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Monday 21 March 2011

I've just finished given up reading James Joyce's 'Finnegan's Wake'. I love the writing; it flows and is very poetic. The trouble is that I don't understand a word of it, having been written by an alcoholic Irishman in the earth 20th century - it's rather difficult to understand by a meer mortal such as myself. This is how the book opens:
" riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.
Sir Tristram, violer d’amores, fr’over the short sea, had passen-core rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer’s rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County’s gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all’s fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa’s malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface."
I struggled through this book for several hours but gave up. Apparently it's not meant to be understood, it's meant to be appreciated (to quote a friend). I am now reading his book "A Portrait of the artist as a young man" which is vastly more readable (to me at least) but still has the same breathtaking language.

10 comments:

  1. Haha that's alright, I never finish any book i start. Followed! alphabetalife.blogspot.com

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  2. I got that feeling when reading Tolstoi in a really old translation, could not read it at all.

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  3. I wonder if this book is translated to finnish, might have to check it out.

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  4. Woah that was completely impossible to understand, I dont blame you for giving up on the book.

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  5. I really like your blog, I'll be supportive and follow along :)

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  6. sounds like a fun book, might look into it :)
    following for more

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  7. Yea hope it is translated in my native language if u are saying that words are pretty hard/impressive

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  8. meant to be appreciated/someone's fluent in bullshit :\

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  9. that doesnt even seem like its in english.

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