Finnegans Wake

By: James Joyce

Narrated by: Barry McGovern, Marcella Riordan

"Riverrun past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs...."

So starts Finnegans Wake, the greatest challenge in 20th-century literature. Who is Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker? And what did he get up to in Phoenix Park? And what did Anna Livia Plurabelle have to say about it? In the rich nighttime and the language of dreams, here are history, anecdote, myth, folk tale and, above all, a wondrous sense of humor, colored by a clear sense of humanity. In this exceptional reading by the Irish actor Barry McGovern, with Marcella Riordan, the world of the Wake is more accessible than ever before.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©1975 The Trustees of the Estate of James Joyce (P)2021 Naxos AudioBooks

Magnificent reading

I’ve been fascinated with FW for decades now. I can’t tell you what a treat it is finally to have such a worthy reading of the entire text. Amazing!

Much Ado About Nothing

Finnegan’s Wake is a remarkable performance by gifted actors, who seem to understand what they’re talking about even though I had no idea what they were talking about from beginning to end. It was quite remarkable to spend 30 hours listening to what sounds like gibberish and yet somehow enjoying it. I feel the same way about much modern poetry and song which are both lovely and incoherent. I’m glad I listened to this “novel” but I don’t know what I listened to.

Marvellously pleasant reading experience

Wonderful book performed by wonderful readers. Calming, flowy language. Approach it light-heartedly and you'll enjoy it.

A lifetime wish fulfilled

Finnegans Wake has been my deepest heart puzzle and research project since finding it as a teenager in 1967. To have a recording of the ENTIRE Wake performed by voice actors with this level of Comprehension, Stamina and Soul means I'm not coming out of my reading room again. Ever.
Released on Bloomsday! Thank you all so much for proving it can be done.

A incomprehensible masterpiece.

The narrators do an absolutely masterful and miraculous job of imbuing these sentences with heart and beauty. God bless Joyce, and God bless Naxos for doing this. My gosh.

Excellent Narration, Extremely Complicated And Obtuse Work of Fiction

The narration of this audiobook is excellent and made the exercise of reading this work endurable. The entire book is obscure from beginning to end. I needed several reference books to begin to understand what I was reading.

needs prep to enjoy

before and after each chapter I read a chapter guide/summary, which allowed me to pick up way more than going in blind. Very clever once you have the key.

Extraordinary

For longtime lovers of Finnegans Wake as for those diving in for the first time, this reading is a precious, moving accompaniment. “Lots of fun…”

An excellent reading of a difficult text

No one should pick up Finnegans Wake expecting an ordinary story. Look well before setting sail on this work. But if you have decided to read it, this audio rendition will be an outstanding help. (For one chapter, Shem the Penman, I am partial to the reading by Cyril Cusack, also available on Audible. But delightful as that recording is, it is of a heavily abridged text. This recording is unabridged. A monumental achievement.)

pro tip

Slow it to .80/.85 speed. It will aid you in this quest. I can hear it now...but still have no idea what's going on...