Books

The Great Classics as they first appeared. Cream fabric clamshell case with teal leather title/year labels on spine. Copyright by The First Edition Library: --Identical to the original edition. --Even the first critics' comments printed on the jacket flap. --The design of every volume is unique to its own era (the dust jacket artwork and hardcover bindings, typefaces, endpapers, and title pages, even the minor errors that collectors look for). LIST OF TITLES (a series in 3 volumes): 1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov --facsimile of the original 1955 first edition, published by the Olympia Press. 2. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller --facsimile edition of 1934 first edition published by The Obelisk Press. 3. Ulysses by James Joyce --Facsimile of 1922 first edition published originally by Shakespeare and Company, it is no. 257 of 1000.

"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.