Finnegans Wake p. 3-20

So, I've decided to accept Dr. Sexson's challenge to read Finnegans Wake. I will not, however be so presumptuous as to say that I will read and understand the novel. That would take someone who is much smarter than I; However, I want to study children and young adult literature in graduate school, and since this is the "supreme work" of children's literature, I figured I better take a crack at it.

I found a passage in the introduction that changed my attitude towards reading this terrifying novel:

"If, however, one surrenders the need to be master of everything--or even of most things--in this strange and magnificent book, it will pour forth lots of rewards." (ix)

SO, I'm going to read each page, and try and get from it what I can. Then I'll blog about it in 20 page increments, noting what I found on each page. It may be completely off the wall, but I'm having a blast, so--yeah. I doubt I'll be able to pass the "A" test Dr. Sexson mentioned in the syllabus, but what the heck.

By the way, this book is FUN.

So, page 3:

"riverrun, past Eve and Adam's"

If you didn't know this, this part is a continuation of the last sentence of the book, you can get that cyclical stuff going on. Plus, I like the sound of a "river running past Eden".

"to wielderfight his penisolate war:"

I liked this, I thought *giggle* it was talking about wars, and penises (kind of a manly thing?).

"The fall...is retaled early in bed and later on life down through all christian minstrelsy."

This line had some meat to it. I related it to the fall (perhaps of satan) of man into the realm of death, and how we are given different ways to deal with death throughout our lives.

"tumptytumtoes"

This just made me laugh.

p. 4:

Not much here, just:

"Helviticus committed deuteronomy"

I'm guessing that is some reference to the Bible, maybe a play on the word Leviticus.

p. 5:

I got nuthin'

p. 6:

"Dimb! He stottered from the latter. Damb! He was dud! Dumb!"

This line is neat, there's two meanings going on here, but I like this one I made up: "Ding! He stumbled from the ladder. Damn! He was dead! Dumb!"

"Sobs they sighdid at Fillagain's chrissormiss wake,"

People sigh/cry at both christenings and wakes? And these things are filled again? (Eternal return?)

"With their deepbrow fundigs and the dusty fidelios."

A shot at the highbrows, with their dusty folios?

p. 7

"oboboes shall wail him rockbound (hoahoahoah)"

I liked this one, it was an onomatopoeic attempt to mimic an oboe.

"Grace before Glutton"

My favorite line so far. Two meanings: say grace before you eat, and Grace is a quality that should come before gluttony.

"by the mund of the magazine wall, where our maggy seen all,"

This one's just fun to say.

p. 8

"Mind your hats goan in!"

I don't know exactly what that means, but I know that a Goan is the name for people who live in Goa.

"Tip."

This word shows up throughout the page, reminds me of someone playing basketball.

"Sexcaliber hrosspower."

Six cyllander horsepower, maybe? Combined with some kind of penis joke?

p. 9

"Ayi, Ayi, Ayi!"

Lil' bit o' Spanish.

p. 10

"Willingdone"

This line gets repeated like a billion times, this one reminded me of a horse race.

"Phew! What a warm time we were in there but how keling is here the airabouts!"

After the rapidity of the last paragraph, it's nice to take a break.

p. 11

"With Kiss. Kiss Criss. Cross Criss. Kiss Cross. Undo lives 'end. Slain"

This line was kind of fun and goofy until the Undo part, which made me think of the tragedy of the futile loss of life in war, etc.

p. 12

"high improvidence that's what makes life-work leaving and the world's a cell for citters to cit in."

This made me think of Biblical Providence, which is the goal of life (to some; and it makes death not so bad). But it also makes our lives cells.

p. 13

"So This Is Dyoublong? Hush! Caution! Echoland!"

I saw this as "Dublin? Do you belong? Shh! I'm from England!" I guess they didn't get along historically, but I have no idea what's with the capital letters. (Capital?)

"They will be pretumbling forover."

We are perpetually tumbling through life, woefully unprepared.

"Baalfire"

Reminded me of one of the false gods in the bible.

p. 14

"(Silent.)"

I thought this was kinda cool, maybe a throwback to oral storytelling.

p. 15

"Cull me ere I wilt to thee...Pluck me whilst I blush!"

I was thinking Petrarchian love poetry when I read this.

"Fleppety! Flippety! Fleapow!"

All I could think was "Bippity Boppity Boo!"

I've got nothing for p. 16-17.

p. 18

"This ourth of years is not save brickdust and being humus the same roturns."

Reminded me of one of my favorite poems, "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

"The meandertale, aloss and again, of our old Heidenburgh in the days when Head-in-Clouds walked the earth. In the ignorance that implies impression that knits knowledge that finds the nameform that whets the wits that convey contacts that sweeten sensation that drives desire that adheres to attachment that dogs death that bitches birth that entails the esuance of existentiality."

Whoa.

That's all I got from 3-20. 21-40 tomorrow, hopefully.