Finnegans Wake facts for kids

Finnegans Wake is a very special book written by the Irish writer James Joyce. It was published in 1939. Joyce worked on this book for a very long time, starting in 1924 and finishing seventeen years later. During this time, he faced many difficulties, like not having much money, problems with his eyes, and family issues.

Finnegans Wake is known for being a very difficult book to read. Even adults who read a lot of books find it challenging. This is because Joyce used many different languages in the book and even made up new words by mixing old English, new English, and other languages.

The book can be seen as the story of a character named Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker and his family. However, it's more like an experiment with language and storytelling than a simple story.

Who was James Joyce?

James Joyce was a famous Irish writer. He is known for his unique and challenging style of writing. He wrote several important books, and Finnegans Wake was his last one. He spent a huge part of his life creating this complex work.

Why is Finnegans Wake so hard to read?

The main reason Finnegans Wake is so difficult is because of its language. Joyce wanted to create a dream-like feeling in the book, so he blended words from many different languages, like French, German, and Latin, with English. He also invented new words by combining parts of existing words. This makes the book sound like a puzzle, and readers often need to read it many times to understand even a little bit.

What is the book about?

At its simplest, Finnegans Wake tells the story of a family: Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker, his wife Anna Livia Plurabelle, and their children. However, the story is not told in a straightforward way. It's often described as happening in a dream, with characters changing and events repeating in cycles. It explores themes like history, myths, and the human mind.

Images for kids

• 

  A drawing of Joyce (with eyepatch) by Djuna Barnes from 1922, the year in which Joyce began the 17-year task of writing Finnegans Wake

• 

  Fountain in Dublin representing Anna Livia Plurabelle, a character in Finnegans Wake

• 

  Jürgen Partenheimer's "Violer d'amores", a series of drawings inspired by Joyce's Finnegans Wake

See also

In Spanish: Finnegans Wake para niños