Reading (Or Not Reading) Finnegans Wake to a Newborn

Week 5, April 27-May 3, pages 56-68

When my first child was born a little over three years ago, I was given the advice: "Read to him as much as possible, even if he's just lying there asleep." So I read Moby-Dick aloud during the no-longer-so-quiet hours of the night, as he struggled and fussed with a sensitive tummy. We had a lot of fun -- or I had fun, at least. The little guy thought Melville when on a bit too long about the different types of whales, but he enjoyed the story.

Baby #2 arrived last week, and to continue the tradition I began reading Finnegans Wake to him. Just as quickly, I abandoned that idea. I mean, the kid needs to work up to FW. The word salad was a tad too much for his baby ears. 

We shifted gears and I picked up Dubliners, flipping right to "The Dead." For the little one, the words and cadence were more his speed, and if you ignore the heavy thematic content, it's good for napping.

For Dad, though, the Wake bubbled beneath the surface. It's no secret that the major works of Joyce overlap. Characters, major and minor, appear in multiple stories. And early 20th-century Dublin, down to the smallest detail, is the heart of it all.

It's in the geography of the city that those faint echoes ring. But for one who is as neck deep in FW as I, the sounds are unmistakable. Aunt Julia sings in the choir at Adam and Eve's, the church that's name-checked in FW's very first sentence. The Wellington Monument is mentioned, reminding us of the Willingdone Museyroom episode of 1.1. Finally, we hear of Phoenix Park, the literal scene of FW's crime.

No, there's no mention of HCE or ALP, but there's a thread that connects. And for a sleep-deprived dad, that's enough for this week.

As for my own reading, FW continues as a steady pace. I'm enjoying it as much as ever, and look forward to getting deep into the nitty gritty in coming weeks.

But for now, it's nap time.