JOYCE, James. Ulysses (In fine binding)

Paris: Shakespeare and Company, (October 1925). Seventh Printing of the First Edition. Large octavo. pp. 736 pp. (including 4 pp. of additional errata at the end). Modern green crushed morocco, raised bands, gilt titling to spine, marbled endpapers. In matching slipcase, with a morocco lip. Final leaf (errata) with vertical creasing, its tail edge with a little soiling and a small chip, occasional trivial stains or creases elsewhere, but an appealing copy with only minor imperfections.
Slocum and Cahoon 17.

James Joyce’s Ulysses, first published in 1922 by Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Company in Paris, stands as one of the most influential works in modernist literature. The novel charts a single day — 16 June 1904 — in the life of Leopold Bloom as he wanders through Dublin, interwoven with the inner thoughts of Stephen Dedalus and Molly Bloom. Joyce’s innovative use of stream-of-consciousness narrative, linguistic experimentation, and intricate structure transformed the novel as an art form.

Ulysses mirrors Homer’s Odyssey, with Dublin as its modern Ithaca, each chapter corresponding to an episode of the ancient epic. Its brilliance lies in its ability to elevate the ordinary into the mythic, presenting a deeply human portrayal of love, loss, identity, and belonging. The book’s rich tapestry of language, allusion, and humour has inspired generations of writers and scholars.

First editions and finely bound copies of Ulysses are among the most coveted treasures in twentieth-century literature. The original 1922 first printing — limited to just 1,000 copies — is especially prized, while signed or association copies command exceptional value. At De Búrca Rare Books, Ulysses represents the pinnacle of Irish literary achievement, a masterpiece that continues to define modernism and shape the global perception of Irish writing.

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