Ulysses, James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece of 1922, is a tremendously interesting and influential novel that all serious students of English literature ought to have read at least once in their life. Yes, it is difficult. But it is also great fun, if one approaches it with common sense, an open mind, and in a group of like-minded readers. We will explore its 18 chapters step by step, one or two chapters per week, drawing on several critical readings of individual episodes, as well as on recordings, films, and various internet resources.
You will only need one book: the Penguin edition of Ulysses with the “corrected text”, a preface by Richard Ellmann and an afterword by Hans W. Gabler, available at good bookstores like our own Unibuch. A course outline will be provided on Moodle and in a reader on the reserve shelf in our library by early October. For background information see Catherine Flynn’s fascinating edition of The Cambridge Centenary Ulysses (Cambridge: CUP, 2022), available as EBook in/through our library.
This course is only open to students who have successfully completed at least an undergraduate research paper ("Proseminararbeit") in Literary Studies. Regular and active participation, including a short oral report (with handout), is required of everybody. Prior to the first meeting, you must have read the first four chapters of the novel (there will be a quiz). Moreover, you should be familiar with key concepts of narratology, as discussed in Michael Meyer’s English and American Literatures. We will practise the following skills (“Kompetenzen”) on an advanced level: close reading, the art of debating, use of literary criticism, composition of handouts, and succinct oral presentations in class. Note that this is a course for avid readers who like to have some serious fun with one of the greatest works of literature in English.
Credit ("Studienleistung") for regular and active participation, including an oral presentation with handout; full credit ("Prüfungsleistung") for an additional term paper (approx. 20-25 standard pages) or – only for BA and MA students – an oral exam. Topics of your choice can be discussed with me in advance.