James Joyce′s idea was to add a short story to Dubliners, named Ulysses, he never wrote it. But he kept the idea and wrote a novel instead, which took him seven years. In the early stages of planning the work was imagined to extend to 22 episodes, than reduced to 17 episodes, in the end 18 episodes were realised. On 29th October 1921 he declared the text to be finished, but he continued to correct and revise it until the end of January 1922, only short time before publication on 2nd February 1922, James Joyce′s fortieth birthday.
Because it took him such a long time, it is doubtful if the final text is the one Joyce planed to write or had he just been stopped in his process by the deadline of his publisher. Supposing that was the case is there the possibility to find out what he wanted to achieve and how could that be made.
In a first step I want to point out Joyce′s process of writing and proceeding, his habit of taking notes and working with them. This will lead to the different serialisations respectively editions and the project Hans Walter Gabler undertook to edit the "Corrected Ulysses" including the occurring problems and what other Joyceans thought and still think about it.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The first steps towards Ulysses
2.1 Notes
2.2 Notebooks
2.3 Drafts
2.4 Fair Copy
2.5 Manuscripts
2.6 Typescripts
3 The different editions and serialisation
3.1 The first publication of episodes
3.2 Proofreading
3.3 The first book edition
4 A new attempt
4.1 An overview of Hans Walter Gabler’s work
4.2 The continuous manuscript
4.3 The synoptic and the reading text
5 The critic against Gabler’s work
5.1 Kidd’s criticism on Gabler
5.2 Kidd’s influence on publication
5.3 What do others think about Gabler
6 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the complex textual development of James Joyce’s "Ulysses," focusing on his writing process, the subsequent editorial attempts to rectify the novel's inherent manuscript corruption, and the significant controversy surrounding Hans Walter Gabler’s critical edition.
- James Joyce’s habits of note-taking, drafting, and continuous revision.
- The role of typescripts, serialisation, and printer interference in the evolution of the text.
- Hans Walter Gabler’s "Critical and Synoptic Edition" and the concept of a "continuous manuscript."
- The intense scholarly debate ignited by John Kidd regarding editorial methodology and textual authority.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Notes
The problems started with Joyce’s way of collecting ideas and taking notes. “Joyce‘s way of thinking out the book was to assemble discrete details on little scraps of paper“ or any thing he could write on. His close friend Frank Budgen explained that (He used) little writing blocks specially made for the waistcoat pocket. At intervals, alone or in conversation, seated or walking, one of these tablets was produced, and a word or two scribbled on it at lightning speed as ear or memory served his turn.
At the drafting stage he sorted out these rough notes according to the episode he might use them, some he used directly while writing out an early draft, others he transferred for further use, and the sake of organisation, to larger note sheets or into notebooks. This means, “much of his harvested material was transferred to the note sheets, and the rest probably went into early drafts of Ulysses“ Those sheets and books were his standard receptacle for notes to write Ulysses. However for most parts, Joyce discarded them once he had used the records for a rough draft. This explains the fact that for the first three years of James Joyce’s work on Ulysses there are neither notes nor drafts left. Nevertheless, there exist some, because 29 note sheets for the last seven episodes were sent in 1938 by Paul Léon, acting as Joyce’s secretary, to Harriet Shaw Weaver, and these have been preserved in the British Museum.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of Joyce's seven-year writing process and the core objective of tracing the textual history of "Ulysses."
2 The first steps towards Ulysses: Explores the initial stages of writing, detailing the use of notes, notebooks, and early drafts.
3 The different editions and serialisation: Discusses the transition from manuscript to publication, highlighting serialisation issues and the pressures of proofreading.
4 A new attempt: Analyzes Hans Walter Gabler’s editorial project, specifically the methodology behind the "continuous manuscript."
5 The critic against Gabler’s work: Examines the scholarly backlash led by John Kidd and the resulting debates over textual authenticity.
6 Conclusion: Reflects on the impossibility of a truly "final" version of the novel and the ongoing nature of Joycean textual scholarship.
Keywords
James Joyce, Ulysses, textual criticism, Hans Walter Gabler, John Kidd, manuscript, serialisation, critical edition, drafts, proofreading, editorial methodology, Rosenbach Manuscript, Joycean scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on the intricate textual history of James Joyce’s "Ulysses," from the author's initial note-taking to the creation of various published editions.
What are the central themes covered?
Key themes include the evolution of Joyce’s drafts, the impact of typists and printers on the text, and the contentious debate over editorial authority.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to explore how the text of "Ulysses" developed and to understand the controversy surrounding modern attempts, specifically by Hans Walter Gabler, to restore the novel to an idealized state.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author uses a historical-philological approach, analyzing textual variants, archival evidence (manuscripts and notebooks), and the scholarly commentary surrounding the text.
What does the main body address?
It covers Joyce’s writing habits, the development of the "continuous manuscript," and the critical assessment of Gabler’s work by figures like John Kidd.
Which keywords define this work?
Primary keywords include James Joyce, "Ulysses," textual criticism, Hans Walter Gabler, and editorial controversy.
How did Joyce's note-taking influence the final novel?
Joyce used a system of discrete notes and notebooks to draft episodes; he would discard these notes once incorporated, creating a complex, multi-layered compositional process.
Why was the Gabler edition so controversial?
Critics, led by John Kidd, argued that Gabler’s editorial principles were inconsistent and that his "continuous manuscript" inadvertently introduced new errors rather than fixing old ones.
- Quote paper
- Anja Moeller (Author), 2002, Ulysses from Notes and Drafts to Editions and Revisions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/9422
