6 December 1933: Obscenity ban on Ulysses is lifted

James Joyce’s Ulysses was initially published in instalments in an American magazine, The Little Review, between 1918 and 1920.

The novel, known for its complex and groundbreaking approach to storytelling, immediately sparked controversy. By the standards of the day, Ulysses was not only extremely sexually explicit, but it was blasphemous too, mocking the rituals of the Catholic Church. The excerpts published in The Little Review, quickly drew attention to the language and challenging themes, leading to a legal and moral uproar.

In 1922, the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice instigated the banning of Ulysses and deemed it obscene under the Comstock Act, a US federal law banning the distribution of materials considered lewd or obscene. As a result, the book was deemed unfit for public consumption and its entry into the country was blocked, creating a decade-long period during which it was largely inaccessible to American readers.

Ultimately, in 1933, in a subsequent trial, United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, the court ruled that Ulysses was not obscene, allowing its publication and distribution in the United States. The judge praised the novel’s literary value, acknowledging its innovative narrative structure and profound exploration of human consciousness. The novel’s merit as a work of art was emphasised, fundamentally altering the understanding of what could be considered literature versus mere obscenity.

Today, Ulysses stands as a celebrated literary masterpiece, widely available and appreciated by readers and scholars, thanks to this historical legal victory.