Procrastinating book club finally finishes off novel after 28 long years

06 October 2023 , 21:52

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The group met monthly, analysing one page, discussing for two hours (Image: Jam Press)

A book club have completed the novel they were reading after 28 years.

Members of the Marshall McLuhan ‘Finnegans Wake’ Reading Club have successfully concluded their epic 28-year expedition through James Joyce's notoriously complex work, 'Finnegan's Wake'. The book club, which embarked on its ambitious endeavour in 1995, celebrated the completion of this monumental feat this week.

Navigating the experimental linguistic labyrinth of 'Finnegan's Wake' proved to be a formidable challenge for the group, with its intricate narrative style and linguistic innovations. Undeterred, the members met faithfully every week, reading just a single page before engaging in intense two-hour discussions. For years, their discussions echoed through the hallowed halls of the Venice branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.

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When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, forcing libraries to close their doors, the bookworms adapted. Undaunted by the physical distance, they transitioned their meetings seamlessly to the digital realm, utilising Zoom video calls to continue studying Joyce's masterpiece.

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Filmmaker Gerry Fialka led a 28-year reading journey through James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" (Jam Press)

Filmmaker Gerry Fialka, the organiser of the Marshall McLuhan ‘Finnegans Wake’ Reading Club, expressed his pride in the group's accomplishment by speaking to The Seattle Times. "It’s a mosaic," Fialka explains about "Finnegans Wake." "You study the patterns and you figure out which pieces to put together to communicate to other people because you feel that this thing should be communicated to other people."

Peter Coogan, a member since 2002, praised Fialka’s dedication, highlighting Joyce's intention to create an experience rather than a straightforward narrative. "Many scholars say that Joyce’s intention wasn’t to give readers a straightforward experience, or to tell them a straightforward story, but to give them an experience of feeling kind of at a loss, like characters do when they’re in a dream. And so that often means it’s incomprehensible because we experience life and dreams as incomprehensible," he explained.

"Finnegans Wake" ends mid-sentence on page 628, looping back to page 3 (Jam Press)

What makes this achievement even more fascinating is the cyclical nature of Joyce's work. The book concludes mid-sentence on page 628, seamlessly continuing from page 3, creating an infinite loop of reading. "It never ends," Fialka remarks. Despite reaching the final page, the group remains committed to their cyclical journey, planning to restart from the beginning of next month.

While the transition to virtual meetings brought its advantages, Fialka finds solace in the digital realm. "I could switch it back to live, but I’m not going to because we’re all too old and we don’t have to park and I don’t have to set up chairs. Basically, I’ve set up chairs for 40 years for all my events," he noted.

Started in 1995, the group met both in person and on Zoom (Jam Press)

Remarkably, the group found themselves at an intriguing juncture as they reached the final page of the 628-page tome. The book, known for its enigmatic narrative, concluded mid-sentence, seamlessly looping back to its initial page. Undeterred by this cyclical ending, the book club members made a unanimous decision: they would embark on the journey once more, starting from the very beginning.

Vassia Barba