be warned -- this is not just a matter of background noise, etc., as suggested. A series of readers, a different one every 3-4 minutes is disorienting. Some could seemingly care less -- it may be just a lark to them, but how can you get into the flow of the book, when a sentence is repeated sometimes three or four times until they get it "right"? (or sometimes, they give up). I honor the effort, but its un-listenable.

Reviewer: rita1075 - - June 17, 2007
Subject: A good recording
A hilarious, unique interpretation of one of the masterpieces of English literature!