Finnegans Wake
| Author | Joyce, James |
| Published | 1939 |
| Status | read |
| Rating | 4/5 |
Wow. I finished it. I’m a Joyce fan, a dedicated reader, and this book is a mountain nonetheless. Ulysses is accessible and light by comparison. Ultimately, I liked FW a lot, I especially loved the last few episodes, and the transformation of Shem / Shaun as day approaches. There’s no denying Joyce his style, the whole thing is beautiful, and I’m sure benefits from a reread just like Ulysses, but the core problem is this: Ulysses is 60% more accessible, even to the dedicated Joyce fanatic, and Ulysses is still enough book to keep you reading for a lifetime. So why fight FW? I’m not sure I can justify it. I’ll read it again one day though and maybe I’ll finally break.
