How Joyce Wrote Finnegans Wake: A Chapter-by-Chapter Genetic Guide

by Luca Crispi (Editor), Sam Slote (Editor)

In this landmark study of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake , Luca Crispi and Sam Slote have brought together fourteen other leading Joyce experts in a genetic guide to one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing works of fiction. Each essay approaches Finnegans Wake through novel perspectives afforded by Joyce’s preparatory manuscripts. By investigating a work through its manuscripts, genetic criticism both grounds speculative interpretations in an historical, material context and opens up a broader horizon for critical and textual interpretation.

The introduction by Luca Crispi, Sam Slote, and Dirk Van Hulle offers a chronology of the composition of Finnegans Wake , an archival survey of the manuscripts, and an introduction to genetic criticism. Then, the volume provides a chapter-by-chapter interpretation of Finnegans Wake from a variety of perspectives, probing the book as a work in progress. The fruit of more than two decades’ worth of Wakean genetic studies, this book is the essential starting point for all future studies of Joyce’s most complex and fascinating work.

544 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2008

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple indication of how and why a genetic approach to this text can assist.

The first extant draft of the first part goes like this:

“Howth Castle & Environs! Sir Tristan had not encore arrived from North Amorica nor stones exaggerated themselves in Laurens County, GA, doubling all the time, nor a voice answered mishe mishe to tufftuff thouartpatrick. Not yet had a kidon buttended Isaac not yet had twin sesthers played siege to twone Jonathan. Not a peck of malt had Shem and Son brewed & bad luck to the regginborew was to be seen on the waterface. “


The final version like this:

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 passencore 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.

Not only does this comparison help us, but the journey from one to the other is both fascinating in and of itself.

This is a fantastic resource, and one I unhesitatingly recommend to those of you who, after a first drenching, seek to dive back into the Wake

[James Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of this type of criticism--a genetic guide--I've read. It's interesting, very interesting. And generally revealing of the structure and meaning of the novel. But because it's primarily about the creation of Finnegans Wake and not about the content of the novel itself, while being an excellent gloss it's not quite a good analytical source, more useful for those enthusiastic about and in love with Finnegans Wake, deep swimmers in the novel rather than those toe-testing the water for the first time. I know a group which read this as a guide while reading Finnegans Wake itself, but I think it's not best-suited in that way. In my opinion, there are much better page-by-page and line-by-line aids for the general reader. Still, I enjoyed poring through this slowly, taking notes, underlining, making marginalia. It's useful. It adds immensely to one's understanding--and appreciation. As a genetic guide it's most fascinating in pointing out the evolution of themes and elements during the course of the writing from 1923 to 1939. And yet detailed enough and precise enough to illuminate obscure or unfamiliar passages deep in the novel.

[Josh Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really very interesting stuff - like most volumes written by multiple authors, a bit uneven. What was most fascinating to me was that poring over all if these notebooks and manuscripts deepens, rather than resolves Finnegans Wake's mysteries.

[Michael Linton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best books I have read to understand FW. It doesn't translate it but explains his process and how the words changed/evolved which was most insightful.