Thursday, 20 December 2018 (U15.4509)

Please note: There will be no reading over the holidays. The first reading in the New Year will take place on Thursday, 3 January 2019.


The last reading stopped at:

          “covered of gravy!”

                    (Circe U15.4509)

Thursday, 13 December 2018 (U15.4150)

The last reading stopped at: ”

          “Baraabuum!”

                    (Circe U15.4150)

Thursday, 6 December 2018 (U15.3836)

The last reading stopped at:

          “after his death”

                    (Circe U15.3836)

Thursday, 29 November 2018 (U15.3390)

The last reading stopped at Bloom's:

          “Done. Prff!”

                    (Circe U15.3390)

Thursday, 22 November 2018 (U15.3050)

The last reading stopped at:

          “sacred oath ....”

                    (Circe U15.3050)

Thursday, 15 November 2018 (U15.2610)

The last reading stopped with Ben Dollard's words at:

          “ardent soul”

                    (Circe U15.2610)

Thursday, 8 November 2018 (15.2335)

The last reading stopped with Virag's words at:

          “Pollysyllabax!”

                    (Circe U15.2335)

Thursday, 1 November 2018 (15.2085)

The last reading stopped at:

          back to the front)  

                    (Circe U15.2085) 

Thursday, 25 October 2018 (15.1832)

The last reading stopped at:

          ... hotel syndicates.)  

                    (Circe U15.1832) 

Thursday, 18 October 2018 (15.1523)

The last reading stopped at:

          “You deserve it, your honour.”

                    (Circe U15.1523)

Thursday, 11 October 2018 (15.1176)

The last reading stopped at:

          “Judas Iscariot?”

                    (Circe U15.1176)

Thursday, 27 September 2018 (15.894)

Please note: 

There will be no reading next Thursday, 4 October 2018.


The last reading stopped at

          “general laughter”

                    (Circe U15.894)

Thursday, 20 September 2018 (15.576)

An early note: There will be no reading on Thursday, 4 October 2018.


The last reading stopped at:

          “yes, yes, yes.”

                    (Circe U15.576)

Thursday, 13 September 2018 (15.267)

An early note: There will be no reading on Thursday, 4 October 2018.


The last reading stopped at:

          “running chaps”

                    (Circe U15.267)

Thursday, 6 September 2018 (end of “Oxen of the Sun”)

The group has now finished episode 14,  “Oxen of the Sun”.

Thursday, 30 August 2018 (14.1488)

The last reading stopped at:

          “goodygood Malachi”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.1488)

Thursday, 23 August 2018 (14.1299)

The last reading stopped at:

          “dropped from its mother”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.1299)

Thursday, 16 August 2018 (14.1095)

The last reading stopped at:

          “murderers of the sun”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.1095)

Thursday, 2 August 2018 (14.930)

Please note that due to the annual Workshop at the Zurich James Joyce Foundation there will be no reading of Ulysses next Thursday, 9 August.


The last reading stopped at 

          “the ploughshare?” 

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.930)

Thursday, 26 July 2018 (14.712)

The last reading stopped at

          “drake and duck”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.712)

Thursday, 19 July 2018 (14.504)

The last reading stopped at

          “together on to Horne's”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.504)

Thursday, 12 July 2018 (14.333)

The reading resumed this week after a short break and stopped at

          “rest should reign”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.333)

Thursday, 21 May 2018 (14.201)

Please note that there will be no Ulysses readings on the Thursdays of 28 June and of 5 July 2018 (Joyce Summer Schools in Trieste and in Dublin).


The group has now read as far as:

          “loth to leave.”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.201)

It will pick up from the beginning of the paragraph next time.

Thursday, 7 May 2018 (14.49)

Please note that there will be no reading next Thursday, 14 June 2018 (Joyce Symposium).


The last reading saw the end of “Nausicaa” and the opening of episode 14, “Oxen of the Sun”, stopping at:

          “was provided.”

                    (Oxen of the Sun U14.49)

Thursday, 31 May 2018 (13.1181)

The last reading stopped at:

          “winked at Mr Bloom”

                    (Nausicaa U13.1181)

Thursday, 24 May 2018 (13.981)

The last reading stopped at:

          “Better detach.
                   Ow!”

                    (Nausicaa U13.981)

Thursday, 17 May 2018 (13.771)

The last reading stopped at:

          “She's lame! O!”

