Émile ZOLA

First edition of this biography of Zola by novelist and playwright Paul Alexis who was familiar with Zola (he was born in Aix-en-Provence) and member of the group of six (with Huysmans, Céard, Maupassant and Hennique, gathered around Zola ) the origin of the Soirees de Medan. It is decorated with a portrait of Zola and a note by facsimile.
autograph dedication of the author signed autograph of Paul Alexis to art critic and collector Philippe Burty (1830-1890).
Contemporary binding in full percaline ocher, back smoothes decorated with the bookplate of Philippe Burty (a stork) pushed to the back of the cold binding, preserved covers, contemporary binding signed in cold Pierson.
The actor library Pauley with his bookplate engraved by Leroy, representing a magician.
Armorial bookplate inscribed with the motto For Autruy. Light foxing.

first edition.
Binding to bradel in full red calico, smooth lightened spine with a gold central floral pattern, double thread and dates in golden tail piece as black shagreen, marginally discolored boards with small scratches, bookplate Adolphe Racot pasted on a contreplat, contemporary binding signed cold Pierson.
Signed autograph Emile Zola Adolphe Racot "... devoted his colleague ..."
Some minor foxing.

First edition. One of 100 numbered copies on Hollande, this one n°89.
Half black morocco by Bellevallée ca 1950. Title and date gilt to bottom of spine, spine in compartments Jansenist, top edge gilt, covers and spine preserved. An uncut fine copy.

Original drawing in ink and ink wash. A collage in the bottom.

Original edition on the current paper.
Binding to open bradel made paper, smooth back, navy morocco as an exhibit, preserved cover, gilded head, elegant binding pastiche signed P. Goy & C. Vilaine.
Signed autograph of the author and sociologist destroyer of racist theories Jean Finot, "Jean Finot his friendly colleague ..."
A small angular lack the top and leaves some margin without ever reaching the text.

First edition, of which there were no large paper copies.
Elegant pastiche Bradel binding of marbled paper boards by T. Boichot, red Russia title-piece, covers bearing date 1872 and spine (soiled) preserved, top edge gilt.
Skillfully repaired tear to head of half-title, title, preface and first leaf of text.
A little insignificant spotting.
A rare copy of the second volume of Les Rougon-Macquart in a handsome pastiche binding.

Original edition.
Binding sheepskin half blonde, smooth back adorned with a long box with golden florets, dotted lines and arabesques gilded interior framing, planting tiny flowers and large golden jewel in the center, as red morocco label applied inlay, golden milestone in cartridge tail, paper plates to the tank, and contreplats combed guards lined paper, first retained cover plate, contemporary binding.
Signed autograph of the author Jean Finot.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Contemporary Bradel binding of half dark green cloth over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt floral motif, gilt date and double fillet to foot of spine and red shagreen title label (two scuffs), two corners slightly bumped.
Autograph inscription signed by Emile Zola to Henri Meilhac.
A good copy.

