Ulysses and Finnegans Wake are usually found in most lists of the great
classics of the twentieth century. But, as Burgess points out in his
introduction: "they are highly idiosyncratic books and 'difficult'
books, admired more often than read, when read, rarely read through to
the end, when read through to the end, not often fully, or even
partially, understood. This is of course especially true of Finnegans
Wake. ...This present reduction of Finnegans Wake to the length of an
ordinary novel-garnished with an introduction and a running commentary-
is my own attempt to bring a great masterpiece to a larger audience..."
[the reduction is to that of about 1/3 of its original length].
It took Joyce 17 years to create this extraordinary book (and his final
work), written in Paris after the publication of Ulysses. It is written
not so much in English as in a language which combines, very often as
puns, English with several other languages.
Burgess was a huge admirer of Joyce's work and a great interpreter. His
introduction to the shortened version throws a massive light on the
structure and meaning of the work and perhaps, most importantly, its
position in the literary canon as a great comic book.
" Before we start reading we ought to put off the mask of solemnity and
prepare to be entertained. This is one of the most entertaining books
ever written". [Burgess]
