But even in Finnegans Wake we can only, and are only indirectly invited to, assume that the ending returns to the beginning. I haven't got it in front of me, but I did check it a few days ago. I don't think I'm wrong. Wikipedia: "The last sentence is incomplete. As well as leaving the reader to complete it with his or her own life, it can be closed by the sentence that starts the book – another cycle." That is, it isn't actually closed in this way --- it's up to the reader to make the closure.

As JM points out, we do of course know of Joyce's interest in Vico. Not having read Dowling's fine essay previously I am greatly obliged to JM for pointing it out, as it pretty well agrees entirely with what I have found myself to come to believe. VN is the author, and he tells us so.

Charles

In a message dated 12/02/2007 21:52:45 GMT Standard Time, STADLEN@AOL.COM writes:

In a message dated 12/02/2007 13:45:30 GMT Standard Time, Chaswe@AOL.COM writes:

The return of the ending of the verse to its beginning does actually echo Finnegans Wake.

Please could we have a conditional here? "..would actually echo..."

We have only Kinbote's assertion that there is a line 1000 and that it equals line 1. We have discussed this quite a bit. DN was going to try to remember exactly what his father said to him about this, but he has not yet reported back to us.

Anthony Stadlen