Thursday, July 15, 2010

Book Beginnings on Friday


  Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

  My sentence this week comes from my summer reading project, Ulysses by James Joyce:

Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. 
 
  So from sentence one, I was already confused, because I had always assumed that Ulysses was all about Leopold Bloom -- who is this Buck Mulligan guy?  The confusion has not let up, but Joyce does have an amazing way with words; and though Bloom is walking around the streets of Dublin, it is everything that goes on around him that is the focus of the book.  
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9 comments:

  1. Rebecca ChapmanJuly 15, 2010 at 8:24 PM

    I am so glad that you are confused because I am too. This is not at all how I expected Ulysses to start. Its really good though!

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  2. UnknownJuly 15, 2010 at 11:49 PM

    I don't share either of your confusion, but only because I haven't read the book. :-)

    Mine's here.

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  3. Stacy at The Novel LifeJuly 16, 2010 at 6:39 AM

    i think i read ulysses in high school but oh my goodness that was so long ago i cannot remember who was who and certainly no razors and mirror :-)

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  4. NancyOJuly 16, 2010 at 7:22 AM

    If any of your American readers want a copy of this book, I have an extra unread copy. First come, first served!

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  5. Laurel-Rain SnowJuly 16, 2010 at 9:19 AM

    I always intended to read this one...but somehow, I never got around to it. I hope you're enjoying it.

    Here's my beginning:

    http://laurelrainsnowswonderland.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/book-beginnings-on-friday-13/

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  6. Gilion at Rose City ReaderJuly 16, 2010 at 10:40 AM

    Ulysses is one to just accept, not understand. :)

    But you left off the first two word of the sentence: "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan . . . "

    I noticed only because I often "start" re-reading Ulysses but joke that I only read the first page -- which in my edition is nothing more then one giant "S" and the rest of the word Stately starts on the next page.

    Here is my opener on Rose City Reader. We have very different summer reading projects!

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  7. Tales of WhimsyJuly 16, 2010 at 11:00 AM

    I like it. Definitely sets the scene.

    If you like, drop by my Book Beginning Friday :)

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  8. SuzanneJuly 16, 2010 at 9:25 PM

    Rose City, thanks for pointing that out -- you know, I saw the big S on the left side of the page but didn't look lower to see "tately plump" at the very bottom.
    I wonder if I had seen that at the beginning would it help me in my comprehension of the book (not likely!)

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  9. pussrebootsJuly 19, 2010 at 8:02 PM

    I finally got Ulysses read last year. It took me four and a half months. I'm reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

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