I always feel there are some books or some authors that I "should" be reading, but nibbling away at the book list in my head is an endless process. Over the last year or two I finally read a couple of Thomas Pynchon books (one of them, Vineland, for the reading group here) and now I am reading Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, a work I have never attempted before.
After I did a bit of background reading on the Internet, I tried the first chapter but felt utterly lost. Oz Fritz had an extra copy of the book A Reader's Guide to 'Finnegans Wake' by William York Tindall, and he kindly sent it to me. It has been very useful.
I got through the first chapter switching back and forth every few pages between the two books, but it seemed like a clumsy and unsatisfactory way to read a book. For the second chapter of the Wake, I tried reading Tindall's chapter first, then reading the Wake chapter all the way through. I found that way I (more or less) felt like I knew what was going on and I also could relax and enjoy the puns. So I will see if that approach works for the subsequent chapters.
I participated in Free Comic Book Day yesterday and picked out four titles. I also finished The Infinite Mistress by D. Scott Apel. I think it is fair to say I try to read a wide variety of books.
7 comments:
I hope you enjoy the Wake.
Terence McKenna recommended Joe Campbell's Skeleton Key to FW
My favorite vade mecum for FW is John Bishop's Joyce's Book of the Dark. But there are many others. I see FW as in part about the act of reading itself. McHugh wrote a very short book on how to read FW: The Finnegans Wake Experience. It's about 123 pages.
Free Comic Book Day is such a great event!
I also recommend the Skeleton Key to FW. Though it probably does the same thing it sounds like the Tindall book is doing. My preferred method was also to get the gist first and then just enjoy the language without worrying too much about comprehension.
Finding YOUR own way to read FW seems part of the game to me. And it can change over time, like the Wake itself, become fluid. What I do these days is reading two pages a day, that way I'm constantly wading in it, but never get overflooded. Enjoy!
Great suggestions. Harold Bloom suggested that Joyce’s work rewards you in proportion to your efforts to to appreciate it. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. 🏏🐇🎼🎶☮️☯️🕉️🌈
The last time I read the Wake I used both Tindall and Campbell's guide books. They served the same purpose, but with different points of view. I don't have a preference. I have Bishop's book on my list to get and read next time I'm in the neighborhood. Now I'd like to look at the short McHugh book Michael mentioned.
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