The novel Ulysses by James Joyce was published in its completed form in 1922. The entire 600-odd page novel is set on a single day in the city of Dublin, Ireland. The date is June 16, 1904.

Ulysses is one of those novels that rewards multiple readings, revealing new layers on every read. The premise is simple but the writing is complex and some chapters are difficult to read. It is considered the paramount work of modernist literature, and many writers up to the present day cite it as an influential text. It is also a prime example of the use of stream-of-consciousness in fiction.

The principal character in the novel is Leopold Bloom. Since the publication of the novel, the city of Dublin celebrates June 16 every year as Bloomsday, which is now celebrated in many other parts of the world as well, as a tribute to the novel and its author.