Cat and the Devil, The

Introduce young readers to the work of Ireland’s literary giant James Joyce with this delightfully illustrated hardback picture book.

First written in a 1936 letter to his grandson, James Joyce’s The Cat and the Devil playfully retells a French folk tale about how the bridge at Beaugency came to be. In this light-hearted fable, the Devil offers to build a magnificent bridge across the Loire – but, as always, he demands a steep price in return. The quick-witted mayor, however, turns the Devil’s fondness for cats into a clever trick, outsmarting him and saving the townspeople from his bargain.

Long out of print, this new edition brings Joyce’s playful storytelling and timeless wit to a new generation, complete with stunning illustrations that make it a must-have for children, collectors and Joyce enthusiasts alike.

'Classic, yet timeless, inventive, quirky, filled with humour, an utter delight!' – Fallen Star Stories

'Probably the most impressive book I’ve seen this year for younger readers. … Adult Joyce fans would also be impressed with a gift of this book, it is exquisite.' – The Meath Chronicle

'Will intrigue older readers of 7+ and their grown-ups.' – Sarah Webb, The Irish Independent

James Joyce was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1882 and died in Zürich, Switzerland in 1941. In between he wrote some of the most wonderful and important books ever published. Most of the things he wrote were set in Dublin, even though he lived abroad for most of his life. His most famous book, Ulysses, first published in 1922, is considered a masterpiece of Modernist fiction. Although it is a rather long book, the action of Ulysses takes place within a single day, June 16th. And every year in Dublin on that day (now known as Bloomsday after the main character, Leopold Bloom) people dress up in old clothes and hats and read out passages from Ulysses and visit places that appear in the book.

Other books written by James Joyce include Dubliners, a collection of short stories; A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which is based on Joyce's memories of his youth; and a long, highly experimental book called Finnegans Wake, which some people think makes more sense when you hear it read out loud. Towards the end of his life Joyce's eyesight deteriorated and he found it hard to read and write so he used to speak the words of Finnegans Wake to other people, who wrote them down for him.

James Joyce had two children: Lucia and Giorgio. Giorgio had one son, Stephen, and that is the little boy that James Joyce wrote The Cat and the Devil for.