In case any of you Joyce fans make it to NYC on Bloomsday, lots of cheer to go around. I had a friend who never missed it. Of course he was an Irishman who liked to raise a glass or two,four,six,eight.
I never attended a Bloomsday event, but I've heard about them all over the world. Dublin, which was pretty much spared by the world wars, still has most of the landmarks it did on June 16, 1904, the day on which the novel takes place (also the day on which Joyce actually met his wife). It's an Irish holiday as many make their way through the locations, including an establishment, called Davy Byrene's where Leopold Bloom had lunch. Interestingly, Ireland was the last country to lift its ban of the book.
The events of Bloomsday are observed around the globe. while the novel takes place in Ireland and touch a bit on Irish history, the effect of the Church on Ireland, Irish nationalism and the English occupation of Ireland, the themes are universal. It's more of an experience than a book.
