Masterpieces of Literature

First edition, one of 115 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe copies aside from 35 on pure thread.

Two small spots of foxing on the front cover, a discreet crease, a handsome copy as issued.
 
Rare and highly sought after in deluxe paper.

First edition first issue for which no grand papier (deluxe copies) were printed, one of the rare service de presse (advance copies).
Some very discreet restorations to spine, paper browned, some discreet traces folds at the bottom of some leaves.

A handsome copy, as issued. The book is housed in a slipcase signed by Julie Nadot, reproducing the original design of the cover and spine.

This first edition of L'Étranger was printed on 21 April, 1942 with a run of 4,400 copies: 400 advance copies (service de presse), 500 copies without statement and 3,500 copies with false statements from the second to eighth...

Edition illustrated with original miniaturist illustrations by Jean Gradassi, one of 2851 numbered copies on Lana handmade laid paper.

Publisher's full brown stamped leather bindings, spines with five raised bands very slightly faded, spines and covers decorated with gilt and brown stamped ornamental motifs, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, top edges gilt, slipcases with brown leather edges, marbled paper boards.

Handsome complete set in 12 volumes.

First edition, a first impression copy numbered in the press.

Binding in half brown morocco, spine in five compartments, gilt date at the foot, geometric pattern paper boards and endpapers in the same paper, top edge gilt, wrappers and spine preserved in perfect condition, binding signed by T. Boichot.

Apollinaire's second major poetic work with bold graphic innovations and a portrait of Guillaume Apollinaire by Pablo Picasso as frontispiece.
“Some of the best war poems, all languages combined, are brought together in this collection, alongside experimental works such as Les Fenêtres (close to Cubism) and La Jolie Rousse, which were far ahead of their...

Victor HUGO
Les Misérables
A. Lacroix & Verboeckhoven & Cie, Bruxelles 1862, 14,5x22cm, 10 bound volumes.

First edition without statement published concomitantly with the Pagnerre's Paris edition.
Bound in half blue sheepskin, spine in four compartments decorated with double gilt fillets, blue paper plates, marbled paste-down and endpapers, mottled edges, English bindings of the time.
Scattered foxings, title page of the third volume slightly and marginally soiled, paper plates a little rubbed and a few tears on some edges, some joints repaired.

Rare first edition decorated with ornamental headpieces, letterheads and culs-de-lampe.

Posterior binding in full red morocco, Jansenist spine, gilt date at the foot, marbled endpapers, frame of gilt roll-tooling on the pastedown endpapers, all edges gilt.
A very beautiful copy of one of the most famous plays in the French repertoire. It was played for the first time on 13 December 1669 at the Hôtel de Bourgogne and received a mixed reception. At the head of this edition is a preface by the playwright responding to his critics:

“Of all the works that I have given to the public, there is none
that attracted more applause and nor...

Rare and genuine posthumous first edition of the first six books of the Confessions, the remaining volumes not appearing until 1789. Several other editions were issued shortly thereafter, but the evidence provided by the commentary published in the June 1782 issue of the Journal Helvétique clearly establishes that this separately printed edition, known as the "large type" issue, is indeed the very first (F. Michaux, "L'Édition originale de la première partie des 'Confessions' de J.-J. Rousseau" in Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France, 35th Year, No. 2 (1928), pp. 250-253).
Contemporary half calf bindings, flat spines tooled with gilt fillets and decorated...

First edition, posthumous, printed on Holland paper.
Contemporary full marbled brown calf binding, spine in compartments richly decorated, red morocco title label, black morocco volume label, a small loss to the lower joint at the foot, rubbing marks, surface abrasions to the upper cover with a small loss of leather, one corner bumped, marginal loss to the right corner on pages 247 and 257.

Paper generally fresh. This copy has been bound as a single volume, following the 1772 edition of Diderot’s Works in 6 volumes (Volume VI, II).

A good copy.
The introductory text, à la mémoire de Diderot, is by Jakob-Heinrich Meister, a friend of Necker and successor...

First edition, one of 796 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only grands papiers (deluxe copies) after 109 reimposed.
Full green board Bradel binding, title piece in glazed yellow calf, covers and spine preserved, contemporary binding.
Presentation copy inscribed by André Breton: “à Edmond Jaloux, hommage très dévoué. André Breton” “To Edmond Jaloux, a very devoted tribute. André Breton”.
Edmond Jaloux, who was one of the earliest promoters of surrealism, wrote at the release of this atypical novel and misunderstood by most of his contemporaries, the most laudatory article of the time, concluding with this admiring admission of the impotence of...

Rare first edition, with the wrapper and title page dated 1874.

Half black morocco binding with corners, spine with five raised bands, date at foot, gilt fillet on boards, combed paper pastedowns and endpapers, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, binding signed Alix.

