《驰想日——<尤利西斯>地理阅读》是陈丹燕旅行汇系列作品，为同时出版的《捕梦之乡—<哈扎尔辞典>地理阅读》姊妹篇。作家陈丹燕带着20世纪欧洲文学的高峰之一——《尤利西斯》开启了她的旅程。踏着主人公布卢姆在1904年6月16日的漫游足迹，陈丹燕在爱尔兰完成了一场文化与历史、文学与地理的深度阅读。
2013年初夏，布卢姆日，陈丹燕遇见迎着乔治教堂的晨光去买羊腰子的“布卢姆”，与穿着灰蓝色短大衣的“舞蹈老师”前后脚经过一家鲜肉铺，而长裙飘飘的“诺拉”在红砖墙下倏然而行……书中的人物走进了现实，作者个人的驰想与遐思则进入了书中。
在陈丹燕笔下，1904年的都柏林与2013年的都柏林相互对照，相互呼应，相互融合；七八十年代的上海与如今的都柏林同样以一种奇异的方式连接在一起。作者以其独特的旅行方式，完成了她作为一个欧洲小说爱好者的阅读。
20世纪欧洲的文学高峰之一《尤利西斯》，被很多人称为“天书”，阅读这样一本书需要极大的耐心，极强的文字感受力。作者陈丹燕展现给读者一种崭新的阅读方式——带着名著去旅行，走进书中的世界，在故事的发生地，与书中的人物相遇、碰撞、擦出火花。
而作为一个作家的旅行，与一般读者又有不同。乔伊斯“意识流”的写作手法像是打开一个新世界般，为陈丹燕提供了一种全新的写作方式，更是为其构建了一套认识世界的方法。叶芝，鲁迅，童年的赛璐珞娃娃，1970年代上海某大礼堂中的拉歌比赛……作家信手拈来的意象，让人在1904年的都柏林，2013年的爱尔兰与19世纪七八十年代的上海中肆意穿梭，都柏林酒吧中《村路带我回家》的歌声犹在耳边流淌，而意识早已飘荡至洋溢着烟熏味道的上海弄堂。
如果你想去爱尔兰，如果你想读《尤利西斯》，这本书恰如其分地可以成为向导、索引，而在这之上，更有陈丹燕作为一个女性作家极其私人的阅读体验以及人生思考。

Perhaps the most important literary achievement of the 20th century, Ulysses is also one of the most challenging. This work introduces beginning readers to Joyce and his novel, removes some of the obstacles readers face when confronting his text, and illuminates the critical dialogue surrounding his work. The volume begins with a short biography and a survey of the importance and cultural impact of Ulysses. Most beginning readers find it difficult to follow Joyce's plot, and so they abandon the text in frustration. Thus this work includes a detailed plot summary. The chapters that follow overview the novel's publication history; its historical and cultural contexts, including Modernism, Irish literature and history, and political and social trends; major themes and issues; Joyce's narrative art, including his character development, language, images, and style; and the academic and critical response to the work. The volume closes with a bibliographical essay.

Don Gifford's annotations to Joyce's great modern classic comprise a specialized encyclopedia that will inform any reading of "Ulysses". The suggestive potential of minor details was enormously fascinating to Joyce, and the precision of his use of detail is a most important aspect of his literary method. The annotations in this volume illuminate details which are not in the public realm for most of us. The annotations gloss place names, define slang terms, give capsule histories of institutions and political and cultural movements and figures, supply bits of local and Irish legend and lore, explain religious nomenclature and practices, trace literary allusions and references to other cultures. Annotations are keyed not only to the reading text of the critical edition of "Ulysses", but to the standard 1961 Random House edition, and the current Modern Library and Vintage texts.