"The difficulties of interpretation since the significance of any event followed
its occurrence as variably as the acoustic report followed the electrical discharge
and of counterestimating against an actual loss by failure to interpret the total sum
of possible losses proceeding originally from a successful interpretation." -- James Joyce
I would like to compare notes with someone on the correct interpretation of this sentence!~ Homo Loquens
My interpertation:
It is hard to interpret any event yet to occur since the importance of the clues you recieve from the world around you are as variable as the length of time it takes a thunderclap to retort from a flash of lightning.
And if you overthink the clues that foretell of the event by finding other explainations for the clues that foretell the event because you are afraid of losing, you might become befuddled; so you must delineate all the other possibilities and act only upon the one of your original inspiration.
Artistically I see two possibilities
(1) By offering the reader this convoluted paragraph James Joyce was attempting to imitate the convoluted thinking that is used in deciphering omens.
(2) James Joyce was well into the latter stages of insanity and the avant-garde crowd simply embraced his insanity as high Art.
Last edited by themilum; 11/25/05 07:43 PM.
