Ulysses

by James Joyce · 1922

Ulysses is a landmark modernist novel by Irish writer James Joyce, first published in Paris on 2 February 1922. Set in Dublin on a single day—16 June 1904—the narrative follows three protagonists, Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom, and Molly Bloom, as they move through the city’s streets, homes, and institutions. Joyce structures the work as a contemporary parallel to Homer’s Odyssey, aligning Stephen with Telemachus, Bloom with Odysseus, and Molly with Penelope. The novel is renowned for its experimental techniques, especially stream‑of‑consciousness and interior monologue, dense allusions to Irish history, mythology, and literature, and its bold treatment of everyday life as epic material. It is widely regarded as one of the most important works of 20th‑century literature.