One Page at a Time: Austin Group Tackles James Joyce’s Most Complex Novel

The Finnegans Wake Reading Group of Austin, Texas, is tackling one of the most challenging literary works ever written, James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. First published in 1939, the book is renowned for its dense, multilingual prose and lack of clear narrative structure, making it nearly incomprehensible for many readers. Despite this, a dedicated group of literary enthusiasts has been working through the novel for over a decade, one page at a time. What began as an in-person reading group at Malvern Books has since gone global, transitioning to Zoom meetings that connect members from around the world, as reported by KUT News.

Peter Quadrino, the group’s founder, organizes bi-weekly meetings where members spend the first 15 minutes socializing before reading two lines of the book each. After the reading, the group spends roughly 90 minutes discussing and annotating the text, piecing together Joyce’s complex linguistic puzzles. Initially reading two pages per meeting, the group has now scaled back to one page due to the depth of analysis required. Quadrino emphasizes that the process of understanding the text, rather than reaching a conclusion, is the primary goal.

Finnegans Wake, though often deemed impenetrable, has captivated scholars and readers worldwide. In addition to the Austin group, similar reading communities exist in cities like New York, Dublin, and Kyiv. Quadrino has even spoken at Joyce conferences around the world, connecting with others who share his passion for unraveling the book’s mysteries. His dedication to Joyce’s work has taken him as far as Ireland, where he has immersed himself in the author’s cultural legacy.

 “I never really consider what it’s going to be like when we finish because I don’t want it to end,” Quadrino told KUT News. Instead of rushing to the finish line, the group remains committed to revisiting and exploring Joyce’s intricate prose.