Thursday, 9 January 2025 (255.26)

The last reading stopped at “a wife’s wit better” (255.26), with a foretaste of the lines to come:

“the cutletsized consort” (255.29)

Holiday Break

Please note that the reading group will take a break over the holidays. The first reading in 2025 will be held on Thursday, 9 January. 

The administration office of the Zurich James Joyce Foundation will reopen on Monday, 6 January.

Reading Groups

On site: Thursdays, 7-8.30 pm, Zurich James Joyce Foundation, Augustinergasse 9, 8001 Zurich, hosted by Fritz Senn.

Online: Tuesdays, 7-8.30 pm, via Zoom, hosted by Dirk Vanderbeke. More information can be found at Tuesdayswake.

Updates about the Thursday group's progress will be given on this site (see below). A selection of the collages featuring on this bookmark can be found here. 

New readers are always welcome! There is no need to sign up. Simply drop in and bring your own copy of the book, if you have one. 

The Friends of the Foundation support the reading groups so that they can be held free of charge. To contact them please email friends@joycefoundation.ch.

If you are interested in the Ulysses readings held at the Zurich Foundation, more information can be found here or by visiting their website.

Thursday, 19 December 2024 (254.28)

The last reading stopped at: “Merodach!” (254.28)

Among the favourite passages were:

“those three stout sweynhearts” (254.2)

“heavy Humph with airy Nan” (254.14)

Thursday, 12 December 2024 (253.32)

The last reading stopped at: “Lucanhof” (253.32)

One favourite passage was:

“symethew, sammarc, selluc and singin” (253.12)

Thursday, 5 December 2024 (252.28)

The last reading stopped at: “Charley, you’re my darwing!” (252.28)

The Zurich James Joyce Foundation had a visit from Paul Ingendaay, who was preparing a podcast about its two reading groups for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Listen to the podcast, featuring an interview with Fritz Senn and with Martin Mühlheim, here or by clicking the “Bücher” icon below (provided by reading group member and journalist Pascal Ihle).

Another contribution by Pacal is the following entertaining image, created with the help of AI to illustrate a favourite passage from the recent pages read in the group.

“Feeling dank.” (252.9)

Thursday, 28 November 2024 (251.24)

The last reading stopped at: “book of the dark” (251.24)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 21 November 2024 (250.17)

The last reading stopped at: “breath must leap no more” (250.17). 

One favourite passage was the following riddle: 

“A window, a hedge, a prong, a hand, an eye, a sign, a head and keep your other augur on her paypaypay” (249.16).

As Ursula Zeller pointed out, Fritz Senn has written a short piece about this passage: The riddle “is easily solved”, he writes, “when the words are recognised as the names of Hebrew, or Phoenician, letters” (5)

Fritz Senn’s essay can be downloaded here. 

Senn, Fritz. “Pat As Ah Be Seated”. A Wake Newslitter: Studies in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, n.s. 1, iii (June 1964): 5-7.

Digitized article courtesy of Ian Gunn, JoyceTools, 
https://www.riverrun.org.uk/joycetools.html (covered by Creative Commons).

Thursday, 7 November 2024 (248.28)

Please note that there will be no reading on  14 November. The next reading will take place on Thursday, 21 November.

The last reading stopped at: “a way as any” (248.28)

A couple of favourite passages were:

Split his hvide (247.31)

“Split the hvide” (247.31)

“his eyetrompit” (247.32)

Thursday, 31 October 2024 (247.30)

The last reading stopped at: “a smuggler for lifer.” (247.30)

A couple of favourite passages were:

“Bettlimbraves” (246.33)

“Teapotty. Teapotty.” (247.15

Thursday, 24 October 2024 (246.32)

The last reading stopped at: “Jour d’Anno.” (246.32)

One favourite passage was:

“gegifting her with his painapple” (246.28)

Thursday, 17 October 2024 (245.35)

The last reading stopped at: “one's the number” (245.35).

