Books

Royal 8vo. Limited edition of 1000 copies. First published in Paris in 1922. Eighth edition overall. #747 of 900 copies printed on japon vellum paper and bound in green linen buckram. Homeric bow, designed by Eric Gill, gilt to front cover. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Spine tanned and faded as usual. Light staining and marking to both boards. Bookplate on front pastedown and ink ownership on fly, both of Michael Howard. Endpapers very slightly foxed. Contents clean and fresh. Very good +. A nice copy of this handsome, readable edition of James Joyce's masterpiece. Sir Michael Howard OM CH CBE MC (1922-2019), the distinguished military historian, was born in the year of the novel's first publication. His ink ownership on the flyleaf is dated 'March the fifth, 1943' when he was twenty and a second lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards. In September that year he took part in the landings at Salerno. I rather doubt that this book travelled with him to Italy, but it speaks highly of his culture and broad sympathies that he bought the book in the midst of war and with European civilisation under such threat.

"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.