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JOYCE (JAMES) Ulysses, eleventh printing, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY TO MARTIN AND LILY O'CONNOR, Paris, Shakespeare and Co., 1930, sold as an association copy not subject to return image 1
JOYCE (JAMES) Ulysses, eleventh printing, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY TO MARTIN AND LILY O'CONNOR, Paris, Shakespeare and Co., 1930, sold as an association copy not subject to return image 2
The Library of a Deceased Irish Collector
Lot 206

JOYCE (JAMES)
Ulysses, eleventh printing, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY TO MARTIN AND LILY O'CONNOR, Paris, Shakespeare and Co., 1930, sold as an association copy not subject to return

24 June 2015, 11:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £4,375 inc. premium

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JOYCE (JAMES)

Ulysses, eleventh printing, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY TO MARTIN AND LILY O'CONNOR, inscribed on half-title "To Martin and Lily O'Connor/ James Joyce/ Wimbledon/ Whitsun. 5 vi. 1931"), some quite severe browning and dampstaining (especially to first and last sections, half-title, title and 3 or 4 other leaves with repairs at edges), untrimmed in publisher's light blue wrappers, recased, lower edges and spine ends chipped, preserved in black half morocco solander box, gilt panelled spine [Slocum & Cahoon A17, notes], 4to, Paris, Shakespeare and Co., 1930, sold as an association copy not subject to return

Footnotes

PRESENTATION COPY FROM JOYCE TO HIS FRIENDS MARTIN AND LILY O'CONNOR. Martin, an Irish-born barrister, lived a rather unconventional life in Wimbledon with his wife Lily, where they entertained politicians, lawyers and literary figures such as Joyce and Beckett. Loosely inserted typed family notes refer to two tablecloths signed by Beckett, Joyce and others, which are evidence of these gatherings. Martin O'Connor's extensive library was dispersed some time after his death in 1937.

The family notes also state that Lily did little to disguise her dislike of Joyce and only tolerated him because of Martin's affection for the penniless author, who she felt took advantage of her husband. Things came to a head when Joyce presented them with the present inscribed copy of Ulysses, a book she had been told was full of obscene language and sexual content: "this was a bridge too far for Lily and she attempted to destroy the book, tearing off the front cover and would have succeeded in destroying the book itself had Martin not intervened... She never again referred to Joyce by name but merely as 'that man'". In fact our copy may well have had the covers replaced: a bookseller's description with the family notes refers to the book lacking its front wrapper and having the "contents bound in to plain paper".

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