Audio Resources
Finnegans Wake was written to be heard. These audio resources bring the text to life.
Video & Audio Book Project
One Little Goat Theatre Company
onelittlegoat.org/finneganswake
A groundbreaking project to film and record all 17 chapters (~30 hours) of Finnegans Wake by May 4, 2029—the 90th anniversary of the novel's publication.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Performer | Richard Harte (Irish-Canadian actor) |
| Director | Adam Seelig |
| Format | Filmed live performances with subtitles and page numbers |
| Duration | ~30 hours total when complete |
| Completion | May 4, 2029 (90th anniversary) |
Chapter Status (2025-2026)
| Chapter | Pages | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3-29 | Released | Available on website |
| 2 | 30-47 | Released | Available on website |
| 3 | 48-74 | 2025 release | 81 min, Toronto Irish Film Festival screening |
| 4 | 75-103 | 2026 release | 80 min, filmed at Type Books |
| 5 | 104-125 | Wrapped | Fisher Rare Books Library |
| 7-8 | — | Filming 2025 | In production |
Podcast companion: Free on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube. Episode 21 released January 2026.
Best For: Visual learners; readers who want to see performance; following along with subtitles and page numbers.
Complete Readings
Patrick Healy (1992)
Duration: 19 hours 32 minutes Access: UbuWeb (free)
Dublin actor Patrick Healy recorded the complete Wake over four days in 1992 at Bow Lane Studios, Dublin.
Characteristics:
- Fast-paced Dublin reading
- Strong Irish accent
- Captures the energy of the prose
- Good for getting the flow and rhythm
Best For: Readers who want to hear the Irish English; following along with the text; first exposure to the Wake's sound.
Patrick Horgan (1985)
Duration: ~35 hours Access: National Library Service recordings; Internet Archive
American actor Patrick Horgan's reading for the NLS (National Library Service for the Blind) is slower and more measured.
Characteristics:
- Careful enunciation
- Slower pace allows more comprehension
- Dramatic interpretation
- Complete and unabridged
Best For: Close study; readers who want to catch more detail; accessible pace.
Naxos Audiobook
Duration: ~35 hours Access: Audible, Naxos
Professional audiobook production with contemporary readers.
Characteristics:
- Modern recording quality
- Clear audio
- Available through standard audiobook platforms
Live Performance
Neal Kosaly-Meyer: Memorized Performance
Location: Seattle, WA Completion: 2030 (projected)
Seattle composer and pianist Neal Kosaly-Meyer is memorizing and performing the entire Wake from memory—a 17-year project matching Joyce's composition time.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Pace | 37 pages per year |
| Method | One chapter learned and performed annually |
| Approach | Musical interpretation of the prose |
| Started | 2013 |
| Completion | 2030 |
2025 Update: Performing the "Tales From the Inn" chapter (December 2025).
Featured on the WAKE podcast discussing memorization technique and the musical qualities of Joyce's prose.
"Finnegans Wake is a book to be experienced. It's a book to be heard. I think the beautiful thing about it is you can have a delightful time reading the book without understanding anything." — Neal Kosaly-Meyer
Musical Adaptations
Waywords and Meansigns
waywordsandmeansigns.com Total Duration: 70+ hours across three editions
An international collaborative project that set the complete Wake to music.
Editions
| Edition | Year | Contributors | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Edition | 2015 | 17 artists | Complete text, one artist per chapter |
| Second Edition | 2016 | 17 artists | Complete text, different artists |
| Opendoor Edition | 2017– | 100+ artists | Shorter passages, ongoing |
Latest Addition: May 4, 2024 — "Waveleaplights" by Charlie O'Brien
Characteristics:
- Free download (Creative Commons)
- Experimental and varied musical styles
- Text is always audible and unabridged
- Over 300 contributors worldwide
How to Contribute: Submit recordings of short passages for the Opendoor Edition.
Available at: waywordsandmeansigns.com and Internet Archive
Historical Recordings
James Joyce Reading ALP (1929)
Duration: ~8 minutes Access: YouTube, British Library, various archives
Joyce himself recorded the "Anna Livia Plurabelle" section in 1929. This is the only recording of Joyce reading from the Wake.
Why Essential:
- Hear Joyce's intended pronunciation
- His pacing and emphasis
- The Irish cadences he heard
- Historical document
Find it: Search "Joyce Anna Livia Plurabelle recording"
Joseph Campbell's Joyce Lectures
Campbell recorded extensive lectures on Joyce, providing crucial context for understanding the Wake.
The Mythic Novels of James Joyce (Esalen, 1983)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California |
| Duration | 7+ hours (6 lectures) |
| Content | Portrait, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake |
| Purchase | JCF.org (tax-deductible) |
Campbell covers the Vico cycle, character archetypes, and the mythological dimensions of Joyce's work.
1951 James Joyce Society Lecture
Folkways Records
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 23, 1951 |
| Location | Gotham Book Mart, NYC |
| Content | Campbell commentary + Wake readings + Joyce's ALP recording |
| Access | Internet Archive (FLAC), Discogs (vinyl) |
Pathways with Joseph Campbell
Spotify — Free podcast from JCF with Campbell lectures and commentary.
For comprehensive Campbell resources, see the dedicated Joseph Campbell & Finnegans Wake guide.
Podcasts
WAKE: Cold Reading Finnegans Wake
Hosted by Toby Malone and TJ Young. A cold reading "just to hear it out loud."
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Status | Completed (end-of-series hiatus) |
| Episodes | 40+ episodes plus bonus content |
| Bonus Content | Interviews with Neal Kosaly-Meyer, Bobby Campbell, George Koors |
| Related | "WAKE: The Album" musical companion (2025) |
Best For: Accessible introduction to hearing the Wake; discussion of reading approaches.
James Joyce's Finnegans Wake (One Little Goat)
Companion podcast to the video project, featuring Richard Harte's readings with Adam Seelig's introductions.
Features:
- Ongoing chapter releases
- Free on all major platforms
- Episode 21 released January 2026
- Guest interviews (e.g., Kenji Hayakawa discussing Japanese translation)
Blooms & Barnacles
Dublin-based podcast primarily about Ulysses, with Wake-specific episodes including interviews with translator Kenji Hayakawa on the Japanese translation.
Best For: Accessible Joyce discussion; translation perspectives; connecting Ulysses and Wake.
Using Audio Effectively
Follow Along
- Open the text
- Play the audio
- Follow with your eyes while listening
- Stop to check annotations as needed
Audio-First Approach
- Listen to a section without the text
- Let the sounds wash over you
- Then read the same section
- Compare impressions
Study Sessions
- Listen to a chapter
- Re-listen with annotations open
- Make notes on what you notice aurally
- Discuss in a reading group
Comparison of Readings
| Reader | Duration | Pace | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Healy | 19.5 hrs | Fast | Audio | Flow, rhythm, Dublin accent |
| Patrick Horgan | 35 hrs | Slow | Audio | Comprehension, detail |
| One Little Goat | 30 hrs | Varied | Video | Visual learners, subtitles |
| Waywords | 70+ hrs | Varies | Musical | Artistic interpretation |
| Neal Kosaly-Meyer | Ongoing | Live | Performance | Memorized, musical approach |
Creating Your Own Recordings
Many reading groups record their sessions. Benefits:
- Practice pronunciation
- Share with absent members
- Build community archives
- Contribute to Waywords Opendoor Edition
See Also
- First Steps — Using audio as a beginner
- Reading Strategies — Audio in your reading practice
- Reading Groups — Communities that read aloud together