Ulysses

First published in 1920, 'Ulysses' is a seminal novel by James Joyce, an Irish novelist, short story writer, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century.The narrative, which is set in the Irish capital Dublin, follows the two central characters of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus. Different subjects are discussed and contemplated upon ranging from Irish history and nationalism to anti-Semitism, art, literature, sexual desire, marital infidelity, death, religion, and theology. In each episode, Joyce draws resemblances between his own story and Homer's classic epic poem The Odyssey, often borrowing the names of its heroes and places and invoking its main themes. Joyce's novel is characterized by experimentation, the extensive use of symbolism, figures of speech, allusive language, metaphorical language, and parody.