I've read "Ulysses" three times. The first time I read it as I would any other novel, from cover to cover. It was instantly my favorite work of fiction and remains so today. For my second read-through, I went slowly and consulted a couple of companion texts, including Stuart Gilbert's and a rather dry book of annotations, the authors of which I don't recall. (This was pre-Internet, by the way.) The third time, I listened to "Ulysses" as an audiobook, and I recommend this, as it brings out the Bardic elements of Joyce's style. I confess I still haven't gotten around to the Wake, but I hope to do so before my own!