Books

4to, 735 pages. Measuring 6 1/4" x 8". 9th. printing, Shakespeare & C0., Paris. May, 1927 Contents are tight, clean without marks. The hinges are slightly cracked but holding firmly. The margins of the paper are lightly tanned. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. NOTE: THE TEAL (Greek Flag blue) FRONT AND REAR ORIGINAL WRAPPERS ARE BOUND IN AND ARE IN CLEAN, VERY GOOD CONDITION WITHOUT TEARS NOR CREASES. Contemporary bookplate on front paste down"from the library of Irving E. Doob"(1878-1940) who was a New York Times journalist in the early part of the century. 3/4 red leather, contemporary binding, 5 raised bands with gilt decorations between the bands; title and author in gilt on spine which is bright. Corners and top & bottom of spine are scuffed. Red leather is darkened narrowly along the front & rear gutters. Still an attractive binding for this monument of 2oth. century fiction.

"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.