When I left about ten minutes earlier, we had just read "Play cricket." (Penguin 587.2) (Gabler xxxx)
(In other words, the group would have read a litter bit more. )
But first things first!
The 2nd of February is a special date indeed.
James Joyce was born on this date in 1882. It was also on this date1922 that Ulysses was published by Sylvia Beach in Paris. 1000 copies - all numbered - were printed in the first edition. 100 copies were printed on Dutch handmade paper, copies 101 to 250 were printed on verge d'Arches paper. The remaining 750 copies were 'normal' copies but were also printed on handmade paper. The cover of each of these 1000 copies was in bright Aegean blue color. The Zurich James Joyce Foundation is in possession of one of these first edition copies. This was gifted to the foundation by the family of the Zurich ophthalmologist, Alfred Vogt, to whose daughter Helene Wiederkehr Vogt, Joyce had given a signed copy.
Follow the links below for more information!
http://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/bibliophile-schaetze-1.18230137
http://www.booktryst.com/2011/09/superstar-1st-edition-of-ulysseys.html
http://www.baumanrarebooks.com/blog/the-story-behind-the-first-edition-of-ulysses-by-james-joyce/
Now back to Bloom and his imaginary escapades!
The last time we had left Bloom in the company of two police, whom he had informed that he was a respectable married man, without a stain on his character, that his wife was the daughter of Majorgeneral Brian Tweedy, famous for the heroic defense of Rorke's Drift. Bloom continues to defend himself, this time turning to the gallery for support. (It looks as if we are in the middle of a play. Perhaps we, the readers, are part of the gallery audience.) Bloom, who had defended himself earlier in the Cyclops episode saying "... Your God was a jew. Christ was a jew like me", now says, "I'm as staunch a Britisher as you are, sir... I did all a white man could." quoting from the ballad, Jim Bludso of the Prairie Belle. (The ballad tells the story of the heroic death of Jim Bludso, a Mississippi riverboat (Prairie Belle) captain, whose 'religion' was "And if ever the Prairie Belle took fire ... He'd hold her nozzle again the bank / Till the last soul got ashore." Prairie Belle does catch fire, and Bludso is as good as his word... Gifford 15.797-98)
The first watch is not letting Bloom go! He demands to know Bloom's professor or trade. Now Bloom's wishes and ambitions (day dreams?) surface. He says: "Well, I follow a literary occupation,..." This association to literary ambitions trigger two appearances: Myles Crawford, the editor from the Aeolus episode and Mr Philip Beaufoy. Till now all that we had known of Mr Beaufoy was that he was the author of the prize titbit, Matcham's Masterstroke, the story which Bloom had read that morning asquat on the cuckstool. (Episode 4, Calypso). In fact at that time Bloom had '(day) dreamt' of writing a story himself. Now Bloom imagines a court scene with Mr Beaufoy as a witness, tearing apart Bloom's literary merits. Mr Beaufoy is obviously very upset that a specimen of his maturer work (had been) disfigured by the hallmark of the beast. Indeed Bloom had that morning, after he had completed his business on the cuckstool, torn away half the prize story sharply and wiped himself with it.
The court scene continues. The next witness to be called is Mary Driscoll, scullerymaid. She was their maid when the Blooms lived in Ontario Terrace, Rathmines. In the court, she accuses Bloom of trying to carry on with (take advantage of) her. Naturally Bloom denies the charge, defending himself saying 'Incautiously I took your part when you were accused of pilfering... Play cricket. (Play fair.)"
(In other words, the group would have read a litter bit more. )
But first things first!
The 2nd of February is a special date indeed.
 |
| (Source: http://www.booktryst.com/2011/09/superstar-1st-edition-of-ulysseys.html) |
Follow the links below for more information!
http://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/bibliophile-schaetze-1.18230137
http://www.booktryst.com/2011/09/superstar-1st-edition-of-ulysseys.html
http://www.baumanrarebooks.com/blog/the-story-behind-the-first-edition-of-ulysses-by-james-joyce/
Now back to Bloom and his imaginary escapades!
The last time we had left Bloom in the company of two police, whom he had informed that he was a respectable married man, without a stain on his character, that his wife was the daughter of Majorgeneral Brian Tweedy, famous for the heroic defense of Rorke's Drift. Bloom continues to defend himself, this time turning to the gallery for support. (It looks as if we are in the middle of a play. Perhaps we, the readers, are part of the gallery audience.) Bloom, who had defended himself earlier in the Cyclops episode saying "... Your God was a jew. Christ was a jew like me", now says, "I'm as staunch a Britisher as you are, sir... I did all a white man could." quoting from the ballad, Jim Bludso of the Prairie Belle. (The ballad tells the story of the heroic death of Jim Bludso, a Mississippi riverboat (Prairie Belle) captain, whose 'religion' was "And if ever the Prairie Belle took fire ... He'd hold her nozzle again the bank / Till the last soul got ashore." Prairie Belle does catch fire, and Bludso is as good as his word... Gifford 15.797-98)
The first watch is not letting Bloom go! He demands to know Bloom's professor or trade. Now Bloom's wishes and ambitions (day dreams?) surface. He says: "Well, I follow a literary occupation,..." This association to literary ambitions trigger two appearances: Myles Crawford, the editor from the Aeolus episode and Mr Philip Beaufoy. Till now all that we had known of Mr Beaufoy was that he was the author of the prize titbit, Matcham's Masterstroke, the story which Bloom had read that morning asquat on the cuckstool. (Episode 4, Calypso). In fact at that time Bloom had '(day) dreamt' of writing a story himself. Now Bloom imagines a court scene with Mr Beaufoy as a witness, tearing apart Bloom's literary merits. Mr Beaufoy is obviously very upset that a specimen of his maturer work (had been) disfigured by the hallmark of the beast. Indeed Bloom had that morning, after he had completed his business on the cuckstool, torn away half the prize story sharply and wiped himself with it.
The court scene continues. The next witness to be called is Mary Driscoll, scullerymaid. She was their maid when the Blooms lived in Ontario Terrace, Rathmines. In the court, she accuses Bloom of trying to carry on with (take advantage of) her. Naturally Bloom denies the charge, defending himself saying 'Incautiously I took your part when you were accused of pilfering... Play cricket. (Play fair.)"