One favourite passage was:

“pebble infinibility” (245.12)

Thursday, 10 October 2024 (244.22)

The last reading stopped at: “Far wol!” (244.22)

One favourite passage was:

“Monsaigneur Rabbinsohn Crucis” (2443.31)

Thursday, 3 October 2024 (243.8)

The last reading stopped at: “pur war” (243.8)

One favourite passage was:

“fiuming at the mouth” (243.2)

Thursday, 26 September 2024 (241.35)

The last reading stopped at: “his sodalites.” (241.35)

One favourite passage was:

“the ambersandalled” (241.15)

Thursday, 19 September 2024 (241.1)

The last reading stopped at: “potatowards” (241.1)

One favourite passage was:

“parleyglutton” (240.27)

Thursday, 12 September 2024 (240.4)

The last reading stopped at: “his grave.” (240.4)

One favourite passage was:

“pleasekindly communicake” (239.1)

Thursday, 5 September 2024 (238.21)

The last reading stopped at: “colp her!” (238.21)

One favourite passage was:

“sainted youngling” (237.29)

Thursday, 29 August 2024 (237.21)

The last reading stopped at: “our names” (237.21)

Thursday, 22 August 2024 (236.18)

The last reading covered a jovial and colourful passage. It stopped at: “Anneliuia!” (236.18)

Thursday, 15 August 2024 (235.16)

The last reading stopped at: “in the nebohood” (235.16)

No readings 18 July - 8 August 2024

Please note that the Zurich Foundation is taking a break over the summer: There will be no Finnegans Wake readings from 18 July - 8 August. The first reading after the break will be held on 15 August.

Visitors are still welcome to drop in or to use the library throughout the summer (opening hours: 10 am - 5 pm).

Thursday, 11 July 2024 (234.15)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “zvesdals priestessd” (234.15)

One favourite passage was:

“the kerl he left behind him?” (234.7)

Thursday, 4 July 2024 (233.3)

The last reading stopped at: “cooked up” (233.3)

A couple of favourite passages were:

1

2

“like a waft to wingweary one” (232.29)

“shaking the storm out of his hiccups” (232.34)

Thursday, 27 June 2024 (232.5)

The last reading stopped at: “The worst is over. Wait!” (232.5)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 20 June 2024 (230.31)

The last reading stopped at: “those notorious nepotists” (230.31)

Thursday, 13 June 2024 (229.26)

The last reading stopped at: “tiffin for thea” (229.26)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 6 June 2024 (228.29)

The last reading stopped at: “fuyerescaper!” (228.29)

Thursday, 30 May 2024 (227.34)

The last reading stopped at: “the shameleast” (227.34)

One favourite passage was:

“while there's leaf there's hope” (227.17)

Thursday, 23 May 2024 (225.36)

The last reading stopped at: “they wilted into woeblots” (225.36)

One reasonably inoffensive favourite passage was:

Thursday, 16 May 2024 (224.27)

The last reading stopped at: “showen drawens up.” (224.27)

A couple of favourite passages were:

“He luked upon the bloomingrund where ongly his corns were growning.” (223.31)

“cometh up as a trapadour” (224.31)

Thursday, 2 May 2024 (223.8)

Please Note that there will be no reading on Ascension Day (Thursday, 9 May 2024).

The last reading stopped at: “four themes over” (223.8)

One favourite passage was:

“Make a shine on the curst.” (222.24)

Thursday, 25 April 2024 (221.17)

The last reading stopped at: “Time: the pressant” (221.17)

One favourite passage was:

“she tells forkings for baschfellors” (221.212)

Thursday, 18 April 2024 (216.5)

The group has reached the end of the ALP chapter (I.8): “Night!” (216.5)

One favourite passage was:

 

“My foos won't moos.” (215.34)

Thursday, 4 April 2024 (213.10)

Please note that there will be no reading next Thursday, April 11. Ulrich Blumenbach will be speaking about his rendition into German of Finnegans Wake (see flyer below):

The last reading stopped at: “the life for mere.” (213.10)

One favourite passage was:

“A bakereen's dusind”

Thursday, 28 March 2024 (211.34)

The last reading stopped at: “Dunboyne” (211.34)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Ron Ewart

“a niester egg with a twicedated shell” (210.35)

Thursday, 21 March 2024 (210.32)

Please note: There will be a reading on Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag), 28 March 2024.

