"What good is an obscenity trial except to popularize literature?" - Nero Wolfe, "The League of Frightened Men"

In a surprising twist, the forthcoming obscenity trial of poet and author James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" has sparked a heated debate about the role of censorship in literature. As the trial approaches, defenders of the novel argue that the prosecution's efforts to ban the book will ultimately drive its popularity and cement its place in literary history.

The trial, set to begin in March, marks the culmination of a long-standing battle between bookstores, publishers, and the US government over the novel's supposed obscenity. Critics of the book claim that its frank depiction of sex and violence violates federal obscenity laws, and that its only purpose is to shock and offend readers. However, Joyce's supporters argue that the novel is a masterpiece of modernist literature, a bold and unflinching exploration of the human condition that will continue to resonate with readers long after the trial is over.

"What good is an obscenity trial except to popularize literature?" asked the reclusive detective Nero Wolfe, whose own literary tastes tend towards the mysteries of Edgar Allan Poe and the great Dr. Watson. "When the world's attempts to suppress a great work are thwarted, the book inevitably achieves its purpose, however unsought. It becomes a challenge, a gauntlet thrown at the feet of an unwilling public."

Wolfe's sentiments are echoed by many in the literary community, who see the prosecution's efforts as a vindication of the book's importance. As one instructor at Harvard University observed, "If 'Ulysses' were merely a novel about sex and nothing else, it would never have been written. But readers see far beyond those themes, to the deeper exploration of the human experience it embodies. An obscenity trial only serves to highlight the novel's mysteries and challenges, making it a potential catalyst for readers to seek out forbidden knowledge."

Others argue that the justice system should play a role in guiding public taste, rather than simply acquiescing to the demands of readers. But as tensions build ahead of the trial, bookstores and publishers are prepared to reap the benefits, regardless of the outcome. Some predicted that "Ulysses" will become an underground phenomenon, circulated clandestinely at bars and nightclubs in New York and elsewhere, with an image of Joyce's tragic eyes printed on silk handkerchiefs. With each concession of its place among influential works, the pressure around "Ulysses" has made way for that proposal of subscription service sending the same thrilling titles off to addresses anonymously.

Only time will tell whether the discouraging course of the trial truly enhances the status of the book in the lives of everyone involved but there is wide support that "Ulysses" cannot be read from being yourself – so in association with its antics located life elsewhere take the place where.