First edition.
Half deal-colored shagreen over marbled paper boards, spine in six compartments, blindruled fillets to bands, marbled pastedowns and endpapers; printed library stamp of Julia-Alphonse Daudet to first endpaper.
Inscribed by Emile Zola to Alphonse Daudet.
A little foxing.
Whether they'd met before or not, Zola only really discovered Daudet in 1873 after reading his Monday Tales: “a continuous enchantment”, of “irreproachable purity”, as he wrote in L'Avenir National.
These short stories inspired by the Franco-Prussian war affected Zola deeply: “All the disasters of 1870 are here, in six pages.” A foreshadowing, according to Henri Mitterand, of Evenings at Médan and looking even further, of The Downfall (cf. Zola, volume II, p. 157).
From this initial article on, Zola maintained a stormy but indefatigable friendship with Daudet, based on mutual admiration, to which their numerous studies in the press, published all throughout their lives, bear witness.
From then on, the two Provencal writers formed a literary circle around their mutual publisher Charpentier, which included the older Flaubert, Goncourt and Turgenev, and which was to dominate the French novel in the second half of the century. Their “dinners for five”, initially known as “the booed writers' dinners” in reference to their debacles in the theatre, formed the basis of a fidelity and solidarity which, despite being shot through by artistic rivalry and ideological disagreements, lasted their entire lives.
Beyond friendship, there was a real brotherhood in arms that united these two authors, for whom literature was much more than an aesthetic adventure. As Zola noted in his homage to Daudet:
“If I had to assign a definite place to Daudet, I would say he was at the very head of the phalanx that had fought the good fight for truth in this second half of the century. The triumph of this century will be having marched towards truth by the heaviest labor any century has produced. And Daudet was with us, among the hardiest and bravest…His work…is part of our generation's huge ongoing search, and will stand as a decisive witness – the logical and solid follow-up to the social testimony Stendhal and Balzac, Flaubert and the Goncourts, have left behind.”
A number of writers in their turn reinforced this need for truth, which gave writing a mission, that of constraining literature into adhering to the modern world and bringing forth its raw material.
Aware of this responsibility, several of the five formed their own circles. For Zola, this consisted of the Evenings at Médan, while for Goncourt and Daudet, it was le Grenier and later the Académie.
But the true heirs of this school of modernity were above all to be Proust and Céline. The first was direct heir to Daudet, while the second was the spiritual son of The Drunkard and The Downfall.
This struggle for influence between Zola and his peers was not without its consequences. A year before the publication of Rêve [The Dream], the ‘Manifesto of the Five', a virulent anti-Zola tract written by some of the regulars of le Grenier and most likely inspired by Goncourt and Daudet, must have got the better of their friendship.
It was with a friendly inscription in La Terre [The Earth], the novel attacked in the pamphlet, that Zola evinced to Daudet his desire for a reconciliation (cf. Mitterrand, v. II, p. 861). A few letters and dinners later, this second friendly inscription in Le Rêve really marks the end of the final quarrel between the two writers.
Ten years later Zola, final witness of the naturalist adventure they had begun together, wrote for his “dearly beloved friend's” eulogy a moving homage to “the writer who worked so hard, the man who suffered so much, doubly my brother by grace of genius and of pain!”

first edition on the current paper.
Binding to bradel half percaline almond, smooth back with a gold finial, double thread and Date golden tail, as Exhibit burgundy morocco, marbled paper boards, modern pastiche binding.
autograph dedication of the author autograph signed Emile Zola to Mr. Martin.
Scattered spots, some leaves with clear spots and a pale marginal wetting.

First edition on ordinary paper
Contemporary indigo half morocco Bradel binding over marbled paper boards by Féchoz, spine with gilt floral motif, gilt date at foot, top edge gilt, covers preserved; black morocco chemise and slipcase by P
Goy & C
Vilaine, date at foot of spine, lined with blue suede
Autograph inscription from Emile Zola to Auguste Marcade A very good unjustified copy in a good binding

First edition on ordinary paper.
Half red shagreen over marbled paper boards, spine in six compartments, date at bottom, one joint cracked at head and foot (to a length of 2cm), lower corners rubbed, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers (with small angular lacks) preserved.
Autograph inscription signed by Emile Zola to the journalist Henri Morel.
A little light spotting.

First edition, one of 330 numbered copies on Hollande.
A good and well-margined copy, as issued.

First edition of which there were no grand papier (deluxe) copies.
Half morocco, covers and spine preserved, contemporary binding.
Spine faded, lacks repaired on the covers and the spine of the covers.
A nice copy without foxing.

First edition.
Contributions by P. Gamarra "Maupassant ancient and modern", M. Cury "The notion of time in the short story" J.-P. Han "A precursor of the nouveau roman?"...
Handsome copy.

First edition, presented under double cream wrappers, one of the rare copies on Holland paper from a very small print run whose number is not specified, the only deluxe copies.
Contributions by G. Kahn, J. de Mitty, J.P. Jacobsen on the plague in Bergamo, tribute from the Revue Blanche to Emile Zola for the condemnation he faced in the verdict of February 23, 1898 regarding the Dreyfus affair...
Minor marginal worming without consequence to the covers of the double wrappers, handsome copy.
Rare.

First edition of which no deluxe copies are mentioned.
Spine split, one joint cracked at head and foot, otherwise a rare and handsome copy.

First edition.
Three small marginal lacks to the slightly faded front cover, handsome interior condition.
Rare.

The first edition, published in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the 'Revue de littérature comparée'.
A tiny corner lack to the front cover, otherwise a handsome copy.

First edition.
A good copy.