                    (Nausicaa U13.771)

Thursday, 3 May 2018 (13.504)

Please note: There will be no reading next Thursday, 10 May (Ascension Day).


The last reading stopped at:

          “difference for himself.”

                    (Nausicaa U13.504)

Thursday, 26 April 2018 (13.242)

The group has now begun the 13th episode, “Nausicaa”. The last reading stopped at:

          “down into her eyes.” 

                    (Nausicaa U13.242)


Catherine Meyer sends a painting to illustrate the passage just read. She writes:

“The summer evening had begun to fold the world in its mysterious embrace.” I took this lovely scenery described at the opening of the chapter and transferred it to the medium of colour. In the foreground are the three girls, Cissy Caffrey cuddling the Baby, Edy Boardman and Gerty MacDowell. Far away in the background the twins are still playing peacefully.

By way of a hint regarding an abstract element, the orange cross is a symbolic representation of the Church of Mary.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 19 April 2018 (end of Cyclops)

The group has now reached the end of episode 12, “Cyclops”.

Catherine Meyer made a painting to illustrate the end of the chapter. She writes:

I painted Elija in lively colours riding in a wagon towards heaven.

At the beginning of my study I was a bit puzzled as to what subject I should choose for the last few pages and how I should paint it. After trying out this and that, I decided upon a pastel combined with watercolour to underline that strong moment when Elija is in a wagon, surrounded by fire and ascending to the glory of heaven, which concludes this intense chapter.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 12 April 2018 (12.1667)

The last reading stopped at:

          “Cursed by God.”

                    (Cyclops U12.1667)

Catherine Meyer sends an illustration for this blog post. She writes:

I made a drawing of “old Vic” and the Alaki of Abeakuta. It is almost a cartoon in its features but still has the character of a freely drawn image. In it, the “great squaw Victoria” presents the “illuminated bible” to the Alaki, who then drinks “a lovingcup of firstshot usquebaugh to the toast Black and White from the skull of his immediate predecessor” (12.1523–28).

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 5 April 2018 (12.1375)

The last reading stopped at: 

          “Kathleen ni Houlihan” 

                    (Cyclops U12.1375)


Catherine Meyer sends a watercolour to illustrate this blog post, inspired by the sentence “All wind and piss like a tanyard cat” (12.1311–12).

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 29 March 2018 (12.1238)

The last reading stopped at:

          “beam in their own”

                    (Cyclops U12.1238)

Thursday, 22 March 2018 (12.959)

The group has now reached:

          “he never ate.”

                    (Cyclops U12.959)

Catherine Meyer sends a drawing, explaining:

I mingled two different statements from the last reading, both of which I think show the same kind of humour: “Arsing around from one pub to another” (12.752) and a few lines later “Let me, said he, so far presume upon our acquaintance which, however slight it may appear if judged by...” (12.786). 

An Irish scholar once said to Fritz Senn that one could read this kind of formally polite interpolation as being spoken by somebody who is not quite steady on his legs.

On my painting you can see that arsing around or being polite leads to the same dancing scene.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 15 March 2018 (12.711)

The last reading stopped at:

          “of his jaws.”

                    (Cyclops U12.711)

Catherine Meyer sends a painting to illustrate the passage the group has just read. She writes:

Those “jaws” gave me the opportunity to paint another growling towser. The scene is an intimate conversation between the Citizen and his old towser Garry Owen.

I googled “Garry Owen”, because I wanted to know whether the name had a specific reference or an additional meaning. I was quite excited when I found out that “Garry Owen” also refers to an Irish tune for a quickstep dance. It was selected as a marching tune for British, Canadian and American military formations. 

So I guess the Citizen, as a nationalist, can be seen as debating in a duet with his dog Garry Owen, who personifies the English.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 8 March 2018 (12.497)

The last reading stopped at: 

          “bloody mongrel”

                    (Cyclops U12.497)


Catherine Meyer sends a painting as illustration for this blog post. She writes:

I had fun painting this picture in pastels. Dignam comes back, which prompted me to try to capture some of the scene visually. The ghost appears in the return room (Fritz Senn likes this word because, in French, „ce sont les revenants“).

