Henry BATAILLE

Extremely rare copy of the very first printing, without title page, containing a "typographical rarity" whose origin is related by the author in a two-page autograph letter addressed to Miguet, inserted on the endpaper: in order to save about fifty pages on the printing of Henry Bataille's complete Theatre, the publisher Flammarion composed the text of the two plays in volume II by having the names of the characters, placed at the head of each line, immediately followed by the text of the dialogue. Only two or three copies (including ours) composed in this way, from the final proofs, were printed.
Half chocolate morocco binding with corners, spine with raised bands, one

Moving autograph letter signed by Henry Bataille addressed to Pierre Louÿs, 23 lines in black ink notably evoking his writer friends fallen in the field of honor and entirely imbued with nostalgia.
Fold mark inherent to postal handling, one tear in right margin of the letter at the fold level. Envelope included.
With emotion, Henry Bataille enumerates his poet and writer friends who died in combat or from the consequences of the battles of the Great War: "Dans ces sombres jours, au milieu de l'hacatombe de tous mes amis de jeunesse, d'Humières, Codet et quinze autres... ma pensée se reporte aux joiurs passés. Comment ne pas revivre le passé ?" (In these dar

First edition on ordinary paper, of which only 32 deluxe copies were printed.
Selected thoughts preceded by an introduction by Denys Amiel.
Handsome copy.