I don't think Joyce set out to "entertain", as much as turn the previous idea of the novel (just emerging from Victorian times) on its head and show what could be done. By reading that guide I mentioned earlier I realized just how complex the book is, and a little of what Joyce was trying to do--in fact the guide alone was fascinating. And no one can deny that the book had a huge effect on subsequent novelists. Maybe somewhat like the effect Dylan had on music, when he started off. I'm sure that artists in other genres (Picasso?) were similarly ground-breaking.

Don