But it wasn't the only problem for Joyce in the spring of 1940. He was devastated that the war had occurred so soon after the publication of his masterwork, "Finnegans Wake." Joyce is quoted as saying, "They had best hurry." "War will erupt, and no one will be reading my work anymore." Joyce's wife, Nora, said he was also concerned that England might lose its independence if it joined the war. She reported that he told her people were not ready for such a monumental change and that they should wait until after the war before deciding what role, if any, Ireland would play within the new order. He also may have been worried about money. In April 1940, Joyce applied for British citizenship because the war had made it difficult for him to earn a living in Ireland. The application was rejected because there were still ways to earn money in wartime Britain without becoming a citizen. However, Joyce later received an offer from an American publisher to translate all of Homer's works into English. This offer may have relieved some of his financial concerns because it meant he would no longer need to rely on royalties from "Ulysses" for income. Finally, it has been suggested that Joyce was worried about the effect the war might have on his health. His friend Edward O'Brien wrote that Joyce feared he might get sick again and die soon after reporting his fears to O'Brien.