The Cat and the Devil

A delightful children’s story by James Joyce, author of Ulysses, in a gorgeously illustrated new edition.

On 10 August 1936, James Joyce wrote a letter to his grandson Stephen. In the letter he told, in simple language, the story of how the Devil built a bridge across the river at the town of Beaugency. As usual, the Devil wanted a high price for his gift. But the clever mayor of the town outwitted the Devil by making use of the Devil’s fondness for cats. It was an old French story but Joyce gave the mayor the name of a famous mayor of his own home town of Dublin in Ireland: the popular politician and character, Alfie Byrne.

The story has since been published in picturebook form, but it has long been out of print in English. This gorgeously illustrated new Little Island edition brings back the delightful children’s story written by Ireland’s greatest writer, author of the Modernist masterpiece Ulysses, James Joyce.