[Finnegans Wake] Our Exagmination Round his Factification for Incamination of "Work in Progress"; with Letters of Protest

[Joyce, James] Beckett, Samuel, William Carlos Williams, Robert McAlmon, et al.

Published by Shakespeare & Co. | Sylvia Beach, Paris, 1929

Octavo. [6], 194, [4] pp. Ordinary edition after a limited edition of 96 copies. In publisher's printed wrappers. Rubber stamped, "Made In / Great Britain" below the date on the title page. A fragile book, the front wrapper is detaching but holding for the moment; a bit of chipping to the bottom of the spine and the inner corner of the front wrapper not affecting text; wear to the bottom edge of the rear wrapper; narrow tidelines to some areas of the wrapper edges, not intruding into the textblock; textblock is generally and evenly toned; contemporary bookseller's ticket for The Personal Book Shop, Boston on the front free endpaper. This collection of critical essays constituted Joyce's attempt to combat unfavorable reviews of early serialized versions of what would become Finnegans Wake (1939). Here gathered are a dozen essays and two less than favorable "letters," one of which was long thought to have been written by Joyce himself. Of note, this work is Samuel Beckett's first appearance in print with his contribution: "Dante. . . Bruno. Vico. . Joyce" (Federman 1). A remarkable book, capturing the spirit of the expatriate movement an international cast of writers, publicizing in their way the Irish writer's most challenging work to come, printed by an American in Paris. Such was the time. Until Breon's recent scholarship this work was often bibliographically misunderstood and misrepresented in commerce. It was first issued in a limited, hand-numbered edition that is nearly identical to the subsequent "ordinary" edition but for being printed on "verge d'Arches" instead of the wove paper of the ordinary edition. The colophon from the limited edition is included on the ordinary edition but lacking the printed "No." followed by the handwritten number on page [195]. There are two states of this ordinary edition; this is the second, "rubber stamp" state (2b) which is identical to state 2a but for the rubber stamp. Mitchell notes: "The stamp seems to indicate only that the copies were distributed in Great Britain, since they were not printed there." Mitchell, Breon. "Samuel Beckett: A Bibliography," Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project, B1.a.2b. Seller Inventory # 7361

Bibliographic Details

Title: [Finnegans Wake] Our Exagmination Round his ...
Publisher: Shakespeare & Co. | Sylvia Beach, Paris
Publication Date: 1929
Binding: Original Wrappers
Condition: Good binding
Edition: 1st Edition