Reece answers “Why read Finnegans Wake, when I know I...”

Arkapravo Bhaumik asked this question about Finnegans Wake:

Why read Finnegans Wake, when I know I will not understand anything? I ask those have read this literary behemoth, what was your motivation, and what did you finally grasp?

Reece I think it's best to have a secondary reading on hand when you are absolutely lost as all hell and feel frustrated about it, but try to read it on you…moreI think it's best to have a secondary reading on hand when you are absolutely lost as all hell and feel frustrated about it, but try to read it on your own as you can because the satisfaction of exploring Finnegans Wake and getting something in it is too good to pass up. My motivation was Ulysses was my favorite book ever and I loved how Joyce stretched language to push his ideas, and I heard FW did that on steroids, so I said to myself, "sounds like my kinda thing." And it is my kinda thing. If the idea of this very difficult book doesn't excite you, you may not find yourself enjoying it and that's perfectly fine too. It's inaccessible, but it is also very rewarding as you do begin to understand what's happening and figure out the overarching ideas at play. It's also dialectical, so rereading the book means you encounter something significant that you could not have noticed earlier in the book because you were not introduced to something that happens later. This kind of occurrence is EVERYWHERE in FW, which is another reason it is so difficult, but it also makes the book more rewarding to revisit. If you're looking for a novel that will last you a lifetime, this one is a pretty solid choice. But maybe that's not your thing. I still think anyone can come to love the book if they push themselves to just reading it, so while it is very inaccessible and challenging, at least you can say that you tried it :)(less)

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