First editions, fine papers and deluxe printings of French and foreign literature, 16th to 21st century

First edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies printed on vélin labeur paper.
Publisher's binding after an original design by Mario Prassinos.
A fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper, with a press copy punch mark at the foot of the rear wrapper.

Green half morocco with corners, spine faded, smooth spine decorated with gilt arabesques incorporating red morocco onlays, gilt fillet borders to the marbled paper boards, slightly faded at the edges, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, two bookplates affixed to one pastedown. Binding signed by Le Douarin.

Signed autograph inscription from Colette to her friend Andrée Laferté.

Our copy is further enriched with an autograph postcard from Colette to her friend André Laferté, mounted on a stub at the...

First edition on ordinary paper.

Bound in burgundy half morocco, spine with five raised bands outlined in black, boards covered in moiré-effect paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, speckled edges.

Signed autograph inscription from André Malraux to Madame Simone Sivry.

First edition on ordinary paper, without edition statement, bearing the correct colophon dated 30 November 1918.

The 128 deluxe paper copies would only be issued six months later, during the summer of 1919.

Light spotting to the margins of the endleaves, small l and a faint dampstain to the title page and following leaves, a bluish stain to the margins of pp. 339-340 inherent to the quality of the paper.

Bound in contemporary half forest-green morocco over corners, spine with five raised bands ruled in black, gilt date at foot, cat’s-eye patterned paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, binding signed...

First edition, one of 1,000 numbered copies, the only deluxe issue apart from 13 copies on Hollande paper.
Publisher's pictorial boards after an original design by Mario Prassinos.
Spine slightly compressed at head and foot, otherwise a very good copy.

First edition, one of 515 copies printed, of this catalogue published on the occasion of a Surrealist exhibition held at the Galerie Nina Dausset from 7 to 30 October 1948.

Preface by André Breton.

Booklet with an illustrated frontispiece.

Rare and attractive copy.

First edition, printed in 500 numbered copies. « Le papier nécessaire à la fabrication de cet ouvrage fut offert par Gallimard, mais on ne put tirer que 258 exemplaires et non 500 comme l'annonce l'achevé d'imprimer » (according to a note by Paul Eluard).
Illustrated with 11 photographs of Nusch Eluard, who had died tragically only a few months earlier, by Man Ray and Dora Maar.

Le Temps déborde is a collection of 11 poems published in 1947, only a few months after the sudden and unexpected death of Nusch, Paul Eluard's companion. This ode to their seventeen years together is illustrated with striking portraits of Nusch, captured in all her radiant beauty. This...

First edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies on alfa paper.
Two very faint areas of sunning at the head and foot of the spine, otherwise a very good copy.
Publisher's illustrated boards after the original design by Mario Prassinos. 

First edition.

Contemporary red half morocco, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt and decorated with gilt ornaments, the initials "L.B." gilt at foot, olive-green morocco lettering-piece, marbled-paper boards, marbled endpapers, corners rubbed.

Scattered foxing, some rubbing to spine and boards.

Printed library stamp of Léon Bienvenu on the title-page.

Precious presentation copy inscribed and signed by Emile Zola to the journalist and man of letters Léon Bienvenu, known as Touchatout.

First edition, one of 39 numbered copies on Lafuma Navarre pure rag laid paper, specially printed in quarto tellière format, the deluxe issue after a single copy on Chinese paper.
Contemporary burgundy morocco-backed corners, spine with four raised bands bordered by black fillets, boards covered in geometrically patterned decorative paper, marbled endpapers, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

A rare and handsome copy, attractively bound, of this novel awarded the 1933 Prix Goncourt.

First collected edition, with no deluxe copies issued, this being one of the press copies.

A very good copy.

Fine signed presentation inscription from Jean Cocteau to the writer, art critic and television personality Max-Pol Fouchet: "à Max Pol cette moëlle de mes os. Jean 1956."

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

A fine and rare copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Small loss to the lower right corner of the title page.

Contemporary Bradel-style binding in indigo-blue half cloth, smooth spine with brown sheep label, marbled paper boards.

Provenance: from the library of Marcel Allain, co-creator of Fantômas with Pierre Souvestre, with his manuscript bookplate on a paper label pasted to the inside front board.

First edition, without edition statement, published simultaneously with the Paris edition issued by Pagnerre.

Contemporary red half-morocco bindings, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, broad blind fillets and gilt floral tools, gilt rolls at head and foot, slight rubbing to two headcaps, red cloth boards decorated with blind-stamped floral motifs, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, a few corners slightly bumped, a few minor nicks to some edges, contemporary bindings.
Some foxing and pale marginal staining, as usual, a small black ink stain in the margins of one gathering in the second volume, a slight loss to the upper right-hand corner of the first leaves of the...

First edition, one of 212 numbered copies on pur fil paper, constituting the deluxe issue.
Occasional light foxing, chiefly affecting the edges.

Accompanied by a newspaper clipping and a photographic postcard reproducing a portrait of Georges Bernanos by Laure Albin-Guillot.

Half red morocco over marbled paper boards, with morocco corners, spine with four raised bands outlined in black, minor abrasions to the bands professionally restored, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt with the original deckle edges preserved, original wrappers and spine bound in.

A handsome copy in an attractive binding.

First edition, one of the numbered copies.

Publisher's binding after the original binding design by Paul Bonet.

Richly illustrated.

A fine copy.

First edition, with no deluxe copies issued.

A small loss to the upper right-hand corner of the title and half-title pages.

