In this landmark study of James Joyce s "Finnegans Wake," Luca Crispi and Sam Slote have brought together fourteen other leading Joyce experts in a genetic guide to one of the twentieth century s most intriguing works of fiction. Each essay approaches "Finnegans Wake" through novel perspectives afforded by Joyce s preparatory manuscripts. By investigating a work through its manuscripts, genetic criticism both grounds speculative interpretations in an historical, material context and opens up a broader horizon for critical and textual interpretation. The introduction by Luca Crispi, Sam Slote, and Dirk Van Hulle offers a chronology of the composition of "Finnegans Wake," an archival survey of the manuscripts, and an introduction to genetic criticism. Then, the volume provides a chapter-by-chapter interpretation of "Finnegans Wake" from a variety of perspectives, probing the book as a work in progress. The fruit of more than two decades worth of Wakean genetic studies, this book is the essential starting point for all future studies of Joyce s most complex and fascinating work."