Books

First edition, number 220 of 150 copies from the large-paper issue numbered 101-250, here finely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe with Irish motifs and with the distinctive original blue wrappers bound in. As recorded in Sylvia Beach's notebook, kept from 21 May 1921 to 1 July 1922 to account for the original customers of Ulysses, this copy was ordered by Sybil Amhurst on 11 May 1922. The watercolourist Sybil Margaret Tyssen-Amhurst (1858-1926), of Didlington Hall in Norfolk, came from the family of book and antique collectors whose Egyptian artefacts inspired the young Howard Carter. The family later recommended him for missions in Egypt, setting in motion his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, the same year that Ulysses was published. Sybil Amhurst also travelled to Egypt: "Once, deep inside a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the metallic smoke blew into Sybil's eyes and she inhaled a lung full of fumes. On the verge of blacking out, she had to be hurriedly carried to fresh air" (Duggan, p. 28). The edition comprised 1,000 copies published on 2 February in the traditional three-tiered French format aimed at both connoisseurs and readers. There were 100 signed copies printed on Dutch handmade paper, 150 copies on the larger vergé d'Arches (sometimes called the 'giant Joyce'), and 750 copies on vergé à barbes forming the trade issue. Perhaps the key text of 20th-century English literature, the book 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 one of the great literary geniuses: "Joyce, not to mince words, is Ireland's Shakespeare, its Goethe, its Racine, its Tolstoy" (Sutherland). Quarto (264 x 200 mm). Finely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in dark brown morocco, spine lettered in gilt, three raised bands dividing gilt-ruled compartments, covers with gilt rule enclosing shamrock cornerpieces, board edges and turn-ins ruled in gilt, original wrappers bound in at end. Housed in custom brown quarter morocco folding box by the Chelsea Bindery. Loosely inserted newspaper clipping and sheet (New York Times, 11 February 1934) discussing the publication history of Ulysses in Europe and America. A little rubbing, neatly retouched, browning to free endpapers from turn-ins, sporadic faint foxing and spots to contents. A very handsome copy. Horowitz, Census, p. 121; Slocum & Cahoon A17. Brian Patrick Duggan, Saluki: The Desert Hound and the English Travelers Who Brought It to the West, 2014; Vincent Sherry, Joyce: Ulysses, 2004; John Sutherland, "Ireland's Shakespeare", The Guardian, 10 Feb.

"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.