I’ve purposely avoided Joyce for 30 years. When I recently found a copy of Ulysses at the Goodwill, with the internet support, I decided it was time to give it a go. The Podcast makes the whole Ulysses experience better. Great job and the pictures are great.

I’ve read the book through once before and just recently finished Finnegans Wake. I found the podcast through the episode / blog post about translating Finnegans Wake into Japanese and started listening and never stopped. Almost 60 episodes through and Kelly and Dermot do a great job of making it thought provoking while still casual and not overly (or unnecessarily) intellectual. Would recommend for anyone reading or new to Ulysses. Joyce’s novels are definitely a commitment and this podcast keeps you in the loop while not making you feel like an outsider. I know a lot more about the book, Joyce’s life, and the many many references than I did the first time I dipped my toe in the literary ocean that is Ulysses.

After getting partway into the book with the help of Gifford & Seidman’s notes, the Wikipedia article, CliffsNotes, and starting the Ellman biography, I was understanding a lot of the references and characters. However, I felt I was still missing the soul of the novel. The greatest novel of the 20th century - really? Then I started listening to Blooms and Barnacles. Kelly and Dermot’s background information, and the deeply felt commentary of Dermot and the Irish guests on Irish history and the Irish character, gives me a feel for the fire and blood. It’s all so fascinating I’m following up with their recommendations for other relevant books and podcasts. I’ve fallen into the universe of Ulysses and may never emerge.

I really appreciate this podcast. Both for its tangents and focus around James Joyce and Ulysses. I enjoy Dermot’s insight into the world of Ireland. That is something I was lacking, working with Joyce and I want to learn more. I believe it’s really special in that it is not over analyzed to impress. So many Joyceans tend to overanalyze to match Joyce’s skillset, which in turn makes it another hurdle to overcome. Kelly and Demot, keep it up. I appreciate your dedication and time you have put into this over the years.

Blooms and Barnacles podcast is such pleasure. I am heading towards a re-reading of Ulysses and I have found the conversations and insights on this podcast to be both enlightening and truly inviting when it comes to tackling what can be such a challenging book. Kelly and Dermot are a wonderful team.

This podcast about Ulysses (and its accompanying blog) is a pleasure I look forward to each week like a regular meet-up with my best friend. Each week, Kelly and Dermot invite us into a conversation that is warm, welcoming, and fun all while providing thought-provoking and enlightening insights about this amazing and inexhaustible marvel of a book. They really have worked magic here--the content they deliver is consistently excellent, and diverse -- they orient the listener clearly and efficiently so that a beginner going at this book for the first time will find significant value here. And yet they dive deeply enought to provide genuinely surprising revelations or new perspectives for the intermediate or advanced reader of Joyce. That is not easy, especially with this subject. They go about their business in what seems like a casual, unfussy way, making the difficult look easy, perhaps. I can tell that significant effort goes into this project, and I am grateful to them for it.

I fell in love with Ulysses in the context of a college class. When I was done I wanted more but didn’t know where to turn; enter this podcast!! This podcast is engaging, humorous, and intelligent. Thank you for putting so much love and joy into this podcast!

Most Joyce-for-Beginners content isn’t intended to function beyond the Wikipedia stage of engagement. That’s where Blooms & Barnacles comes in. This wonderful show has managed not only to mirror the welcoming & informal atmosphere of a local Joyce reading group, but also proceeds slowly enough with the text that deep-divers can revisit lost details. Kelly Bryan knows the book & comes armed with the critical tradition. Dermot O’Connor provides the requisite brogue & some of the best Ulysses caricatures I’ve seen. And? The co-hosts are funny (and newlyweds!)! Joyce people are the best people.

It’s hard to imagine a more detailed or a more loving exposition of Ulysses. Line by line, paragraph by paragraph, Kelly and Dermot work their way through this magnificent novel, filling in the background and teasing out the nuances. Lots of sidebars, like how to support Sweny’s, where Bloom bought his lemon soap, so that venerable institution can stay in business. Ever wondered what a croppy boy was, or where Mr Deasy is from? It’s all here. This is a show BY fans FOR fans. I’ve read Ulysses several times, and every episode of the podcast teaches me something new about it.

Thorough and ruckus. Thanks for your show.