Printed in 1869 by Lacroix, this edition was not released for sale for fear of censorship. Only about ten copies were stitched and given to the author (five have been recorded to date). In 1874, Jean-Baptiste Rozez, another Belgian publisher-bookseller, acquired the stock and published the work with a wrapper and cancel title page dated 1874, without publisher's imprint. It was in his...

First French edition, translated by William Hugues, under the direction of P. Lorrain.

Contemporary half red shagreen binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with 3 fleurons. Gilt titles and volume labels. Light traces of rubbing. Very fresh set, free from foxing except for some pale browning on the first text page of volume 1.
A work of great darkness, Little Dorrit is the second of Dickens's three political and social novels. It is a denunciation of Victorian society obsessed with wealth and power. G. B. Shaw would judge the novel "More seditious than Karl Marx's Capital". The novel begins in Marseille. One of Dickens's great works.

First edition, one of 480 numbered copies on laid paper, only grands papiers (deluxe) copies besides 20 Arches and 100 service de presse (advance) copies on laid paper.
Our copy is complete with the rare vignette etching drawn and engraved by Hans Bellmer printed 'en sanguine' present in only around 200 copies.
Preface by Jean Paulhan.
Spine very lightly faded.
A beautiful copy of this masterpiece of erotic literature.

Fourth collective edition for the first part and third for the second and third parts, published by Corneille himself. Our copy is adorned with the frontispiece of the first two editions (dated 1645), and the portrait of Corneille by Michel Lasne, dated 1644.

Later bindings in full blue morocco, Jansenist spines with five raised bands, endpapers and pastedowns framed with gilt dentelles of marbled paper, all edges gilt, marbled paper slipcases bordered with morocco, bindings signed by Alix.

Rare and beautiful copy elegantly bound.

New edition. Title pages in red and black. Armillary sphere on the title of volume I, fleuron or cipher on the second volume. Wood engraving of the "Divine Bottle", Volume II, p.327.
Contemporary full brown calf binding. Decorated raised-band spine. Tawny morocco title-label, tawny calf volume label. One lack at head of volume 1. Scuffing to headcaps and raised bands. Overall rubbed. Some foxing. Good set overall.
These works contain: The Life of François Rabelais; Particulars of the life and customs of François Rabelais; Author's Prologue; I. Book of the life, deeds and heroic sayings of Gargantua; II. and III. Books of the heroic deeds and sayings of Pantagruel; Vol.II: IV. Book...

First edition, of which there were no grand papier (deluxe) copies, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Spine slightly bowed, with a few tears and lacks to plastic film cover. Slight foxing in the margins of a few pages.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Michel Foucault, at the time a young teacher, to Jean-Charles Varennes.
A very rare advance copy, which could be said to have taken the place of the grand papier (deluxe) copies.

One of the very few copies bearing an autograph inscription—fewer than ten are recorded—of this first edition, containing the Marseillaise.
First edition illustrated with an engraved frontispiece by Charles-Étienne Gaucher after Jean-Jacques Le Barbier and four pages of engraved musical score at the end of the volume. La Marseillaise appears here in its true first edition, having first been pre-published in the Almanach des Muses in 1793 and circulated as separate leaves.
Contemporary half-sheepskin binding, smooth spine gilt-decorated with compartments, fleurons and fillets, red morocco title-piece, black pasteboard...

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on vélin pur fil paper, the tirage de tête (deluxe copies).

Full morocco, covers and spine preserved, slipcase, elegant binding signed by Semet & Plumelle.

Provenances: mostly from Robert Desprechins' library with his ex-libris drawn by Jean Cocteau, and by Louis de Sadeleer with his engraved ex-libris.

A very nice copy beautifully bound morocco signed by Semet & Plumelle.

Rare and highly sought-after first edition (...) of which only a portion of the copies contains a preface (cf. Clouzot). The important account of the lawsuit concerning The Lily of the Valley that precedes the novel was not retained in subsequent editions and is often lacking in a number of the copies published by Werdet.

Copy complete with both the preface and the account of the lawsuit that opposed Balzac to the publisher François Buloz. Contemporary half green sheepskin bindings, smooth spines decorated with gilt romantic typographical motifs, gilt fillets at heads and tails, marbled paper boards, paste paper endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges...

First edition, one of 95 copies on pur fil, the only deluxe issue after 45 copies on Hollande.
A slight vertical crease on the front cover.
A handsome copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A few small spots of foxing, and a faint dampstain along the right margin affecting most leaves of the volume.

Black 3/4 morocco binding, spine with five raised bands framed in black, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved and bound on stubs, top edge gilt, slipcase trimmed with black morocco, marbled paper slipcase boards, binding signed P. Goy & C. Vilaine.
Very rare signed and inscribed copy to Madame Charpentier, his publisher’s wife: "... son bien dévoué et respectueux..."