Finnegans Wake opens in mid-sentence - in fact, in the middle of a sentence that starts at the very end of the book. “riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodious vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.” The opening chapter relates something of the past history of the central character, known principally by his initials HCE which stand at different times for everything from Howth Castle and Environs, to Here Comes Everybody, to Heinz Cans Everywhere. The book gets underway with an account of the fall of HCE which is indicated by the first thunderword, a hundred-letter word made up of words for thunder from different languages. There are ten such thunderwords in the Wake.
Press ‘A’ to listen to an excerpt from the final chapter of Book I… Press ‘B’ to listen to the final section of Finnegans Wake…