Books

Paris: Shakespeare and Company, 1922. First edition. Fine. Exquisitely bound in full navy morocco by the Chelsea bindery. Gilt details on the boards, spine and turn ins, top edge gilt, silk moire end papers and paste-downs, original front wrapper bound in. One of 150 large paper copies, this copy number 231, originally sold to John Clark. Binding Fine. Internal contents are generally in excellent condition, a bit of toning to the front wrapper and the occasional marginal spot. Joyce’s masterwork of modernism, one of the great books of the 20th century. Though it follows a single day in the life of Dubliner Leopold Bloom—June 16th, a day which has since become a worldwide holiday—Ulysses’ complex structure is actually inspired by Homer’s Odyssey. The book’s stream of consciousness prose and its experimental nature were groundbreaking, and many of the techniques Joyce used have since become standard fare. Ulysses took Joyce over seven years to write, and the story of its…

"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.