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Title: The Emperor Has No Clothes
Review: FINNEGAN'S WAKE is an endurance contest that intellectuals get to take, and if they finish it, they can feel superior to those who have not made it. And they can also write learned papers about it that they can publish in their academic journals. As William Goldman said in THE SEASON, "As long as there is a PhD. candidate alive, James Joyce will never die." Joyce himself said something to the effect of: "The professors will be analyzing FINNEGAN'S WAKE forever." John Lennon said, "All artist's are egomaniacs, whether they like to admit it or not." And Joyce is indulging in egomania with FINNEGAN'S WAKE. He spent 17 years on this book because he knew people would spend (waste?) hours, days, years of their lives trying to get to the "truth" of FINNEGAN'S WAKE, and feel superior to the great unwashed who don't even know such a work of literature exists. Joyce must be smiling in his grave right now.
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