Ulysses

Ulysses by James Joyce is a groundbreaking modernist novel that chronicles a single day-June 16, 1904-in the life of Leopold Bloom, an ordinary man in Dublin, Ireland. Structured as a modern parallel to Homer's Odyssey, the novel follows Bloom as he navigates various episodes and encounters across the city, dealing with themes of identity, love, betrayal, and the mundane beauty of everyday life.

Other key characters include Stephen Dedalus, a young artist struggling with philosophical and existential questions, and Molly Bloom, Leopold's wife, whose inner monologue famously concludes the novel. Joyce employs experimental narrative techniques, including stream of consciousness, shifting styles, and rich symbolism, to capture the complexity of human thought and experience.

Ulysses is celebrated for its innovation and depth, though its challenging style and controversial content sparked both admiration and censorship upon publication.