Ulysses (novel)

Ulysses is a 1922 novel by James Joyce that takes its title from the Latin version of the Greek name 'Odysseus'. In 1999, the Modern Library ranked Ulysses first on a list of the 100 best novels in English of the 20th century. The book has been the subject of much scrutiny, criticism and controversy.

Puzzles

Joyce wrote of Ulysses:

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:"I've put so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant..."

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As such, there are a good number of puzzles and open problems present in the book which require careful readings to solve.

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• Denis Breen's postcard
• Why is Denis Breen's postcard libellous?
• Who sent it?
• Is its text "U.P.: up" or merely just "U.P."?
• Why did the Blooms' social life decrease so significantly after 1894?
• Gerty MacDowell
• How old is Gerty?
• Does Bloom acknowledge her age or is he in denial?
• Is Bloom's encounter with her just a fantasy?
• What is the seating arrangement in the funeral carriage in "Hades"?
• Who is the man in the mackintosh?
• Some of the dates given or implied in "Ithaca" conflict with those given in "Calypso" and "Penelope". Which are correct in which instances?