Has anyone here actually read this book? Like, the entire thing, cover to cover? If so, what did you think of it? In your interpretation, what is it even about?

>>24576165 (OP)
I've read it. Overall I'd say it's enjoyable.There are easier parts and there are harder parts. If you want to just dip your feet in the book, an easier standalone chapter to read on its own is the Shem the Penman chapter, (Chapter 1.7). This chapter goes into the character of Shem and his relationship with Shaun is one of the main motifs that gets repeated throughout the book.

You can't really boil FW into one thing that it's about, there are just multiple themes that get repeated over and over again in the book which is the main point, the rise and fall of HCE, the redemption through ALP, the warring brothers Shem the Penman vs Shaun the Postman. honestly similar to Ulysses in that regard.

yes, multiple times
you never really stop reading this book

its "about" the english language more than anything else. the plot is fairly barebones and is just a vehicle to explore language, history, and ideas

one of the things worthy to say about the book is that it is not as difficult as the first pages might make it out to be. Terence McKenna attributes to this to a fractality where the whole book is contained in the first word, then the first two words, then first four words and so on, so that the beginning parts are "linguistically dense"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QrWfbYFtNk

I recently read it as well, and as an ESL reader, even though I majored in English in college I have to admit it is pretty challenging.

As others have said here though, it is not as impossibly difficult as it may seem at first, although it helps having read his other works beforehand.

My advice would be to let go and not obsess too much about trying to understand the plot and what happens. I read somewhere that it helps to try to read the words aloud in your mind, so you can see how Joyce twists and turns the language, and conveys themes and concepts that may even contradict the original meaning of the words.

On the side I took notes of what I thought was going on so I could compare later with online summaries, but I got the most enjoyment out of the twists in the language and having the feeling that the characters were some sort of shadows weaving in and out of the story without truly definite features.

As others have said I'd recommend it as well, but mostly as a curiosity, just don't obsess over understanding everything.

>>24576165 (OP)
>what is it even about?
The Collective Unconscious, and how it is renewed in every human psyche.