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Monday 27 March 2017

Thursday, 23 March 2017

The group is about to finish the book. Around two pages from the end of episode 18, the reading stopped at: “That ought to satisfy him” (18.1513)

Catherine Meyer, who has been illustrating each week with paintings and drawings inspired from the readings, sends another contribution with the following words.

It is very, very late at night and Molly’s mind is still circling around love: 

“all the amount of pleasure they get off a womans body“ (18.1380);

and Bloom embracing her only sometimes, whereas “of course a woman wants to be embraced 20 times a day almost to make her look young” (18.1408);

“I suppose its all the troubles we have makes us so snappy” (18.1459);

and “Im not like that” (18.1460), referring to her previous thoughts that “we are a dreadful lot of bitches” (18.1459) 

– which I took to depict in watercolours and gouache.


Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2017


Monday 20 March 2017

Thursday, 16 March 2017

The last reading stopped at: “imagine paying 5/- in the preserved seats for that to see him” (18.1290)

Catherine Meyer sends a painting with the following words:

In my pile of older, sometimes abandoned drafts, I found a watercolour sketch of one of my models which I could use to depict a court-scene from the 1933 trial, where Judge John M. Woolsey ruled that Joyce’s novel Ulysses was not obscene and could lawfully be imported into the United States. His word, which became famous, were:

“I am quite aware that owing to some of its scenes Ulysses is a rather strong draught to ask some sensitive, though normal, person to take. But my considered opinion, after long reflection, is that whilst in many places the effect of Ulysses on the reader undoubtedly is somewhat emetic, nowhere does it tend to be an aphrodisiac.” (Richard Ellmann, James Joyce, p. 667)

In my picture I turned “the somewhat emetic” into “tends to be aphrodisiac”.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2017

Monday 13 March 2017

Thursday, 7 March 2017

The last reading reached: “a great touchmenot too in her own way” (13.1037)

Catherine Meyer sends the following report and accompanying picture:

Molly's character does not seem be of everybody's liking. Her inner monologue circles around sex quite often and her attention keeps going back to that dominant topic. One reader observed that Homer's Penelope is the exact opposite and that she is faithful, while Molly is always thinking about her many amorous adventures, real or imaginary ones.


My Rock of Gibraltar is painted in various bright colours to echo Molly’s inner monologue.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2017

Monday 6 March 2017

Thursday, 2 March 2017

The reading stopped at: “Id like a new fellow every year” (18.782)

Catherine Meyer, local artist and long-standing member of the reading groups at the Joyce Foundation, sends a drawing to illustrate a favourite passage. She writes:

The “nobleman named Don Miguel de la Flora” (18.773), who came up at the end of the reading, sparked the idea of dedicating a bouquet of flowers to “our” protagonist, Bloom. Bloom, flower, Virag, Flora – all of these words have accompanied us throughout the novel. “With muchibus thankibus” (7.780) to Bloom, who has entertained us every Thursday afternoon for more than two years.

Catherine Meyer © Zürich 2017