St. Stephen Picks His Nose ...

On to Episodes 2 and 3 (pp. 24-51) ...

By means of introduction, these two episodes conclude the Telemachiad, or first of three parts of the novel. Part II (pp. 54-609) will primarily concern Leopold Bloom, while Part III will concern Bloom's wife, Molly.

Episode 2 is referred to as "Nestor," named for the wise old sage and friend of Odysseus whom Telemachus consults. This will be used for primarily ironic effect by Joyce's having the Nestor figure here be the small-minded, cynical Mr. Deasy, headmaster of the school at which Stephen teaches. (I neglected to mention that Episode 1 takes place at 8 a.m.; this episode takes place at 10). Episode 3 (now 11 a.m.) is "Proteus," in reference to a shape-shifting sea god of that name. Stephen takes a walk on Sandymount Strand, a beach just outside Dublin proper, and waxes philosophical on a number of topics, including sensory experience, consciousness, death, the body/soul dichotomy, and plenty of other things I'm sure I'm forgetting. By this chapter we are entirely in Stephen's head, with no semblance of an outside/objective narrative to ground us. This makes these 15 pages downright excrutiating to read. If you gmake it to the end of the chapter, I'd say you've already gotten further than most people who try to read Ulysses.

Practical information: Next meeting will be Thursday, May 17 at McLadden's on Lasalle Road in West Hartford. Let's say 7:00, unless people think there needs to be a time adjustment. Happy reading!