Joyce James

1934 · rif. 9192 — New York: Random House 1934. Hard Cover. Very Good binding. Octavo. xvii 1 767 1 pp. First authorized American edition first printing. As issued in publisher's linen with title in black and red; lacking the dust jacket as usual. A better copy than often found with the typical soiling to the light colored binding but less than usual and without any notable wear; bookseller's ticket on the front pastedown; contents clean. A very good copy of a book not often thus. John J. Slocum in his bibliography of James Joyce notes that the first authorized American edition after a 1927 pirated edition was issued in January of 1934. While Slocum refers to the first 100 copies off the press in order to secure copyright shortly after the Woolsey decision as the "first printing" and the subsequent 10300 copies as the "second printing" it is widely considered that these were not distinct printings but a pause in printing while securing copyright in as timely a manner as possible. Ellmann writes of this in his biography of Joyce noting that the first 100 off the press came in January and the balance in February once copyright was secured p. 667. Bibliographers note no way to distinguish between the first 100 and the final 10300. This is one of those from the first printing. Random House noted the printing on subsequent issues from the press. Slocum A21. Ahearn APG 009u. Random House unknown