The immortal soul is on the left-hand side of the picture “under the commode” waiting “to be soled” (12.368–69). Note the distinctive feature of my mirror writing: with two hands at the same time, in two directions.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 1 March 2018 (12.243)

Last week, the group started episode 12, “Cyclops”. It stopped:

          “with a click”

                    (Cyclops U12.243)


Catherine Meyer, local artist and long-standing member of the reading groups, sends an image for this blog entry that renders a particular favourite of the week's reading: “He drink me my teas. He eat me my sugars. Because he no pay me my moneys” (12.31–32). She explains: “The picture is painted in pastel and charcoal. I did not paint his hands (they are under the table) because he can not pay the money.”

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2015

Thursday, 22 February 2018 (end of episode 11)

The reading group has finished  the 11th episode, “Sirens”. Next week will see the beginning of “Cyclops”.

Catherine Meyer sends an image for this blog post and notes:

I tried to paraphrase this lovely passage about music.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2015

Thursday, 15 February 2018 (11.1100)

The last reading stopped at:

          “One hour's your time to live, your last.
                Tap. Tap.”

                    (Sirens U11.1100)

Thursday, 8 February 2018 (11.894)

The last reading stopped at:

          “So lonely. Dee.” 

                    (Sirens U11.894)

Catherine Meyer sends an illustration for this blog post. She writes:

For my painting I chose the most beautiful sentence in a paragraph: “It’s in the silence after you feel you hear” (11.793).

The beholder sees a girl, sitting on a white chair dreaming, eyes half closed. Does she hear music, familiar voices or vague noises from afar? The girl seems to be rapt by the sound and the music that she hears and the beholder is excluded.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 1 February 2018 (11.692)

The last reading stopped at:

          “Hands felt for the opulent.” 

                    (Sirens U11.692)

We are delighted to have Catherine Meyer back, who sent a drawing she made after the reading for this blog. She adds as few words:

I took a pencil and scribbled around until I found the scene I wanted to stage. Bloom in the middle, mashing mashed potatoes. Cowley next to him. If you look closely you can see my interpretation of “Hoarsely the apple of his throat hoarsed softly”   (11.589).

In the background you can see the notes of the opera Martha by Friedrich von Flotow. I payed attention to what Father Cowley says to Simon, “Play it in the original. One flat“ (B flat major) (11.602). 

Bald Pat, a “waiter hard of hearing, to set ajar the door of the bar” is leaning against the wall, “for he was hard of hear by the door” (11.670–72).

And in the left-hand corner Simon is singing.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Thursday, 25 January 2018 (11.541)

The last reading stopped at:

          “Let me there”

                    (Sirens U11.541)

Thursday, 18 January 2018 (11.285)

The reading group has now begun the most musical chapter, episode 11, and reached:

          “bitch's bastard” 

                    (Sirens U11.285)


We will have to do without Catherine Meyer's wonderful visual contributions for this and next week as she won't be able to attend the readings. 

Thursday, 11 January 2018 (end of episode 10)

The reading group has now reached the end of episode 10, “Wandering Rocks”.

Catherine Meyer, local artist and long-standing member of the reading groups at the Zurich Foundation, sends a drawing inspired by two sentences:

“John Henry Menton, filling the doorway of Commercial Buildings, stared from winebig oyster eyes, holding a fat gold hunter watch not looked at in his fat left hand not feeling it. Where the foreleg of King Billy's horse pawed the air Mrs Breen plucked her hastening husband back from under the hoofs of the outriders.” (10.1229–33)

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018

Saturday, 13 January 2018

On Saturday, 13 January, on the 77th anniversary of Joyce’s death, the FRIENDS are celebrating Fritz Senn’s 90th birthday with an apéritif riche at the Zürich James Joyce Foundation.

Starts between 11 a.m and 3 p.m. at Augustinergasse 9 – open end

Thursday, 4 January 2018 (U10.1075)

The first reading in the new year stopped at:

          “creation ....”

                    (Wandering Rocks U10.1075)

Catherine Meyer, local artist and long-standing member of the reading groups, sends this painting to illustrate one of the passages read. She writes:

I struggled with the theme: “touch me not” – noli me tangere. The first three attempts at a watercolour turned out bad and I found them simply useless. The fourth attempt, in lemon yellow and sepia, shows two hands, one of which repels Maria Magdalena on the grave of Jesus Christ with the biblical phrase noli me tangere. The other hand stands for a different kind of “touch me not”, in Irish usage also meaning “don’t ask for money”. This is one example found in this chapter for misunderstanding words and phrases.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2018