I hated it the first time I tried. Every seven or ten years I’d give it a shot and decide it’s not worth trying or finishing. But it has its charms for sure, wh

I hated it the first time I tried. Every seven or ten years I’d give it a shot and decide it’s not worth trying or finishing. But it has its charms for sure, which had drawn me back to it over the years since because maybe I was wrong or not ready. It was like my fourth or fifth attempt like six years ago (at 32) where it clicked. Honestly love it now. The trick is to let go of this notion that Ulysses is some kind of schoolboy challenge. You have to let it wash over you, allow the language to intoxicate you mind. You need to be in an altered state where you are more open to symbolism in general. I think the key to enjoying it is familiarity. There are many balls you need to juggle mentally and it’s hard to enjoy Ulysses when everything is too different to what you’d normally expect from a book. But start with Dubliners first. See how it goes from there.