It’s likely only scholars and avid readers of James Joyce will notice — but a misquote is a misquote. And it’s now part of the Central Bank of Ireland’s coin production.
The bank released its commemorative James Joyce coin, complete with a quote from the third chapter of one of the author’s most famous works, Ulysses. The quote, however, adds a word.
On the coin: “Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things that I am here to read,” USA Today reported.
The actual verse in the epic Ulysses does not contain the word “that.” But bank officials aren’t sweating the error.
They’re just changing their public relations tactic.
The coin is only “an artistic representation of the author and text and not intended as a literal representation,” the bank said in a statement reported in USA Today.
James Joyce fans aren’t happy, and think the bank should fix its error rather than letting it slide.
“One would expect accuracy on an item like this. I don’t think it’s a trivial thing” said one James Joyce scholar, in the USA Today report.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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