Wednesday 16 December 2015

Monday, 14 December 2015, Pages 283 - 285

The reading stopped at "... helve 's fractures." (285.22)

HCE and ALP's kid is (kids are?) still dealing with problems in Mathematics: geometry (triangles, circles, angles...), algebra, permutations and combinations, factorials all find their way into here. And of course, numbers in Finnish. We are also told what the answer to the first geometry question is. It is apparently found in the teacher's only (for teasers only) section of the text book. The only challenge is to make sense of the answer, and of course to decipher what the question is. 

Monday 7 December 2015

Monday, 7 December 2015, Pages 282 - 283

Stopped at the last line on page 283: "... smear it out poison long." (283.32)

Part of what we read today was about arithmetics - numbers (of course in different languages) and units of measurements. Geometry and algebra made their appearances too as nucleuds (Euclid) and alegobrew!

Monday 30 November 2015

Monday, 30 November 2015, Pages 280 - 282

Read as far as "At maturing daily gloryaims!" (282.6)

The above phrase is a modification/corruption of 'Ad Majorem dei Gloriam' (For the Greater Glory of God!) FW certainly seems really to be A.D.M.G.!

Thursday 26 November 2015

Monday, 23 November 2015, Pages 279 - 280

Read as far as "... Twelvemonthsminding?" (280.8)

What we read today was footnote 1 on page 279, which - according to a blogpost I accidentally discovered - is actually a letter written by Issy to her teacher. 

Friday 20 November 2015

Monday, 16 November 2015, Pages 277 - 279

(First of all, apologies for having missed last week's post!)

We read as far as "A halt for hearsake." (279.9)

It could help to know that part of what we read was about letters, ('All the world's in want and is writing a letters.' (278.13)), as we are going to start with a longish letter next week!

Tuesday 3 November 2015

James Joyce Pocket Calendar 2016


The new Joyce Pocket Calendars for 2016 are out. The Calendar records as many datable events from Ulysses, Portrait, Dubliners and Exiles as we could find. We have a (limited) batch of 50 and are able to make them available for CHF 25 a piece. Orders can be placed through Fritz Senn (fritzsenn@me.com) or directly with Bill Brockman (uxb5@psu.edu) or Sabrina Alonso (sabrina.alonso@bluewin.ch). 


Monday 2 November 2015

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Monday, 19 October 2015, Pages 267 - 269


Next Monday (26 October) is the group's third anniversary. If you have time, join us for a drink to celebrate after the reading.

Thursday 8 October 2015

Monday, 5 October 2015, Pages 266 - 267

We read as far as "“So mag this sybilette be our shibboleth that we may syllable her well!” (267.21)

A very intriguing sentence, is it not?!

Monday 28 September 2015

Monday, 28 September 2015, Pages 264 - 266

We have reached "Schein. Schore" (266.8).

Next week, there will be a screening of the film Pablo Ventura made during the trip to Dublin earlier this year: Monday, 5 October, at the Foundation after the reading.

And, if you're in the mood and have time, join the group for a celebratory drink after the reading on Monday, 26 October: we've been going, stumbling, sinking and swimming for three years now.


Tuesday 22 September 2015

Monday, 21 September 2015, Pages 262 - 264

We reached "Ever a-going, ever a-coming."(264.10)

Amongst what we read, there was/is  a nice description of Finnegans Wake:
"Hearasay in paradox lust." (p. 263)

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Monday, 14 September 2015, Pages 259 - 262

Read till "O really?" (262. 10 in middle column)

The following is an excerpt from the entry on Finnegans Wake in Wikipedia:

'Chapter II.2 follows Shem, Shaun and Issy studying upstairs in the pub, after having been called inside in the previous chapter.[50][51] The chapter depicts "[Shem] coaching [Shaun] how to do Euclid Bk I, 1", structured as "a reproduction of a schoolboys' (and schoolgirls') old classbook complete with marginalia by the twins, who change sides at half time, and footnotes by the girl (who doesn't)".[52][53]Once Shem (here called Dolph) has helped Shaun (here called Kev) to draw the Euclid diagram, the latter realises that he has drawn a diagram of ALP's genitalia, and "Kev finally realises the significance of the triangles [..and..] strikes Dolph." After this "Dolph forgives Kev" and the children are given "[e]ssay assignments on 52 famous men."[54] The chapter ends with the children's "nightletter" to HCE and ALP, in which they are "apparently united in a desire to overcome their parents."[55]'

Friday 11 September 2015

Monday, 7 September 2015, Pages 257 - 259

We completed chapter 1 of part II of the book.

The chapter ended with the remarkable prayer: "Loud, heap miseries upon us yet entwine our arts with laughters low!"

Next week we shall be starting with page 260.

Thursday 3 September 2015

Monday, 31 August 2015, Pages 255 - 257

We shall be continuing on 7th September from "While, running about their ways,..." (257.3)

One of the passages we read today had famous Irish writers' names in disguised  - if not distorted - form. See the paragraph starting from "Home all go." (256.11)

Monday 17 August 2015

Monday, 17 August 2015, Pages 252 - 254

In our reading, we made it to "A babbel men dub gulch of tears" (254.17), but discussion will be pick up again from top page, "Was he pitssched for an ensemble".

