James Joyce
Oxford (1922 text) · 1922
Ulysses is hard, and the help matters more than the textual debates. Oxford's edition gives you the original 1922 text with Jeri Johnson's excellent introduction and notes — the context you need to keep your footing. For a first read, that guidance is worth more than the fixes in the scholarly text. This is where I'd start. (Many readers also keep Gifford's separate annotations nearby.)
Gabler (Corrected Text) · 1986
Hans Walter Gabler's 'Corrected Text' is the version scholars cite, with the marginal line numbers used in criticism — it rebuilds the text from the manuscripts and fixes thousands of small errors. It also set off one of the great literary feuds: the critic John Kidd argued Gabler introduced errors of his own. Essential for study; light on notes for a first read.
Modern Library · 1961
The Modern Library edition prints the long-standard text that preceded Gabler — the one most readers used for decades. A handsome, reliable reading copy. If you want the familiar text rather than the corrected or the original-1922, this is it.
Free (public domain) · 1922
The 1922 text is out of copyright and free — Project Gutenberg and others. Just know that Ulysses without notes is rough going; you'll want a companion guide. Free and complete, best for re-reading or sampling.
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