Joyce (James).- Collins (Dr. Joseph) Taking the Literary Pulse, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author "James Joyce with the writers compliments. James Collins" to front free endpaper, tipped in plates, original cloth, spine slightly darkened, slight bumping to spine tips and corners a little rubbed, New York, 1924; and another by the same with Shakespeare and Company ex libris bookplate to front pastedown, 8vo (2)

⁂ A presentation copy of a work to Joyce from James Collins, the neurologist and literary critic, who would befriend the Irish writer and ultimately be incorporated into Molly Bloom's monologue in Ulysses.

"Joyce lent Collins the Little Review installments of Ulysses. Collins groaned to Nutting next day, 'I have in my files writing by the insane just as good as this,' and gave a medical explanation of the deterioration of the artist's brain. Later on, however, he began to think better of the book. Joyce had Molly Bloom memorialize Collins's manner in Ulysses: 'Floey made me go to that dry old stick Dr Collins for womens diseases on Pembroke road... I wouldn't trust him too far to give me chloroform or God knows what else still I liked him when he sat down to write the thing out frowning so severe his nose intelligent...'" - Richard Ellman, James Joyce, p.516.