Finnegans Wake 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 sponsor 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, 28 August 2025 (290.17)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “in nowtime” (290.17)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Patrick Granger for sending the place.

“ere beam slewed cable” (289.9)

Thursday, 21 August 2025 (288.28)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “Wickerworks” (288.28)

One favourite passage was:

“hexenshoes” (288.12)

Thursday, 14 August 2025 (287.19)

The last reading stopped at: “a balbose boy, he too” (287.19)

One favourite passage was:

“Will you walk into my wavetrap? said the spiter to the shy.” (287.F1)

Summer Break

Please note that the reading group is taking a break over the summer. The next reading will be held on Thursday, 14 August.

Thursday, 17 Junly 2025 (286.18)

The last reading stopped at: “and turn over.” (286.18)

On his way home, Ron Ewart had a hunch about the maths on p. 285 (from the Finnish numerals, followed by the English “outher words”, ending with “bullyclavers”, 285.17-26):

McHugh works out the Finnish maths for us (giving the total as 479,001,600) and also clarifies each individual English number (arriving at the same total). As I was thinking about this, I doubted that these would just be random numbers. So, I checked out the population figures for Dublin 1930 on my ever-helpful computer and found this: “In 1930, Dublin's population was approximately (eh?) 468,103”. This makes sense to me, with “bullyclavers” then being simply “Dubliners”.

Neither McHugh nor Fweet point this out. Good work, Ron! Thanks for sharing this.

On a far more accessible note, here's an illustration for one of the group's favourite passages:

“The balbearians” (285.L7)

Thursday, 10 July 2025 (285.8)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “house blong him,” (285.8)

One favourite phrase was:

“the zeroic couplet” (284.10)

Thursday, 3 July 2025 (284.4)

The last reading stopped at: “The family umbroglia." (284.4)

Thursday, 26 June 2025 (283.4)

The last reading stopped at: “quims.” (283.4)

One favourite passage was:

“il folsoletto nel falsoletto col fazzolotto dal fuzzolezzo” (281.18)

Thursday, 19 June 2025 (281.13)

The last reading stopped at: “aux jours des batailles.” (281.13)

One favourite passage was:

“Also Spuke Zerothruster.” (281.L6)

Thursday, 12 June 2025 (280.8)

The last reading stopped at: “twelvemonthsminding?” (280.8)

Thursday, 5 June 2025 (279 F1.11)

The last reading stopped at: “Then rue.”(279 F1.11)

A favourite passage was:

“Ah ah athclete, blest your bally bathfeet!” (279.7)

Thursday, 22 May 2025 (278.12)

Please note: There will be no reading on Thursday, 29 May (Ascension Day). The next reading will take place on 5 June 2025.

The last reading stopped at: “handmake of the load.” (278.12)

One favourite passage was:

“The stanidsglass effect” (277.F5)

Thursday, 15 May 2025 (277)

The last reading stopped at: “(Mogoul!)” (277.3)

Thursday, 8 May 2025 (276.3)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “backslapping gladhander” (276.3)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Pascal Ihle for suggesting this collage

“’phone number 17:69” (275.16)

Thursday, 24 April 2025 (275.2)

Please note: There will be no reading on 1 May 2025 (Labour Day). The next reading will take place on Thursday, 8 May.

The last reading stopped at: “hicohaired culoteer” (275.2)

One favourite passage was:

“As Shakefork might pitch it.” (274L4)

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Please note: There will be no reading on 1 May 2025 (labour day). The next reading will take place on Thursday, 8 May.

Thursday, 17 April 2025 (273.16)

The last reading stopped at: “pig in a pew” (273.16)

A couple of favourite passages were:

The association with a gravestone was Pascal Ihle’s. I’m taking the liberty of borrowing, if not downright stealing it here.

Shake eternity and lick creation (273.F1)

Hoppity Huneye (273.F3)

Thursday, 10 April 2024 (271.29)

Note: The reading on Thu, 17 April 2025 will go ahead as usual.

The last reading stopped at: “Gough gave” (271.29)

The phrase “so bright as Mutua of your mirror holds her candle to your caudle” (271.9) — and given the context of a woman's getting married — brought to mind the Halloween belief depicted below.

Image source: HipPostcard

Image source: The Week

Image source: Etsy

Image source: Reacing Nellie Bly

More such illustrations, if more were wanted, can be found here.

Thursday, 4 April 2025 (271.3)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “Sire Jeallyous Seizer” (271.3)

27 March 2025 (270.1)

The last reading stopped at: postconditional future. (270.1)

One favourite passage was:

“Is love worse living?” (269.F1)

Thursday, 20 March 2025 (268.15)

The last reading stopped at: “booksyful stew” (268.15) 

A favourite passage was:

The law of the jungerl. (268.F3)

Thursday, 13 March 2025 (267.11)

The last reading stopped at: “spilleth peas” (267.11)

One favourite passage was:

“parapets all peripateting” (266.5)

Thursday, 6 March 2025 (266.2)

The last reading stopped at: “makes hobbyhodge happy in his hole.” (266.2)

One favourite passage was:

“a selfreizing flower” (265.7)

Thursday, 27 February, 2025 (264.25)

The last reading stopped at: “vale of Spring.” (264.25)

One favourite passage was:

“Startnaked and bonedstiff.” (264.F1)

Thursday, 20 February 2025 (263.27)

The last reading stopped at: “original sun.” (263.27)

One favourite passage was:

“excellent inkbottle authority” (263.23)

Thursday, 13 February 2025 (262.19)

The last reading stopped at: “Sow byg eat.” (262.19)

A favourite passage was:

“Apis amat aram. Luna legit librum. Pulla petit pascua.” (262F5)

Thursday, 6 February 2025 (261.13)

The last reading stopped mid-paragraph at: “mosoleum” (261.13)

One favourite passage was:

“trumpeted by prawns” (261.6)

Thursday, 30 February 2025 (259.10)

The last reading reached the end of II.1 (book II, chapter 1): “Mummum.” (259.10)

A couple of favourite lines were:

1

“Loud, heap miseries upon us yet entwine our arts with laughters low!” (259.7)

__________________________________________________

2

“Orbiter onswers: lots lives lost. Fionia is fed up with Fidge Fudgesons. Sealand snorres. Rendningrocks roguesreckning reigns. Gwds with gurs are gttrdmmrng. Hlls vlls. The timid hearts of words all exeomnosunt.” (257.35)

With thanks to Pascal Ihle

Thursday, 23 January 2025 (257.30)

The last reading stopped at: “Upploud!” (257.30)

One favourite was:

Lukkedoerendunandurraskewdylooshoofermoyportertooryzooysphalnabortansporthaokansakroidverjkapakkapuk (257.7)

Thursday, 16 January 2025 (256.36)

The last reading stopped at: “gueroligue stings the air” (256.36).

The “cutletsized consort” drew considerable attention. It seems only right to give her a stage here, too. Find the usual collage, followed by a few AI-generated images based on the consort’s measurements as indicated at 255.31.

Collage

AI was given the following measurements: weight 10 st 10 lbs, height 5 ft 5 inches, chest 37 inches, waist 29, hips 37, thighs 23, calves 14, shoes 9.

AI-generated

AI-generated

AI-generated

AI-generated

Thursday, 9 January 2025 (255.26)

The last reading stopped at: “a wife’s wit better” (255.26)