Ulysses: James Joyce

Ulysses has been the subject of much controversy and scrutiny, ranging from early obscenity trials to protracted textual "Joyce Wars." Today it is generally regarded as a masterwork in Modernist writing, celebrated for its groundbreaking stream-of-consciousness technique, highly experimental prose—full of puns, parodies, allusions—as well as for its rich characterizations and broad humour. In 1999, the Modern Library ranked Ulysses first on a list of the 100 best novels in English of the 20th century.