10. A selection of chapters from Finnegans Wake

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…

ABC

Press play to start the audio from the beginning

The James Joyce Center

The James Joyce Cultural Centre is situated in a stunning Georgian townhouse, offering visitors historical and biographical information about James Joyce and his influence in literature. We host walking tours, exhibitions, workshops and lectures for visitors with a casual interest and Joycean experts alike. See the door to the famous No 7 Eccles Street from “Ulysses”, a recreation of his living quarters in Paris, art exhibitions and more which bring the author and his works to life.