The last reading stopped at: “Helen Arhone” (210.32)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 14 March 2024 (209.17)

The last reading stopped at: “I'll tale you true.” (209.17)

One favourite passage was:

From the Zurich James Joyce Foundation's gift shop:

Giant book peg

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

“She had a clothespeg tight astride on her joki's nose” (208.22)

Thursday, 7 March 2024 (208.5)

The last reading stopped at: “I say!” (208.5)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

“Spitz on the iern while it's hot.” (207.21)

Thursday, 29 February 2024 (206.2)

The last reading stopped at: “tympan crowders” (206.2)

With thanks to Antonia Fritz

Thursday, 22 February 2024 (204.36)

The last reading stopped at: “for she has sinned!” (204.36)

Source for image of woman wearing Batiste corset: here

With thanks to Christine O'Neill

“Baptiste me, father, for she has sinned!” (204.36)

Thursday, 15 February 2024 (203.12)

The last reading stopped at: “Cunn and Collin?” (203.12)

River Moy and the main lakes Lough Conn and Cullin

Source: Fishing in the North Western Region

With thanks to Christine O'Neill

Thursday, 8 February 2024 (201.28)

The last reading stopped at: “Close only knows.” (201.28)

Thursday, 1 February 2024 (199.23)

The last reading stopped at: “sieve” (199.23)

With thanks to Ron Ewart

Thursday, 25 January 2024 (198.20)

The last reading stopped at: “you antiabecedarian.” (198.20)

Award for Fritz Senn

Fritz Senn was awarded the “Presidential Distinguished Service Award” by Michael D. Higgins, president of Ireland, on Tuesday, 16 January 2024. 

video

You may enjoy this video recording, particularly at around 9 min 30 s.

Announcement Irish Diaspora

Thursday, 18 January 2024 (196.24)

The last reading stopped at: “making loof“ (196.24)

Thursday, 11 January 2024 (194.27)

The last reading stopped at: “visit old sod” (194.27)

Thursday, 4 January 2024 (193.8)

The last reading stopped at: “solitary worm” (193.8)

One favourite passage was:

Here is an image for the same passage generated with AI:

“to teddyfy the life out of him” (191.23)

Thursday, 21 December 2023 (191.4)

The last reading stopped at: “Europasianised Afferyank!” (191.4)

Please note that there will be no reading between Christmas and New Year. The next reading will be held on Thursday, 4 January 2024.

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

“Europasianised Afferyank!” (191.4)

Thursday, 14 December 2023 (189.27)

The last reading stopped at: “— groom” (189.27).

Please note that there will be no readings at the Zurich James Joyce Foundation between Christmas and New Year.

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 7 December 2023 (188.14)

The last reading stopped at: “twosome twiminds” (188.14) 

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

“literally astundished” (188.3)

Thursday, 30 November 2023 (187.1)

The last reading stopped at: “in he skittled” (187.1)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler and Antonia Fritz

Thursday, 23 November 2023 (185.13)

The last reading stopped at: “his own damned cheek.” (185.13) 

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

“by the dodginess of his lentern” (184.17)

Thursday, 16 November 2023 (184.10)

The last reading stopped at: “himsel in furniture” (184.10)

Some favourite passages were:

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler and Frances Ilmberger

“fallen lucifers” (163.16)

“glass eyes for an eye, gloss teeth for a tooth” (183.36)

Thursday, 9 November 2023 (182.29)

The last reading stopped at: “unwhisperably so!” (182.29)

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

Thursday, 2 November 2023 (181.26)

The last reading stopped at: “why a stunk, mister.” (181.26)

With thanks to Rahel Huwyler

Thursday, 26 October 2023 (179.21)

The last reading stopped at: “loose past” (179.21)

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

Thursday, 19 October 2023 (177.36)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “bunnyboy rodger” (177.36)

Thursday, 12 October 2023 (176.35)

The last reading stopped at: “a bedtick from Schwitzer's” (176.35)

With thanks to Frances and Rahel

Thursday, 5 October 2023 (175.18)

The last reading stopped at the end of the poem with: 

“chirps the Ballat of Perce-Oreille.” (175.18)

With thanks to Ron Ewart

Thursday, 28 September 2023 (174.4)

The last reading stopped at: “rigmarole.” (174.4)

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

Thursday, 21 September 2023 (172.26)

The last reading stopped at: “Inconvenient, David.” (172.26)

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

Thursday, 14 September 2023 (170.9)

The last reading stopped at: “to the winner.” (170.9)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger

“his little brothron and sweestureens” (170.4)