Joysprick

"Joysprick: An Introduction to the Language of James Joyce" is a work of literary criticism by Anthony Burgess. It was first published in 1973.

The book is aimed at helping readers new to Joyce to appreciate his genius, and is a particularly useful guide through the complexities of "Finnegans Wake".

Burgess provided the following explanation of the book's title: "Any reader of "Finnegans Wake" will see that it is a fusion of "Joycesprach", joystick, the prick that brings joy and the prick of conscience or agenbite of inwit."

Trivia

Burgess reveals in his autobiography ("You've Had Your Time" p. 243) that the "Joysprick" manuscript was stolen while he was living in Rome, and he had to write it out again from memory. "It was probably better the second time," he wrote.