The Ulysses Reading Group at the Center for Fiction

An oriental carpet with folding chairs along each side is the usual setting for the James Joyce Reading Group at the Center for Fiction, formerly the Mercantile Library at 17 East 47th Street, New York. The approximately fifteen adults in the group have brought varied life experiences to readings of two Ulysses episodes on the first Tuesday of the month over a nine-month period. William Mottolese, a Joyce scholar and teacher, facilitates the lively discussion and provides an academic background since most members of the group have not read Ulysses before, though some are familiar with Dubliners or A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Bill, as he is affectionately called, assured the group at the beginning that no one "masters the text" but that one can "take the journey" frequently and enjoy anew the experience of the novel each time.

The James Joyce Reading Group is one of several held at the Center for Fiction. Others include people interested in Marcel Proust and William Shakespeare. The Mercantile Library Association of New York City was originally established in 1820 with a plan similar to Netflix. Readers could have books mailed to their home with special stamps issued by the Library. It was the largest and most successful of the mercantile libraries and, for that matter, of all membership libraries. By 1871, it was the fourth largest library in the United States, exceeded in size only by the Library of Congress, the Boston Public Library, and the Astor Library in New York City (a predecessor of the New York Public Library).

Members of the James Joyce Reading Group include several retirees who have long had a desire to read Ulysses or those who have tried unsuccessfully to read the novel on their own. Larry Shiff credits the Center for Fiction with providing "a disciplined, regular set of sessions" with "an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable" teacher who "keeps the sessions interactive and exciting." Susan Epler, a registered nurse with a background in public health and corporate management, states, "I sit in our circle thinking about how special New York City is with so many fine minds meeting here." Adrienne Siegel, a history professor who has published several books on American governmental institutions, joined, thinking she might be "able to climb this Himalaya of modern fiction." She finds that "members of the group bring amazing interpretations to the discussions" and that Bill "skillfully shapes our ideas by asking about connections, themes, and the spirit of the characters." Len, a director of computer-systems software development and a former professional musician, found himself "quite intimidated by the readings for the first several sessions." By now, however, the monthly meetings "have become a joy, and reading Joyce's Ulysses, rather than being predominantly a struggle, has come to offer great rewards."

Tony Sanzone, a teacher and businessman with a Ph.D. in mathematics, commented, "This group presents a sophisticated discussion to clarify the text, and they motivate me to continue reading until the last chapter." Sally Arteseros, a book editor formerly with Doubleday and now free-lancing, "especially appreciates [Bill's] shedding light on the history of Ireland at the time of Joyce and … his drawing out interesting comments from the group." She does not love the book, however, since "it seems unnecessarily difficult [sometimes]." Carolyn Lewis, a former professor of English literature and a certified public accountant, who also has an M.B.A., reported that she now has the time and commitment necessary to read Ulysses and finds the effort "demanding, exciting, and rewarding." As a college English teacher interested in epic, I am studying Dante at the same time as Joyce and observe that Joyce did for Dublin what Dante did for Florence. Accompanying Bloom on his journey around Dublin may not lead to Paradise, but it does enrich the reader's world.

Our discussion of the "Nausicaa" episode was especially lively, perhaps because we have developed skills in reading Joyce. Bill noted that this part of the book follows that of Homer more closely than others. The discussion recognized the opposition of the real...