The voices of Finnegans Wake

The selection below comes from the eighth chapter of Book One of Finnegans Wake. We will come to Finnegans Wake in the third week of our course.

For now, try reading this passage out loud to hear two women’s voices speaking and gossiping, but also rhyming with each other like a rhythmic spoken operatic duet. And reading aloud means you can hear the wordplay, the incessant punning of the novel, here accompanied by the percussive slap of handwashing clothes.

O tell me all about Anna Livia! I want to hear all about Anna Livia. Well, you know Anna Livia? Yes, of course, we all know Anna Livia. Tell me all. Tell me now. You’ll die when you hear. Well, you know, when the old cheb went futt and did what you know. Yes, I know, go on. Wash quit and don’t be dabbling. Tuck up your sleeves and loosen your talktapes. And don’t butt me—hike!—when you bend. Or whatever it was they threed to make out he thried to two in the Fiendish park. He’s an awful old reppe. Look at the shirt of him! Look at the dirt of it! He has all my water black on me. And it steeping and stuping since this time last wik. How many goes is it I wonder I washed it? I know by heart the places he likes to saale, duddurty devil! Scorching my hand and starving my famine to make his private linen public. Wallop it well with your battle and clean it. My wrists are wrusty rubbing the mouldaw stains. And the dneepers of wet and the gangres of sin in it!

What sounds stood out to you in this passage? Can you identify any of the novel’s ‘incessant puns’?

If you would like to see the text as originally set out from a formatting perspective, as well as listen to someone else read the text after you have tried, you can also visit the page here: Anna Livia Plurabelle section.