Week 44 takes us firmly into the 20th century, with a strong Irish lineup: James Joyce’s “The Dead" from The Dubliners, the opening of Ulysses, and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

Joyce surprised me—in the very best way. “The Dead” is rich, intimate, and beautifully written, capturing married love, memory, and Dublin itself as if the city were another character. The opening of Ulysses was stranger and more dreamlike, but not impenetrable; I’m no longer afraid of it, even if I’m not sure the whole novel is in my future.

Beckett, on the other hand, infuriated me. Waiting for Godot struck me as deliberately empty, a meditation on meaninglessness that simply wasn’t for me, even while I understand its cultural impact.

This week underscored how much I’ve grown as a reader: more patient, more persistent, and open to genres I never imagined loving. Eight weeks to go—and I’m grateful for every page.

Oh, and the answer to that question? Well, you'll just have to listen to find out.

The beautiful videos can be found in my substack post!

LINK

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

CONNECT

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

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LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm