UlyssesUlysses
Score Classic
What it's about
One ordinary day in Dublin, June 16, 1904. Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman, goes about his errands, attends a funeral, eats lunch and wanders the city, knowing that his wife, Molly, is meeting her lover that afternoon. Young Stephen Dedalus, a frustrated writer, wanders too, and late at night their paths cross. Each chapter echoes an episode of Homer's Odyssey, in a different style.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's often called the greatest novel of the twentieth century.
You'll love it if you liked
To the Lighthouse
The Sound and the Fury
Gravity's RainbowGood to know
It's famously difficult and long, with sexual content that got it banned. A reader's guide helps. Many start with the final chapter, Molly's monologue.
By the numbers
- Readers6 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller56 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Ulysses worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #1,326 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Ulysses about?
One ordinary day in Dublin, June 16, 1904. Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman, goes about his errands, attends a funeral, eats lunch and wanders the city, knowing that his wife, Molly, is meeting her lover that afternoon. Young Stephen Dedalus, a frustrated writer, wanders too, and late at night their paths cross. Each chapter echoes an episode of Homer's Odyssey, in a different style.
How long does it take to read Ulysses?
About 27 hours (1068 pages), or about 8 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Ulysses?
If you liked it, try To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner or Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon.