Overview

The publishers of Ulysses by James Joyce were brought to trial and convicted of obscenity in the USA in 1921. The immortal prose, ultimately recognized as the greatest English language novel of the twentieth century, was first published by the pioneering literary magazine The Little Review. Its founder Margaret Anderson along with her publishing partner and lover, Jane Heap, were famously convicted of a crime for their extraordinary contribution to society. From then until its eventual publication in the US in 1934 the book ran the gamut of legal obstruction. The Ulysses Trials chronicles that progress and adds not only to the understanding of Joyce but also to the history of the laws of obscenity, censorship and freedom of speech. Its appeal is to Joyceans, all those interested in modernism and to the legal community and students of literature and law. The author is a fluent writer and through his experience as a lawyer he brings a deep understanding and analysis to the course of the court proceedings and the workings and ramifications of each case. He weaves a narrative of the text of Ulysses, the contemporaneous historical context and the motives of the players (John Quinn, Judge Woolsey et al) involved in each step of the trial. His manuscript is unique given his legal perspective on such a milestone legal battle over obscenity laws and hence freedom of speech in the English speaking world in the early twentieth century. Period photographs by Man Ray and others bring this fascinating story to life.

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9781843516682

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Reviews

Hassett is a Harvard-trained trial lawyer and a formidable critic in his own right, and so he brings to this book both his literary and legal acumen, becoming the ideal chronicler of this tale. -- Irish Voice Irish Voice

Hassett is a Harvard-trained trial lawyer and a formidable critic in his own right, and so he brings to this book both his literary and legal acumen, becoming the ideal chronicler of this tale. -- Irish Voice Irish Voice [Hassett] has a smooth scholarly style that draws the reader in, and his argument is well-researched and persuasive. . . Hassett creates an engaging portrait of the dawn of literary modernism and will leave readers nostalgic for a time when a challenging literary novel could be the cause of so much trouble. -- Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly Vivid descriptions of the people involved in the controversy. -- The Buffalo News The Buffalo News [A] superbly written gem of a book . . . Hassett's clear writing style makes this work accessible to all readers, who will find the legal analysis both comprehensive and compelling. -- Library Journal Library Journal Hassett has a sensitivity to plot, and constructs some lively stories that incorporate vivid characters as well as courtroom drama. His portrayal is legally detailed but easily readable by a lay person. -- James Joyce Lit Supplement James Joyce Lit Supplement

Author Information

Joseph Hassett is a distinguished American lawyer and author of Yeats and the Muses (2012, Oxford University Press). He is based in Washington D.C.

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