'Perhaps you do not know the story about the cat of Beaugency.'

This new edition of the much-loved children’s story The Cat and the Devil, by Ireland’s greatest writer will delight children and amuse Joyce enthusiasts of all ages.

James Joyce wrote this delightful story of the Devil, a cat, a bridge and a lord mayor for his grandson. 

It tells the story of the cat of Beaugency, and 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 the popular politician and Dublin character, Alfie Byrne.

This gorgeously illustrated new edition brings back the delightful children’s story written by Ireland’s greatest writer, author of the Modernist masterpiece Ulysses, James Joyce.

'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.