Hi, I'm Aidan O'Leary.
A Dubliner, lifelong reader and creator of Ulysses Companion.
For twenty-five years I worked in technology sales — a career that might seem far removed from the world of James Joyce. Yet throughout that time, literature remained a constant presence in my life.
My father taught me to read. Every Friday evening, after dinner, we would sit together and read from the latest book he had bought specifically for us to share. Those evenings instilled in me a lifelong love of literature, curiosity and learning.
This website is dedicated to his memory and inspired by the belief that great books can enrich our lives in unexpected ways.
How I Became Obsessed with Joyce
In 2023, exhausted by the relentless cycle of modern news, I made a simple decision: stop reading the news and instead read my way through the greatest novels ever written.
My goal was ambitious: work systematically through the Top 100 novels of all time.
Roughly twenty books into that journey, I arrived at Ulysses in May 2023 with a modest objective — simply to finish it before Bloomsday.
At first, I found the novel almost impenetrable.
Like many first-time readers, I struggled. I frequently lost the thread of the narrative, missed references and wondered whether I was understanding anything at all.
Yet somewhere along the way, bewilderment slowly gave way to fascination.
After finishing Ulysses, I immediately started again. Then again. And again.
What began as a personal reading challenge gradually evolved into a deep and continuing engagement with the works of James Joyce, the city of Dublin and literary modernism.
Over the past three years, I have devoted thousands of hours to studying:
- ·Ulysses
- ·Dubliners
- ·A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
- ·Finnegans Wake
- ·Exiles
as well as Joyce's life, letters, historical context and the Dublin locations that shaped his work.
I spent much of 2024 immersed in Ulysses itself, exploring its structure, symbolism, humour, Homeric parallels, historical background and extraordinary attention to the everyday life of Dublin on 16 June 1904.
In 2025, I undertook my first complete reading of Finnegans Wake — a journey that took an entire year. I am currently rereading and restudying it throughout 2026 with the goal of completing a second full reading by year's end.
Why Ulysses Companion Exists
When I first encountered Ulysses, one resource transformed my experience more than any other: Frank Delaney's remarkable podcast, Re: Joyce.
Delaney approached Joyce not as an intimidating academic monument, but as a living, funny, humane and endlessly rewarding work of art. He made Ulysses feel accessible.
Ulysses Companion is, in many ways, an attempt to recreate that experience for a new generation of readers.
My goal is simple: to create the most welcoming, reader-friendly and comprehensive guide to Ulysses on the internet.
I want to help readers who may be curious about Joyce but feel intimidated, overwhelmed or convinced that Ulysses is somehow "not for them."
It absolutely is.
What Makes This Guide Different?
Many Joyce resources are written primarily for specialists and academics. Ulysses Companion takes a different approach.
This site is written by a reader, for readers.
The emphasis is always on clarity, enjoyment and confidence. Rather than assuming prior knowledge, Ulysses Companion aims to explain difficult passages, historical references and literary allusions in clear, straightforward language while preserving the richness and complexity that make Joyce so rewarding.
The site combines:
- ·Close reading and textual analysis
- ·Historical and biographical context
- ·Dublin geography and walking routes
- ·Homeric and literary parallels
- ·Character studies
- ·Symbolism and themes
- ·Original research and synthesis
- ·Practical guidance for first-time readers
Editorial Principles
Every article on Ulysses Companion is guided by the following principles.
Reader First
Explanations should illuminate rather than intimidate.
Accuracy Matters
Where possible, interpretations are checked against Joyce scholarship, primary texts and established critical sources.
Multiple Interpretations Welcome
Joyce rarely intended a single 'correct' reading. Where interpretations differ, alternative perspectives are presented.
Context is Essential
Historical, cultural, political and biographical context is provided whenever it helps readers better understand the text.
Dublin at the Centre
Joyce famously claimed that if Dublin were destroyed it could be reconstructed from his works. As a lifelong Dubliner, I am particularly interested in reconnecting readers with the living city that shaped Joyce's imagination.
Who Is This Site For?
Ulysses Companion is designed for:
- ·First-time readers of Ulysses
- ·Returning readers seeking deeper understanding
- ·Students and teachers
- ·Book clubs
- ·Visitors exploring Joycean Dublin
- ·Anyone curious about James Joyce and literary modernism
Whether you are opening Ulysses for the first time or returning for your tenth reading, I hope this guide helps make Joyce's extraordinary world a little more accessible — and a lot more enjoyable.
Welcome.
— Aidan O'Leary
Dublin, Ireland