Wednesday 25 October 2017

Monday, 23 October 2017, Pages 420 - 422

Read as far as "Gach!" (422.3)

These pages are the funnest (oops, wrongly spilled!) ones in the parts we have so far read in the book. Shaun, the postman, is carrying a (the?) letter to deliver. It was written by Shem, the penman.  Shaun has problems delivering the letter though he tries different possible addresses.

He tries, for example, at 29 Hardware Saint, 13 Fitzgibbets, 12 Norse Richmound, 92 Windsewer. Ave., Fearview, 8 Royal Terrors, 3 Castlewoos, 2 Milchbroke, 7 Streetpetres, 60 Shellburn and ends up finding that either there is no such number (No such no.), or no such person (Noon sick parson), or no such street (none so strait) exists.

If these addresses were not wrongly spilled but correctly given, then they would correspond respectively to the following addresses in some of which James Joyce's parents lived over the years
29 Hardwicke St, 4 Fitzgibbon St, 17 North Richmond St, 29 Windsor Ave., Fairview, 8 Royal Terrace, 23 Castlewood Ave., 2 Millbourne Ave., 7 St Peter's Terrace, 60 Shellbourne Rd. In all James Joyce is said to have lived in 20 houses in Dublin. This article tells us more about it.

Do discover which other words are wrongly spilled on these pages!

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Monday, 16 October 2017, Pages 418 - 420

Read as far as "An infant sailing eggshells on the floor of a wet day would have more sabby." (420.16)

Before that we read the poem of Ondt and the Gracehoper. It is available in regular English in Joseph Campbell's 'A Skeleton Key To Finnegans Wake'. (See pages 264-265 in the 2005 edition of the book.) You can also listen to the entire Joycean version of the fable here and read a critical analysis of the fable here. The original version of the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper by Aesop is of course available here!

Regarding Ondt and the Gracehoper, Joseph Campbell writes the following on page 264:
"Underneath the sly insect play of this fable, the Gracehoper restates Shem's philosophy: there are advantages to Shaun's possessions and the thrift that begot them - all of which the Gracehoper appreciates - but he would not relinquish his own life style to enjoy them. He can see the Ondt's point of view, but why cannot the Ondt see his? - The fact that Shaun recites this fable would seem to indicate that he knows very well of the charm of Gracehoper existence, but realises that he is incapable of enjoying it, and therefore insists the more on imposing his own store-keeping pattern on the world."

Friday 13 October 2017

Monday, 9 October 2017, Pages 416 - 418

We stopped at "Haru!" (418.8)

Next week we shall be starting with the poem on the Ondt and the Gracehoper (pardon, ant and the grasshopper) on page 418.

(My apologies that I have no time this week to write a bit more about the delightful pages we read this week.)

On another note, we are celebrating this month the completion of five years of reading of Finnegans Wake with Fritz Senn. It was in October 2012 that we came together to 'read' the book. Let us celebrate with a glass or two at the James Joyce Pub, Pelikanstrasse, after our reading on next Monday, 16th October. 

Tuesday 3 October 2017