Loosen your talktapes   The Spoken Word: Joyce on Tape In the last few years, the "Books On Tape" market has grown from an interesting novelty to a lucrative part of the publishing trade. While some cynics may still dismiss the whole trend as a fad, aimed primarily at those who would rather hear a celebrity read an abridged version of a best-seller than peruse the work themselves, the field has certainly produced some works of excellent quality. (Particularly the plays of Shakespeare being put out by Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company.) Fortunately for us James Joyce fans, there have been several interesting selections to choose from. Below I list some of the Joyce cassettes, along with consumer information and a short review of each one. If anyone knows of some others please send them to me! James Joyce Reads (1992) Caedmon (of Harper Audio, of HarperCollins Publishers); ISBN 1-55994-565-6, One cassette, $12.00 (This excellent work may be out of print) SIDE ONE: 1. Ulysses, passage from the Aeolus episode, read by James Joyce (4:06) 2. Chamber Music, I through XXXVI, read by Cyril Cusack (23:19) SIDE TWO: 1. Finnegans Wake, Anna Livia Plurabelle, Read by James Joyce (8:32) 2. Pomes Penyeach, read by Cyril Cusack (8:53) 3. Ecce Puer, read by Cyril Cusack (0:41) This is an essential tape to own! Sadly, though, I fear it is out of print; but may still be acquired through second-hand stores or maybe just gathering dust in a shelf somewhere. Although Joyce only reads for twelve and a half minutes, that's a mere dollar per moment of hearing his voice read from his works. The Ulysses reading is taken from Aeolus episode -- Joyce reads the second half of "IMPROMPTU" and all of "FROM THE FATHERS," the scene where Professor MacHugh recites Gerald Fitzgibbon's speech comparing the Irish to the Israelis under the rule of Egypt. Sadly, the recording quality (being from a 1924 album) is poor, and Joyce's voice is muffled under an unfortunate amount of hiss and static. The reading from Finnegans Wake is of a much higher quality, however, and it is absolutely delightful to hear Joyce's Irish voice lilting its way cheerfully across the first part of the "Anna Livia Plurabelle" section of Finnegans Wake. The poems are read by Cyril Cusack, who does a nice job in bringing forth their lyricism and elusive tension, although I feel that his tone is too somber for some of the poems in Chamber Music. Admittedly, they are just filler for the tape, framing the Joyce readings, but they do provide an extra bit of pleasure when listening to the tape. Liner notes (by Sylvia Beach, from the earlier 1924 album) In 1924 I went to the office of His Master's Voice in Paris to ask them if they would record a reading by James Joyce from ULYSSES. But they would agree only if it were done at my expense. The record would not have their label on it, nor would it be listed in their catalogue. I accepted the terms: thirty copies of the recording to be paid for on delivery. Joyce himself was anxious to have this recording made. He had made up his mind, he told me, that this would be his only reading from ULYSSES. Recording was done in a rather primitive manner in those days. All the same, I think the ULYSSES recording is a wonderful performance. I never hear it without being deeply moved. Again, I highly recommend this tape. Joyce really brings the text to life, his voice lilting and whispering, quickening and slowing, lingering on the musical words with a loving joy. Hearing him read Finnegans Wake really demonstrates how beautiful and lyrical it can be when read out loud.   Finnegans Wake -- A Reading by Patrick Healey (1995) Lilliput Press; ISBN 1-874675-62-7, Four cassettes, IR pounds 24.00 TAPE I SIDE A: 1. riverrun (3.1) -- which iz leebez luv (17.36) SIDE B: 1. Zmorde! (18.1) -- Usqueadbaugham! (24.14) 2. A baser meaning (33.14) -- fibfib fabrications (36.34) 3. In the name of Annah the Allmaziful (104.1) -- about the Raincoats (107.7) TAPE II SIDE A: 1. The proteiform graph (107.8) -- Fullup MDCXC (121.35) SIDE B: 1. The scholiast (121.36) -- Shem the Penman (125.23) 2. Be that as it may (182.4) -- You are mad! (193.28) TAPE III SIDE A: 1. He points the deathbone (193.29) -- behind her lungarhodes (208.26) SIDE B: 1. Hellsbells (208.27) -- Night! (216.5) 2. -- Three Quarks for Muster Mark! (383.1) -- Ah dearo dearo dear (392.13) TAPE IV SIDE A: 1. And where do you (392.14) -- led it be (399.36) 2. Bisships, bevel to rock's rite (606.13) -- milk from a natural cowse (615.27) SIDE B: 1. That was the prick (615.27) -- a long the (628.16) An abridgement of a full reading licensed to Lilliput Press through Rennicks Auritron Publishing, these four cassettes contain selected passages from Patrick Healy's reading of the complete Finnegans Wake. Healey, a Dublin-born writer and editor, has a voice that seems to be just created for this. Although not as loving as Joyce's reading, this astonishing work is easily the next best thing. Healey's Irish accent touches the syllables of the Wake and gives them the gift of life, making them dance and skirl across the air into the cusp of your ear. (Just hearing him pronounce the hundred-letter "Father/God/Fall Thunder Word" [3.15] is worth the price of the tapes alone!) The liner notes are as follows: I January 1992 Patrick Healy read the complete text of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake over four days at Bow Lane Recording Studios, Dublin. This recording comprises of four hours of extracts from that acclaimed recording and an interpretive essay. It offers unique access to one of English literature's most complex but rewarding literary achievements of twentieth century. A review from the James Joyce Literary Supplement, by David Hayden: Amazing and important, Healy is something truly rare, for, though