Books

Paris: Shakespeare and Company,, 1922. It soared, a bird, it held its flight... soaring high, high resplendent First edition, number 418 of 750 copies on handmade paper numbered 251 to 1,000. This attractive copy is finely bound, retaining the distinctive original blue wrappers at the front and rear. The edition was published on 2 February 1922 in imitation of the traditional three-tiered French format, which was aimed at both connoisseurs and general readers. It consisted of 100 signed copies on Dutch handmade paper, 150 large-paper copies printed on heavier vergé d'Arches, and 750 copies on vergé à barbes, which formed the trade issue. One of the key texts of 20th-century modernist literature, Ulysses also proved a major test case for laws of freedom of expression. "Forced underground by censors,... this was a cryptoclassic already before it was read, a subversive colossus" (Sherry, p. 1). Its creator is considered one of the great geniuses of modern literature: "Joyce, not…

"Ulysses" is a complex and multi-layered novel that takes place over the course of a single day, June 16, 1904, in Dublin, Ireland. It follows the lives and experiences of three central characters: Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom, and Molly Bloom. Stephen Dedalus is a young aspiring writer and artist, a character partially based on Joyce himself. He struggles with his identity, his relationship with his deceased mother, and his place in the world. Leopold Bloom, a middle-aged Jewish man, is the novel's central figure. He works as an advertisement canvasser and has a deep affection for his wife, Molly. Throughout the day, Bloom encounters various events and people as he navigates Dublin. His experiences and thoughts are depicted in a stream-of-consciousness narrative style, offering insight into his musings on life, love, and his surroundings. Molly Bloom, Leopold's wife, is introduced in the final episode of the book. Her interior monologue, famously known as the "Penelope" episode, showcases her thoughts, desires, and memories, providing a different perspective on the events of the day. The novel is divided into 18 episodes, each employing a different narrative technique, style, or literary device. Joyce experiments with language, employing puns, allusions, parodies, and various linguistic styles to reflect the characters' thoughts and the vibrant atmosphere of Dublin. "Ulysses" draws heavily on Homer's "The Odyssey," with each episode mirroring an episode in the ancient epic and paralleling the adventures of Odysseus. The title itself references the Latinized name of Odysseus, and the novel explores themes of journey, identity, exile, and the human condition. Throughout the book, Joyce tackles various aspects of human experience, including politics, religion, sexuality, art, mortality, and the mundane details of everyday life. The novel is celebrated for its rich literary innovations, intricate structure, and depth of meaning, but it's also renowned for its challenging and experimental nature, which can make it a demanding read for some audiences.