I thought as the year was drawing to a close that I would highlight some of the best posts that I have read on book blogs during 2009. First up is the wonderful dovegreyreader scribbles. DGR's deceptively chatty and modest style lightly covers a wealthy of literary knowledge and critical acumen. Her blog is read by every type of reader from the already dedicated literary type to those taking their first steps on the library pathways. DGR came up with a piece of blogging genius on Bloomsday this year. Ulysses by James Joyce is both admired and feared. It is extremely hard to finish Ulysses even for a reader with a literary background; for the lay reader more accustomed to joy-reading with Jane Austen or Dickens it can be a bit of shock. DGR's invitation to take all who cared to join her on an assault on "Mount Ulysses" was a brilliant and creative use of the blogging medium. So the intrepid team began in June at Base Camp preparing to read a section per month and convene on the 16th of each month to discuss progress. The aim was to complete the novel together by Bloomsday 2010.It remains of course to be seen how many of DGR's readers will make it with her to the end of the novel. To start such a project in a public forum is a brave piece of blogging. DGR's words and manner might be gentle and designed not to frighten the general reader, but her critical skills are no less sharp and her literary standards no less high for all her colloquial tone.
More on my blog posts of 2009 tomorrow.
The book illustrating this post is a Folio Society edition of Ulysses Illustrated by Mimmo Paladino. Priced at £45, from the stock of Stella and Rose's Books their reference 809959.
You can view more books by and about James Joyce here
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