HavingdonethelongestdayinliteraturewithhismonumentalUlysses,JamesJoycesethimselfevengreaterchallengesforhisnextbook--thenight.“Anocturnalstate...ThatiswhatIwanttoconvey:whatgoesoninadream,duringadream.“Thework,whichwouldexhausttwodecadesofhislifeandtheoddresourcesofsomesixtylanguages,culminatedinthe1939publicationofJoyce’sfinalandmostrevolutionarymasterpiece,FinnegansWake.Astorywithnorealbeginningorend(itendsinthemiddleofasentenceandbeginsinthemiddleofthesamesentence),this“bookofDoublendsJined“isasremarkableforitsproseasforitscircularstructure.Writteninafantanticdreamlanguage,forgedfrompolyglotpunsandportmanteauwords,theWakefeaturessomeofJoyce’smostbrilliantinventivework.Sixtyyearsafteritsoriginalpublication,itremains,inAnthonyBurgess’swords,“agreatcomicvision,oneofthefewbooksoftheworldthatcanmakeuslaughaloudonnearlyeverypage.“Formorethanseventyyears,PenguinhasbeentheleadingpublisherofclassicliteratureintheEnglish-speakingworld.Withmorethan1,700titles,PenguinClassicsrepresentsaglobalbookshelfofthebestworksthroughouthistoryandacrossgenresanddisciplines.Readerstrusttheseriestoprovideauthoritativetextsenhancedbyintroductionsandnotesbydistinguishedscholarsandcontemporaryauthors,aswellasup-to-datetranslationsbyaward-winningtranslators.
