How Does Modern Library Ulysses Compare To The Original?

The modern library edition of ‘Ulysses’ I have read is a polished gem in comparison to the rough diamond of the original. Although the original was revolutionary in its stream-of-consciousness narrative and linguistic play, it also contained many printing errors and inconsistencies that the publisher was forced into by his hasty decision to publish.

While holding the original ‘Ulysses’ is like holding history between your palms (flaws and all), the modern library edition provides a far smoother reading experience than its rushed and errant predecessor. Much of the roughness of the first print has been shaved off in order to provide a far more complete reading experience, but this ‘polished’ version can be a disappointment to some who seek the raw, unstructured energy of the first print. The many annotated footnotes, appendices, and introductions are extremely useful for guiding the reader through Joyce’s masterpiece, but these additions also provide the reader with training wheels on a bike meant for daredevil riders. In the end, it all comes down to a choice between accessibility and authenticity.

There’s nothing like reading ‘Ulysses’ in the original, sometimes confusing but always exciting, version of the novel. But the modern library edition is like having a map as you wander through the labyrinth of the novel. While the text itself remains unchanged, the modern edition is greatly improved by being printed in a cleaner font than the original and having footnotes to explain references that Joyce made to people, places and events long past.

The modern library edition of Ulysses makes a very good effort to preserve the work in all its sparkling brilliance while at the same time making it slightly less of a challenge for the reader. I recognize that much of the original’s charm derives from its extreme unrefinement, and that few readers have the patience to endure the version in which Joyce first Embarrassed the literary world. But for new readers of the book, the modern library edition is clearly the best way in. Fans of the novel in its rawest, most unfiltered form will perhaps still find something to cherish in the original version.

As someone who has studied and adored literature for years, I can say that the new modern library edition of Ulysses is wonderful compared to the original 1922 edition. The first thing you’ll notice is that the text is much easier to read in the modern library version due to the type and the white space between lines and sections. In the original edition, Joyce’s groundbreaking style is very experimental. Also, much of the time there is no punctuation at all. While the new edition is perfect to preserve Joyce’s literary genius, it also makes it easier to read for today’s contemporary readers. However, literature purists may argue that some of the raw, good and ugly, chaotic genius of the original is lost by the reformatting. As for me and for other literature newcomers, the modern library version of Ulysses is perfect to start with, but the original is still a literary masterpiece in all its crudeness and unfinishedness.