Yo! Just started reading this book and thought it might be fun to start a discussion about it. Alright, some ground rules. First, any interpretation is fine, as long as it’s in accordance with the site rules of course. Second, if I don’t post the next paragraph or line or whatever within a week of the previous post, someone else take over, whoever uploads it first after the deadline. Third, chip in, give different interpretations, no matter how wild.
“riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.”
Alright, I’m tired so I’ll just summarize my current interpretation. I know the book is cyclical and read it could be related to the Viconian cycle, which, from my understanding, goes: primitive man, warring period, democracy, fall of democracy followed by chaos and corruption, repeat.
I’ll add more details later if I remember to, but basically, I think past Eve and Adam means the river runs past primitive man, or the dawn of man, “swerve of shore and bend of bay” could sound like swerve of sword and bend of pay, war, corrupt nobles, and then we arrive at Howth Castle, modern, democracy. I think the ending of the book is the fall of democracy but as I haven’t read it I don’t know.
The river itself could be Eunoë from Dante’s purgatory, the river of good remembrance. It’s entered after being bathed in Lethe, another river that wipes away memory of sin and such as I understand.
Anyway, chip in, cya.