Author Archives: Matthew Leporati

The Baffling Yarn Sails in Circles

Finnegans Wake II.3 is the longest chapter in the book: it’s nearly 1/6 of the length of the whole work. It’s also the densest chapter. The study chapter (II.2) may be the hardest to read, but I think this chapter is as dense as it gets. Words seem more packed with meaning than usual. The narrative, such as it is, continually confuses the present with the past. More so than any other chapter, it is a microcosm of the whole book.

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Grace Before Glutton

Finnegans Wake II.2 — the study chapter — ends with the children being called to dinner after their homework. They had been outside to play (II.1), they studied (II.2), and now it’s time to eat. The scene is about to shift to the tavern downstairs, where their father is working and a feast is underway, including the feast of storytelling (II.3).

This post looks closely at the final page of II.2.

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