Some favourites included: 

"one's only owned by naturel rejection. Charley, you're my drawing!(252.27);

The children's dance at 252.29: "Till they go round if they go roundagain before breakparts and all dismissed. They keep. Step keep. Step. Stop.";

We enjoyed how "the mappamund has been changing pattern as youth plays moves from street to street since time and races were" (253.5);

And also that, as elsewhere, "wise ants hoarded and sauterelles were spendthrifts" (253.7).


Monday 10 August 2015

Monday, 10 August 2015, Pages 250 - 252

We stopped at "Grassy ass ago." (252.13)

The words Grassy ass could be 'distortions' of gratias, meaning feeling dank (252.9)
In any case, they inspired Fritz Senn to recite the following limerick:

Catriona, a pretty young lass
Had a truly magnificent ass.
Not rounded and pink
As you possibly think
It was grey, had long ears, and ate grass.

(Thanks to Sabrina for sharing the same!)

Monday 3 August 2015

Monday, 27 July 2015, Pages 248 - 250

We read as far as "... but a loop to lee." (250.22)

The reading continues on Monday, the 10th of August, at the usual time. i.e., there will be no meeting of the reading group on Monday, the 3rd of August.

Friday 24 July 2015

Monday, 20 July 2015, Pages 246 - 248

Stopped  at "...he knows as much how to man a wife as Dunckle Dalton of matching wools." (248.22)

Notes
1. On coming Monday, the 27th of July, at 14.30h, Halila will present some of the work she has been doing during her stay at the Foundation as a scholar. Everyone interested is very welcome to attend.

2. There will be no reading during the first week of August due to the Workshop held at the Foundation. Therefore, this reading group will not be meeting on Monday, 3 August 2015.

Saturday 18 July 2015

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Monday, 6 July 2015, Pages 244 - 245

We read to "the poissission of the highly course" (245.13).


Some of the group's favourites included:

"When otter leaps in outer parts then Yul remembers Mei." (245.6)

"And now with robby brerfox's fishy fable lissaned out, the threads simwhat toran and knots in its antargumends" (245.9)

"Her hung maid mohns are bluming, look" (245.6) hides the line "The young May moon is beaming, love" from a song by Thomas Moore, which Molly remembers too in Ulysses (18.80).

Sunday 28 June 2015

Monday, 22 June 2015, Pages 242 - 243

Stopped at "... it was such a blowick day."  (243.20)

Joyce presents what seems to be one of his most favorite nursery rhymes in a new incarnation:

"Psing a psalm of psexpeans, apocryphul of rhyme!"

i.e., "sing a song of six pence, a pocketful of rye"

Monday 15 June 2015

Monday, 15 June 2015, Pages 240 - 242

Today (in the midst of an unusually obscure passage) we ground to a halt at 242.10, "...at 81" (the last words make the first two words of line 242).

Thursday 11 June 2015

Monday, 8 June 2015, Pages 239 - 240

We stopped at "... smily skibluh eye." (240.32)

A challenge: Translate 'Hightime' into German!

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Monday, 1 June 2015, Pages 238 - 239

We read our way to "Vania, Vania Vaniorum, Domne Vanias!" (239.15)

The girls are teasing Glugg with a colour guessing game and, here, they play out a seduction scene on him.


Saturday 23 May 2015

Monday, May 18, 2015, Pages 236 - 238

We stopped today at "Says the Law. List!" (238.23)

Please note that there will be no reading next week, Whit Monday, 25 May

The Monday after that, 1 June, Fritz Senn will be in Dublin with a group of followers, but the Foundation will be open at 3 p.m. and anybody who feels like turning up regardless and have a go at the text is very welcome. 

The next regular reading will be on Monday, 8 June.



Wednesday 13 May 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015, Pages 234 - 236

Read as far as "Anne-liuia!" (236.18)

In what we read, we recognized cars (Roseraie= Rolls Royce?, Fyat = Fiat?), various kinds of trees (oaks, firs, cedars, elm, Larix,...) and food items (Short-bred, marchpane, almonds, Sundae, honey, caramel, mint,...) :-)

Monday 4 May 2015

Monday, May 4, 2015, Pages 232 - 234

It was 76 years ago on this day (4.5.1939) that Finnegans Wake was first published!

Today, we stopped in the middle of a sentence, nay paragraph, at "... weanling wore)" (234.18)

To decipher: "And note that they who will for exile say can for dog while them that won't leave ingle end says now for know." (233.14)

Thursday 30 April 2015

Monday, April 27, 2015, Pages 231 - 232

Stopped at "... shaking the storm out of his hiccups." (232.35)

At least we have been told that "The Worst is over." Believe that at your own peril!! 

