I am about to begin Joyce's legendary wank-fest. Does anybody who's read it have any advice for me?

Good luck. Bring a blankie and something to keep you awake.

Seriously, I read it (in full) in a Joyce class in college. We used a book of commentary along with it that helped me to get what was going on. I can't remember the book of commentary by name, tho. Sorry.

I don't think its as bad, or self-indulgent as people make it out to be. I read it for about 100 pages, pick up something else less weighty, then pick it up again and so on...

Joyce was distilling thousands of years of language, myth and history. It's an amazing piece of work.

I should point out that I don't find it bad. It's long, and confusing, and hard to follow. I think I didn't like it at the time that I read it (for a class) but that I've grown to appreciate it and am thankful for the fact that I did read it.

But I've never felt the inclination to re-read it.

Oh, once its done, its done... I'm not reading it another time.

I gave up trying to read this book years ago after a few futile efforts. Only a few pages in I am completely lost. Not only that but I don't care either.

btw, I know a guy who has read Ulysses several times and claims it to be the best book ever written. Obviously he and I have differing tastes.

Although it is far from being "the best," Ulysses is down to earth and actually depicts the life of a Jewish Irishman.

If anything, one could appreciate the fact that each chapter is written differently. The writing is just phenomenal.

Ulysses may be a tough read, but it's nothing compared to Joyce's last novel Finnegan's Wake. I had a professor one time who read as an incomprehensible passage from the novel, only to inform us that it was actually the first paragraph. I can't imagine reading the whole novel.

From Wikipedia:

"Because Joyce's sentences are packed with obscure allusions and puns in dozens of different languages, it remains impossible to offer an undisputed and definitive synopsis [of the plot]."

If you want a more "light weight" book, that stays along the same literary style as Joyce, and especially Ulysses, may I suggest "The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien.
Just to add more interest, it's been acknowledged as a kay factor in the underlying plotlines of "lost". Although it's not about an island or it's inhabitants, you'll understand when you read it.

The style is a joy to behold, and although I'm not that bright I found it fairly easy to follow, not to mention it's pretty short, could be done in a day or two.

I like Ulysses, though I'll admit to using The New Bloomsbury Book as a guide. And it took me some time to really get into the book, but once I did, I was hooked. I don't want to read it again, though.

Finnegans Wake - Can't make heads or tails out of it. LOL

Speaking of Flann O'Brien, how about At Swim, Two Birds? Loved that one.

"At Swim, Two Birds" is a book which will take any readers fictional text compass and spin it, magnetically fuck with it and return it to some completely new place.

In other words, it's wonderful.