Ulysses

Written by James Joyce

Narrated by Tadhg Hynes

I first decided to record Ulysses in October 2015. Little did I know then what an unforgettable eighteen months lay ahead. Having already recorded Dubliners and Portrait (and being terrified of Ulysses) I decided to give myself a year just to read it. However, after about four episodes I started recording it and became hooked.
Being a Dubliner and having the privilege of walking the pages of this book daily it became a world that absorbed me totally. Almost everywhere I went in Dublin Joyce was there, I kept coming across phrases from the book in real life, I was born in Holles St Hospital some 60 years after the Oxen of the Sun episode was set there. While the city has moved with the times it’s still unavoidable not to get the sense of Joyces Dublin even now.
Some parts of the book are more difficult than others but I found that every word had its place and with a bit of effort and research it came to life. Don’t be put off by its reputation. You don’t need a university degree (though some like to think that you do!). It’s a book for everyone and as you become familiar with the way Joyce writes this becomes obvious.
I’ve tried to bring out the Dublin wit and the unique language of its people and I hope that this adds to the enjoyment of this great book.
I would like to add a special note of thanks and admiration to the wonderful reading of Molly Bloom’s soliloquy given by Kayleigh Payne. Famed for its lack of punctuation and rambling nature this iconic piece of writing is beautifully interpreted and sensitively portrayed. Kayleigh’s work has brought a new dimension to the recording and I am eternally grateful.
I would also like to thank my wife, Paula, for the wonderful artwork she created for the cover. It depicts the Martello tower at Sandycove, the place where it all began.
Finally, my advice is, get yourself a copy of the book and read along with the recording. There may be slight variations between different versions but don’t worry about that, they’re generally the same. Don’t expect to understand all at first. You’ll get a good sense of the story and can go deeper with subsequent readings. To me this is a book for life and after 18 months working on it I’m looking forward to a lifetime of enjoying it. I hope you do too.
Tadhg Hynes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Big Happy Family
• Release date: Jul 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781987141597

James Joyce

James Joyce (1882-1941) was an Irish author, poet, teacher, and critic. Joyce centered most of his work around the city of Dublin, and portrays characters inspired by the author’s family, friends, enemies, and acquaintances. After a drunken fight and misunderstanding, Joyce and his wife, Nora Barnacle, self-exiled, leaving their home and traveling from country to country. Though he moved way from Ireland, Joyce continued to write about the region and was popular among the rise of Irish nationalism. Joyce is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. While his most famous work is his novel Ulysses, Joyce wrote many novels and poetry collections, including some that were published posthumously.

Reviews for Ulysses

[T. Aaron DeGeorge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The voice artist makes it come to life.
Using this as a companion gave me a much better feel and appreciation of Joyce’s words.

[David Schechter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Extraordinary reading of Ulysses. I studied the book in 1976 for the first time and have read it subsequently a few times but this was the first time listening to it. The voice actors have it pitch perfect. Thank you.