Ulysses by James Joyce

James Joyce's seminal work, Ulysses, is a doozy. He was the eldest of 10 surviving siblings in an Irish family with many brothers and sisters. His father owned a salt and lime works; they moved to Bray when he was five years old. After his dad met a Jesuit priest who arranged for the boys to attend Belvedere College without fees. The Ratio Studiorum -- which is basically a codified volume of all things Jesuits used internationally on school grounds.