Back to selection
76496-01 - Research seminar: James Joyce's "Ulysses" (4 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ladina Bezzola Lambert (ladina.bezzola@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Leopold Bloom, Joyce’s modern-day Ulysses, never leaves Dublin, and his ‘Odyssey’ takes place in the course of a single day – approx. 18 hours – making it a dwarfish (though much longer) version of the classical Odyssey, where the protagonist spends 10 years to reach home – and doesn’t seem to be in a great hurry. Neither is Bloom, for that matter, but for a different reason: While the great Greek hero is patiently awaited by his faithful wife Penelope, Bloom keeps being haunted by his wife’s amorous escapades all day, making him defer his return deep into the night. Both journeys – over many years, through many pages – are well worth the effort. Notoriously, this is not easy reading, but with the help of Harry Blamires’ (a friend of Joyce’s) “New Bloomsday Book”, and Homer’s good company, the ride promises to be enjoyable. You will need three books for this course: two biggies and a help maid (or garçon, for that matter). Homer’s “Odyssey” serves as a backdrop to Joyce’s “Ulysses” and will set the pace. With its 18 books, “Ulysses” does not quite allow for the format of one book (or chapter) per week, but the idea is to approximate this format and return home with “Penelope” (the last chapter) by the end of the semester. |
| Learning objectives | Understand and appreciate a great and difficult classic of English literature |
| Bibliography | Please get a paper copy of the first two titles. The third title may be used in digital form. James Joyce, “Ulysses”, Oxford World’s Classics, Oxford: 2011 (ISBN: 978-0-19-953567-5) – or another good edition of the 1922 text Homer, “The Odyssey”, trans. E.V. Rieu, London: Penguin: 2003 (ISBN: 978-0-14-044911-2) Harry Blamires, “The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide through ‘Ulysses’”, 3rd edition, London: Routledge, 1996 (ISBN: 978-0-41-513858-1) Further texts will be made available on the ADAM server. |
| Comments | Students are expected to have given the first three chapters (Part I) a careful reading (with Blamires’ guidance) before the course starts. The rest of “Ulysses” can be prepared on a weekly basis provided you allow for ample preparation time. Reading the whole of Homer’s “Odyssey” beforehand is recommended. A firsthand knowledge of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” comes in handy as there are a great many references to it in “Ulysses”. First meeting: 22 September 2025 (2nd week of semester) |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | For MA and PhD students only |
| Course application | Please register on services.unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 22.09.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 29.09.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 06.10.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 13.10.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 20.10.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 27.10.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 03.11.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 10.11.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 17.11.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 24.11.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 01.12.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 08.12.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Monday 15.12.2025 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance and active participation required |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |