Joyce James

1919 · ref. 029930 — Zurich: Rascher & Cie. 1919. The first German edition of Joyce's play Exiles and the first of his works to be published in translation in any language. One of 600 copies printed: Joyce was living in Zurich at the time and he paid for the publication of this book out of his own pocket. This copy is inscribed by the author: "To J.R. sic Watson Jun / with grateful regards / James Joyce / 8. ix. 1919." J.S. Watson Jr. was at the time the co-owner of the modernist literary journal The Dial which he bought from Martyn Johnson with his friend and fellow Harvard graduate Scofield Thayer. Watson became president of the magazine and Thayer became its editor. The "grateful regards" refers to a gift of $300 that Watson had sent Joyce earlier in the year at the urging of Thayer who had himself sent Joyce $700. These sums bailed Joyce out of dire financial straits allowed him to settle a court case against him and helped him support the theater group that he had associated with in Zurich the English Players. In 1920 The Dial published a piece by Joyce and in 1921 Thayer was one of his most ardent and influential supporters in the censorship case in New York against Ulysses and its publication in the Little Review. A notable association copy of Joyce's first translation. Slocum & Cahoon D44. Pages browned and acidified and covers strengthened at all the edges and spine with tape with a hole cut in the spine for the title to show through. The first blank on which the inscription appears is also strengthened at the edges with tape. Fragile and a candidate for de-acidification but a significant association copy from a critical point in Joyce's life and career. Unless otherwise noted our first editions are first printings. First Edition. Softcover. Good. Rascher & Cie. paperback