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First edition to be printed in Britain, inscribed by the author, "To George and Mary Slocombe, James Joyce, Paris 7. i. 1926" on the half-title. George Slocombe was an English journalist writing for the American papers. Joyce asked Sylvia Beach to send him a press copy of Ulysses, and he was among its first reviewers, telling the readers of the Daily Herald that it was "as large as a telephone directory or a family Bible, and with many of the literary and social characteristics of each". Joyce's inscriptions usually appear on the front free endpaper; in this copy, however, that space was already taken by the ownership inscription, dated and located "Paris 1921" of Allan Ross "Dougie" MacDougall (1893-1956), a gay expatriate Scotsman in Paris, friend, and later biographer, of Isadora Duncan. In the early 1920s MacDougall had a regular column in the Chicago Tribune and he and Slocombe shared a close mutual friend in Edna St Vincent Millay. Presumably MacDougall gave the book to Slocombe, who then asked Joyce to inscribe it. Portrait was serialized in the English literary magazine The Egoist in 1914 and 1915, and first published as a book in 1916 by B. W. Huebsch of New York, from whom Harriet Shaw Weaver, proprietor of the Egoist Press, purchased and bound some 750 sets of the US sheets, issuing them in London under the Egoist imprint in 1917. This second edition is the first to be printed in Britain. Presentation copies of this printing are rare and examples with such intriguing Parisian provenance are exceptional. READ MORE Octavo. Original green cloth, titles to front board in blind and to spine in white. Housed in a navy blue morocco backed bookform folding case by the Chelsea Bindery. Spine heavily toned and somewhat rolled, some toning around margins within, but still a sound copy in good condition. Slocum & Cahoon A12.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce is a bildungsroman that chronicles the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development of Stephen Dedalus. The novel is divided into five chapters, each representing a different phase in Stephen's life. In the early chapters, Joyce portrays Stephen's formative years in a strict Catholic environment. He grapples with the conflict between religious devotion and burgeoning individualism. Stephen's experiences at Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College expose him to the harsh realities of authority, conformity, and social expectations. As Stephen matures, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the rigid dogmas of the Catholic Church. His intellectual awakening leads to a rejection of religious constraints and a pursuit of artistic expression and self-discovery. Throughout the narrative, Stephen grapples with guilt over his perceived sins, especially his sensual desires and lapses in religious devotion. His internal struggles are depicted with introspective depth, as he grapples with conflicting emotions and the tension between societal norms and personal freedom. The novel culminates in Stephen's departure from Ireland, symbolizing his rejection of the confines of his homeland, both religiously and artistically. He seeks to forge his own identity as an artist, embracing the idea of self-exile to achieve intellectual and creative independence. Joyce's prose employs stream-of-consciousness technique, offering readers insight into Stephen's inner thoughts and emotional turmoil. Through vivid and evocative language, he captures the intricacies of Stephen's mind as he grapples with his evolving beliefs and desires. "Portrait" is a groundbreaking work that explores themes of identity, alienation, religion, and the pursuit of artistic integrity. It stands as a seminal example of modernist literature, challenging traditional narrative structures and delving into the complexities of human consciousness. Joyce's masterpiece remains a significant contribution to literature, celebrated for its innovative style and profound exploration of the artist's journey toward self-realization and autonomy.