there are misses . . . This is probably as close to a letter-perfect rendering of the text as we can hope to get . . . After enduring the whole, I heartily recommend that all Wakeans, all Joyceans who claim to be professionals, all lovers of Joyce, make sure they have, if not their own copy of the reading, at least a copy in a library near them . . . The ease and clarity with which Healy reads the vast majority of the book . . . Succeed in making [it] available to a practiced reader and the frightened neophyte . . . This is, in the final analysis, a splendidly received and executed project . . . This reading is important, and could even become an indispensable adjunct to our reading and to the Wake. Buy it, listen to it, return with it to the Wake. Return to the Wake! I picked this up in the James Joyce Museum in Martello Tower, Dublin, and I haven't seen it yet in the US. So if you want to order one directly from Lilliput, the address is: The Lilliput Press 4 Rosemount Terrace, Arbour Hill Dublin 7, Ireland Tel/Fax (353) 1 671-1647 The full recording of Healey's reading of Finnegans Wake is also available from the actual publisher, Rennicks Auriton Publishing. It is a 21 hour long reading spaced upon 17 compact discs and packaged with an accompanying 128 page book, The Modern and the Wake, written by Patrick Healey. Limited to a mere 1000 sets, it is available for IR £200 plus IR £30 postage and handling. If you are interested in purchasing a set, you may contact: Rennicks Auriton Publishing 40 Bow Lane East Dublin 2, Ireland Tel 353 1 4782822 Fax 353 1 4784661. Finnegans Wake -- An Excerpt by Cyril Cusack (?) Caedmon This may not be in print, and all I have is some sketchy information. According to Tim Szeliga, Caedmon once issued an LP with Cyril Cusack reading most of "Shem the Penman," (FW-I.iiv). If anyone has any more concrete information, please let me know.   Ulysses -- BBC Radio Production (1993) BBC Enterprises of Bantam Doubleday Dell; ISBN 1-553-47163-5, Four cassettes, $22.00 A 360 minute long presentation on four cassettes, the BBC Ulysses is quite an extraordinary achievement, and does a very good job in capturing the spirit of the enormous text through a six hour abridgement. The BBC adopts quite an interesting, but logical, way of telling it -- the chapters revolving around Stephen Dedalus are read by Stephen Rea (the excellent Irish actor seen is such movies as The Crying Game, Angie, Hedda Gabler and Interview with the Vampire) and the chapters focusing on Leopold Bloom are read by Norman Rodway. As the story unfolds, the style of the presentation begins to reflect the actual narrative of the original text -- music is added, as is singing, as well as some simple sound effects. Finally the "Circe" episode explodes into a fully realized audio production with different actors, voices, and sound effects. When all this is finally swept away by Molly's soliloquy at the end, the actual sound of a woman's voice as it rolls endlessly through her dreamy reverie is just amazing in its psychological impact, skillfully converging the focus of the entire work on Molly. The voices are well suited, too. Rea does a brilliant job with Stephen, bringing his thoughtful and pensive nature to the foreground, but never losing touch of the basic self-deprecating humor that makes Stephen's brooding temperament so intriguing. And Rodway's Bloom is purely invigorating, bringing out the character's sense of curiosity, awkwardness and compassion with a natural ease. Molly is played by Maggie Whiting, whose voice has a dreamy, yet earthy quality that colors all Molly's emotions, from irritation to devotion, with just the right tone. The original liner notes: James Joyce's towering novel -- an unparalleled literary masterpiece -- is presented in a stunning dramatization with all the excitement of a theater performance and all of the charm of a vintage radio show. Originally conceived for BBC broadcast and produced by the world's foremost creators of radio entertainment, this lavish production combines a full cast with stirring music and sound effects to bring Joyce's magnificent classic to life. A simple word of warning, however -- those who are expecting to get Ulysses in its entirety will be roundly disappointed. Do not search for each and every one of your favorite lines: in cutting a work the size of Ulysses down to a six hour audio production, sacrifices had to be made. Still, I think that the BBC did an excellent job, and I highly recommend this work. (And beside -- the cover of the box has a picture of Molly that I can never get out of my mind.)   Dubliners Read by Gerard McSorley (1993) Penguin; HBP 256305, Two cassettes, $16.00 Contains eight unabridged stories from Dubliners, including "Araby," "Eveline," and "The Boarding House." They are read by Gerard McSorley, the actor who played Michael in the Broadway production of Dancing at Lughnasa. I have seen this cassette in the bookstore, but I have not yet purchased it. If I do, I will post a review. If anyone else has a copy, and wishes to write a credited blurb of it for me in the style of the above reviews, I would greatly appreciate it!   "The Dead" and Other Stories Read by Gerard McSorley (1993) Penguin; ISBN 0-14-086083-5, Two cassettes, $16.95 A companion set to the above, these two tapes conatin three unabridged stories from Dubliners: "The Sisters," "Grace," and the "The Dead." They are read by Gerard McSorley, the actor who played Michael in the Broadway production of Dancing at Lughnasa. I have seen this cassette in the bookstore, but I have not yet purchased it. If I do, I will post a review. If anyone else has a copy, and wishes to write a credited blurb of it for me in the style of the above reviews, I would greatly appreciate it! Last modified: 20 September 1997 Return to The Brazen Head