Ulysses
Ulysses by James Joyceby James Joyce
Shares rank 26 of 122 novels by recommenders
People recommend it for its language-first prose and for rewarding close reading. Critics find it hard to follow and hard to enjoy without a guide.
People recommend it for its language-first prose and for rewarding close reading. Critics find it hard to follow and hard to enjoy without a guide.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 64%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Easier than Finnegan's Wake
“Ulysses is readable, but by the time you get to Finnegan's Wake”
Comment from 23 Aug 2026 in “To become a better writer, read as much as you can” “Ulysses is practically a children's book in comparison.”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Hard to understand without a guide
“It's completely against my being to consider something as good if it can't be enjoyed without a guide.”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde” “It took me 20 years to read Ulysses and I still don't know what happened in it.”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Short Little Difficult Books” “for me it was incomprehensible gibberish”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde” - Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde”
Not enjoyable to read
“Joyce "prose" on the other hand did nothing for me but make me despise his book.”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde” “Ulysses is not enjoyable.”
Comment from 22 Mar 2026 in “Books of the Century by Le Monde”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Ulyssesby James JoyceThis page | 7 | 4 | 64% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
12 of the 14 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“If you want a novel that really emphasizes language over plot and character, read Ulysses.”
“Ulysses is readable, but by the time you get to Finnegan's Wake”
“I found Ulysses more engaging”
“Ulysses is not enjoyable.”
“Joyce "prose" on the other hand did nothing for me but make me despise his book.”
“Ulysses is practically a children's book in comparison.”
“but I would not think about Ulysses.”
“It's completely against my being to consider something as good if it can't be enjoyed without a guide.”
“I think its just not readable”
“for me it was incomprehensible gibberish”
“helped me be very productive”
“It took me 20 years to read Ulysses and I still don't know what happened in it.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.