Books

London: Egoist Press, 1922. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 2nd Printing Ulysses by James Joyce. This is the first British edition printed in October 1922 for The Egoist Press, London by John Rodker in Paris. The first Paris edition was published by Shakespeare and Company in February and this, the second edition was published shortly after using the same plates as the first. It would lead to the court case over obscenity in the United States where the book was banned until 1936. 2,000 copies of the first English edition were printed, hundreds of which were smuggled to the UK & USA, with most intercepted and destroyed. It's been reported that the U.S. Post Office burned around 500 copies. Condition: 8vo 732 pages, (9 x 7"), beautifully rebound in polished blue calf leather with hand decorated endpapers, spine titles lettered in gilt. No. 1559 of 2000 copies. Light toning to interior, some foxing to preliminary pages, with a few scattered dots…

"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.

The first edition features blue wrappers.