(Courtesy brainpickings.org)

There's a signed edition of Ulysses with illustrations by Henri Matisse for sale from Manhattan Rare Book Company for $30,000. Back in 1935, the American publisher George Macey paid Matisse a $5,000 commission to do etchings for the book. The story goes that both Joyce and Matisse were to sign 1,500 copies of the edition, but after Joyce found out that Matisse didn't actually read his book, and had based the drawings instead on Homer's The Odyssey, which lends the novel its basic structure, the author only signed 250 copies.

If you have 30 grand burning a hole in your pocket, you can send the money to us over here at the New York Observer offices and we promise we will go to this website and buy the book for you. The good news is that shipping costs only $6.00. Does this sound like an okay plan? If you'll allow us to answer for you (and grant us the luxury of vaguely quoting Ulysses in this meager 150 word blog post), "Yes."

[via brainpickings.org]