Books

London: Folio Society, 2022, Folio Society Numbered Limited Edition Signed by the Artist with extra Exclusive Print presented in a Folder . Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies signed by John Vernon Lord, this copy number 97, bound in green calfskin leather blocked in gold foil, 768 pages of text set in Dante and printed on Munken Pure paper, printed in two colours throughout. Frontispiece and 18 full-page colour illustrations printed on Natural Evolution Ivory paper, gilt page top edges, two green grosgrain ribbon markers. Print by John Vernon Lord presented in a folder featuring a design by the artist. Clamshell box covered in red cloth inset with a printed label and blocked in gold foil, dimensions - 3�˝ � 12�˝ � 9˝ Clamshell box with a bumped corner and a mark to the spine front joint. Folio Society Centenary Edition. Provenance: in the original cardboard box with the Foilo Society label to the top. Approximately 11⅖˝ � 8˝ inches. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition gilt titles and decoration. Joints very good condition. Corners very good condition. Boards very good condition full leather, gilt decoration to the front board. Page edges very good condition gilt top edge, others clean. Clamshell box good condition minor marks, rear corner bumped and creased to the cloth, mark to the front joint see photos. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition sound. Paste downs very good condition map or plan. End papers very good condition map or plan. Title very good condition unread. Pages very good condition unread. Binding very good condition attractive. See photos. Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 2022 Binding: Hardback.

"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.