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Spring Is a Time for Bloom

Rosenbaum praises his favorite chapter of ‘Ulysses’

by
Marc Tracy
April 08, 2011
James Joyce.(Wikipedia)
James Joyce.(Wikipedia)

Tablet Magazine contributor Ron Rosenbaum devotes his Slate column, in both substance and form, to the penultimate chapter of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. “Ithaca” depicts the doings of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus after they have returned to Bloom’s house in the middle of the night in catechism-inspired question-and-answer form. (Rosenbaum says it is his favorite chapter, and that much of the rest of the book is overrated—which is slightly true, but not as much as he says it is.) This is relevant to us, of course, because Bloom is one of literature’s most famous Jewish characters, and because last year Tablet Magazine sponsored a celebration of the book on Bloomsday.

So, two things:

1. Lit-geeks: Which is your favorite chapter of Ulysses? Mine is Chapter Six, “Hades,” which, naturally, finds Bloom attending a funeral. Leave your answers in the comments.

2. June 16: Save the date. Tablet Magazine will, once again, be putting the Bloom back in Bloomsday.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.