Saturday 25 April 2015

Monday, April 20, 2015, Pages 230 - 231

We read as far as "Like gnaw thing unheardth!" (231.22)

The  pages contained hidden (what else?) hints of Wagner's 'liaison' with Matilde Wesendonck.

Friday 17 April 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015, Pages 228 - 230

Ladigs and jointuremen!

We stopped reading in the middle of the sentence at "...homety dome try narrowedknee domum..." (230.6)

It is really like free leaves for ebribadies!

Monday 30 March 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015, Pages 226 - 228

Stopped at "with farecard awailable getrennty years." (228.24)

Please note that there won't be a reading next week, Easter Monday, April 6. We're meeting again on Monday, April 13.

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Monday, March 23, 2015, Pages 224 - 226

Stopped at "Then romped round in rout." (226.29)

And, after the reading many of us, ladies, went home determined 'to help our hussybands how to hop'. (226.19)
What did the men decide, I don't know.

Friday 20 March 2015

Monday, March 16, 2015, Pages 222 - 224

Read as far as "Ah, ho! Cicely, awe!"  (224.21)

To decipher:
Sammy, call on.

Thursday 12 March 2015

Monday, March 9, 2015, Pages 221 - 222

Stopped at "... shehind hims back." (222.36)

Interesting phases/words:

  • Ouida Nooikke ('yes, yes', 'no, no' in Danish)
  • Maidykins in Undiform ('Mädchen in Uniform)

Thursday 5 March 2015

Monday, March 2, 2015, Pages 219 - 221

Read as far as "Time: the present." (221.17)

The summary of Book II, section 1: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnegans_Wake#Book_II)
While Book I of Finnegans Wake deals mostly with the parents HCE and ALP, Book II shifts that focus onto their children, Shem, Shaun and Issy.
II.1 opens with a pantomime programme, which outlines, in relatively clear language, the identities and attributes of the book's main characters. The chapter then concerns a guessing game among the children, in which Shem is challenged three times to guess by "gazework" the colour which the girls have chosen.[48] Unable to answer due to his poor eyesight, Shem goes into exile in disgrace, and Shaun wins the affection of the girls. Finally HCE emerges from the pub and in a thunder-like voice calls the children inside.[49]

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Monday, 23 February 2015, Pages 214 - 216

Today we finished reading Book I of Finnegans Wake.

The two washerwomen have finished their work, and their chat. Dusk is settling in. They start to get ready to go home.
It is not all that easy, apparently, as one of them says: "My foos won't moos. I feel as old as yonder elm."
They bid each other "Night!"

A summary of Book I is available here.

James Joyce reading the final pages (starting with "Well, you know or don't you kennet.... page 255, line 10) of the ALP chapter in 1929 is available here.

The same recording with some sonic distortion is available here.


Wednesday 18 February 2015

Monday, 16 February 2015, Pages 212 - 214

Stopped at "... lavender flannels?" (214.28)

These are the pages where you will find
... Belle for Sexaloitez!
... Maria, full of grease, the load is with me!

and many more such fun sentences.

Thursday 12 February 2015

Monday, 9 February 2015, Pages 210 - 212

We read as far as "... vanitty fair." (212.32)

Two washerwomen are still at their work on a river bank. One of them has just finished reciting a looooong list of gifts ALP gave to all kinds of people. Most of these gifts are real strange. For example, she gave a pig's bladder balloon for Selina Susquehanna Stakelum, a guillotine shirt for Reuben Redbreast, a bag of the blues for Funny Fitz, ...

Note: a bluebag is a bag containing cakes or blue powder for laundry use
(Source: http://www.finwake.com/1024chapter8/fw08.htm)

Monday 26 January 2015

Monday, 26 January 2015, Pages 209 - 210

We stopped today at "... a dynamight right for Pavl the Curate;..." (210.36)

And we started today with "... baggyrhatty?" (209.10), a word that is said to refer - in this chapter brimming with the names of rivers - to the river, Bhagirathi, in India.

Bhagirathi is another name for Ganga, and is so called as she was brought down to the earth by King Bhagiratha.

Find out more about Bhagirathi and Bhagiratha!

IMPORTANT: There will be no reading next Monday (on 2 February 2015)

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Monday, 19 January 2015, Pages 207 - 209

Stopped at "... or Alp has doped!" (209. 9)

A puzzle: What do you understand by 'owlglassy'? (208.9)

Tuesday 13 January 2015

13 January 2015

This is a special post to commemorate the passing of James Joyce on 13 January 1941 in Zuerich.

Please note that you can listen to the entire Finnegans Wake at
http://www.openculture.com/2013/11/hear-all-of-finnegans-wake-read-aloud.html

Monday, 12 January 2015, Pages 205-207

The group stopped at: "bassein came" (207.20)

Thursday 8 January 2015

Monday, 5 January 2015, Pages 203 - 205

We stopped at "I amstel waiting. Garonne, garonne!" (205.15)

Also read some of the nicest sentences of the book:
"Baptiste me, father, for she has sinned!"
"If tomorrow keeps fine who'll come tripping to sightsee?"

Who indeed? I amstel waiting for the answer! ;-)