"the...

...riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, through swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs."

This first sentence is as far as I have ever gotten with reading Joyce's 'Finnegans Wake'. (A good film with Milo O'Shea was a sufficient breeze through someone's interpretation of what the fellow was on about.) And as the 'the' is the last word of the book itself - bringing one by an entirely commodius vicus of recirculation back to the beginning - it can be argued that to read that sentence is to read the whole thing. For which small mercy great thanks!

{'Howth' - by the way, should you wish to quote your new erudition to amazed friends and family;) - is pronounced Hoe-th, not How-th or Haw-th.}

All persons like rivers - well should do in my more accessible book - and it would be a rum cove indeed who expressed an aversion for river qua river. Personal favourites are a personal matter - save to say I adore the younger Thames and would love one day to see the Missouri. (It's a Shenandoah thing.)

There is a particular bend in a particular river though that has my attention at present. A young Iraqi woman - wisely anonymously - has been writing of life in that torn and troubled country, but a few cyber-hops from this billet. Quiet of late she has come back on line with some trenchant and sad-to-read thoughts on the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Go take a look: http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/