Oct 10, 2019 - Sale 2519

Sale 2519 - Lot 305

Price Realized: $ 7,250
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 5,000 - $ 7,500
JOYCE, JAMES. Two Tales of Shem and Shaun, Fragments from Work in Progress. 8vo, publisher's pale green cloth, scattered stains, dent to fore-edges, front joint partly split, spine tanned and chipped at head and foot with loss of two title letters; dust jacket, flap folds rubbed, top edges with short closed tears and creasing, verso foxed; custom 1/4 morocco slipcase and cloth chemise. London: Faber and Faber, (1932)

Additional Details

first english edition, excellent literary association copy, inscribed three days after publication to his publisher: "To Eugene and Maria Jolas / James Joyce / Paris / 4.12.[1]932" in black ink on front free endpaper. "It was decided that the Jolases would publish the book [Finnegans Wake] serially in transition, beginning with the beginning of the book, and including in revised form the fragments published at random during the last several years [...] Joyce was highly content to have this outlet for his work, and transition also published essays about him so that it was a continuing advocacy" (Ellman, p. 589, 1983). Slocum & Cahoon 37.