It’s been well over a decade since Finnegans Wake raised eyebrows, and fans are naturally eager to find out what happens next. Here’s everything we know about Finnegans Wake II.

If there’s one thing we can say about Finnegans Wake, it’s that the legendary doorstop left readers with more questions than answers. Part origin story, part homage to Giambattista Vico’s conception of history as cyclical, the sleeper hit has (rightly) earned a reputation for keeping fans reading well into the night.

But of all the questions that still bug fans to this day, one looms larger than the rest: When will Finnegans Wake II hit shelves so we can finally catch up on the antics of the beloved Earwicker clan?

Considering how the original novel ends, with its suspenseful promise of “whish! A gull. Gulls. Far calls. Coming, far!” and a final passage that abruptly ends mid-sentence, it’s safe to say iconic author James Joyce dropped one hell of a cliffhanger on his fans. Is it any wonder we’re so eager to read the next piping white-hot installment of his story?

Without further ado, let’s dive headfirst into everything we know about Finnegans Wake II.

Finnegans Wake II: Expected Release Date
Here’s our theory: A sequel to Finnegans Wake is all but guaranteed, if only because fans can’t get enough of its central protagonist Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker (HCE). One of the most beloved tavern owners in all of literature, rabid fans (or “Earwickies”) absolutely delight in his every misadventure, whether he’s gamely sailing into Dublin Bay or chillaxing with his sons, the inscrutable scribe Shem and snoozefest postman Shaun.

To be fair, we’d be lying if we said we knew the exact release date of Finnegans Wake II—but if we were to hazard a guess, we’d tentatively say “soon.” That said, the original Finnegans Wake took over seventeen years to write (yikes!), so a little patience might be prudent here. After all, if there’s one thing we know about sequels, it’s that they tend to be bigger, splashier, and even more badass than their predecessors. We don’t know about you, but we’re confident the wait is going to be very worth it.

Considering the level of fevered anticipation Finnegans Wake II has drummed up in recent months, you should expect twice the Howth Castle and Environs, double the quarks for Muster Mark!, and more bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk than you can shake a stick at.

Finnegans Wake II’s Plot: What Will It Be?
So far, every major plot point of Finnegans Wake II has been kept strictly under wraps, but we imagine it’ll reunite many of our favorite characters, including Mother Goose touchstone Humpty Dumpty, the two washerwomen who tauntingly turn into a tree and a stone, the ill-starred beachbusker Hosty, and of course the titular bricklayer/klutz Tim Finnegan. (We’re praying for another Buckley appearance, but let’s not hold our breaths on that one.)

We don’t know about you, but even the slightest possibility of learning more about tumptytumtoes is getting us totally pumped for this project.

Will there be a Finnegans Wake III?
Now, this is where the speculation gets a bit vaguer—and where we admittedly get a little greedy. Considering the fact that Finnegans Wake II still hasn’t seen the light of day (yet!), it’s not 100% guaranteed that a third installment will ever get the proverbial green light. Enigmatic author James Joyce is keeping his lips zipped on the subject, but let’s get real here: If such a surefire blockbuster is indeed coming down the pipeline, the powers that be will definitely want a smudged galley of Finnegans Wake III in their hands ASAP. (After all, the subtitle might as well be Money in the Bank.)

Since the central plot of Finnegans Wake II is still a closely guarded industry secret, it’s a fool’s errand to try predicting the main storyline for FW III, but here’s what we can say with a fair degree of certainty: If Finnegans Wake III is indeed a go, we’re officially here for it. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that we’ll indeed meet again and part once more, the Gracehoper will keep jigging ajog, and we’ll get even more weenybeenyveenyteeny than we’d ever know what to do with.

The bottom line?
At the end of the day, it sounds like there’s no official word on when we’ll finally get to curl up with Finnegans Wake II or Finnegans Wake III. (Insert sad face here.) Still, it’s not all bad news: at least we still have the original Finnegans Wake to keep us entertained in the hour of the twattering of bards in the twitterlitter between Druidia and the Deepsleep Sea.