Signed presentation copy from Roland Barthes to the writer, art critic and television personality Max-Pol Fouchet.

First edition, with no deluxe issue.

A very good copy.

Illustrated with drawings by Bernard Buffet.

First edition, one of 100 copies specially printed on a quarto format (in-4 couronne), ours one of 64 numbered copies on annam de rives paper.

Two faint dampstains to the spine, internally in attractive condition.

Illustrated with 5 drawings by Giorgio de Chirico.

As stated in the limitation, our copy does indeed contain the two original etchings by Giorgio de Chirico, each signed and numbered by him in pencil.

First collected edition, with no deluxe issue; one of the press copies.
Two small tears at head of spine.

Rare and fine signed autograph inscription from Robert Desnos: " à toutes les sirènes de "Fontaine" (quand boirai-je de ton eau ?)..."
 

First edition, one of 415 numbered copies on pur fil paper.
Endpapers lightly browned in places.
An attractive copy.

First edition of Michel Seuphor's poems with drawings by Ania Staritsky.

Illustrated wrappers slightly yellowed and soiled, a light corner crease to the upper cover.

First edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies on alfa paper.
Publisher's binding after the original design by Mario Prassinos.
Spine very slightly sunned, as usual, with a small nick to the upper headcap.

First edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies on vélin labeur paper.
Publisher's boards after the original design by Mario Prassinos.
Spine very slightly faded, as usual; a pleasing copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Light foxing to the top edge.

A pleasing copy complete with its publisher's belly band.

Signed presentation copy from Georges Perec to the writer, art critic and television personality Max-Pol Fouchet.

First edition, one of 950 numbered copies on vélin labeur paper.
Publisher's binding after the original design by Paul Bonet.
A fine copy complete with its original acetate dust jacket.

First edition, one of 260 numbered copies on alfa paper.

Fine copy.

First edition.
Publisher's full pink boards, smooth spine, covers illustrated with drawings by Jean Effel. 
A pleasant copy, accompanied by an invitation card to an exhibition of drawings by Jean Effel in Saint-Denis.
Illustrated with drawings by Jean Effel.
Signed and dated presentation inscription from Jean Effel to his friend Jacques Courreye: "... mon très cher copain, un ami qui ne l'oubliera pas..." embellished with a drawing of a small bird holding a flower in its beak.
 

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe issue.

Contemporary half aubergine morocco over marbled-paper boards, with corners, spine very slightly faded, four raised bands, decorated with green morocco onlays, blind-stamped fleurons and arabesques, date gilt at foot, gilt fillet borders to the boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, original wrappers and spine preserved, binding signed Zendel.

A handsome wide-margined copy in an attractive contemporary binding.

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Edouard Manet by Bracquemond and an etching by Edouard Manet after "Olympia".

Black half morocco over corners, spine with five raised bands ruled in blind, date gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, stone-patterned endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, binding signed by Stroobants.

A rare and handsome copy, attractively bound.

First edition, one of 18 numbered copies on imperial Japan paper, the deluxe issue.

A tear at the foot of the front wrapper near the spine, small marginal tears to the wrappers, with a minute loss to the rear wrapper.

An attractive and rare copy, untrimmed and retaining its full margins.

First edition of Antonin Artaud's French translation.

Repaired tears and small areas of loss at the head and foot of the spine, with minor marginal tears to the covers.

Signed presentation copy inscribed by Antonin Artaud to Alin Laubreaux.

First edition, with no deluxe issue, and bearing the correct printer's imprint date.

An unusual copy, with no edition statement on the title page but with the spurious mention « deuxième édition » at the head of the rear wrapper.

Minor tears at the head and foot of the spine neatly repaired, small losses at the head and foot of the front wrapper restored, paper browned as usual.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Kaji pearlescent Japan paper, the deluxe issue.

As stated in the limitation, our copy is complete with the separately printed facsimile on 18th-century laid paper of a manuscript page specially written by Jean de La Varende.

A few small spots of foxing to some leaves, boards lightly discoloured, otherwise a pleasant copy complete with its chemise and slipcase.

Signed presentation inscription from Jean de La Varende to the bibliophile Maurice Gorrée.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.
Publisher's full sand-coloured cloth, smooth spine, complete with the illustrated dust jacket.
Illustrated with photographs by Glasberg.
A fine copy.

First edition, one of 200 copies printed on hollande, the only deluxe issue.

Bound Bradel-style in three-quarter dark green morocco, flat spine with date at foot, cat's-eye paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved; binding signed by Carayon.

A few minor foxmarks to the boards and some of the deckle edges.

A rare, untrimmed copy of Guy de Maupassant's masterpiece, handsomely bound by Carayon.

First illustrated edition, with original lithographs by Renée André-Piot, one of 600 numbered copies on Vidalon royal wove paper.

Some foxing.

Autograph presentation inscription signed by Joseph Kessel to Jacques Lengrand.

Accompanied by an original Roger-Viollet photograph, with the agency's stamp on the verso, showing Joseph Kessel seated at a table in the La Cloche d'Or restaurant in Paris in 1952, cigarette in hand, beside a young woman.

Creasing to the right-hand margin of the photograph.

Manuscript annotations by Roger-Viollet and two stamps on the verso of the photograph.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on Holland paper, comprising the deluxe issue.

Fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A fine and rare copy.

First edition, one of 247 numbered copies on laid paper, the only issue after 3 copies on deluxe paper.

Only one copy recorded in the CCF (BnF).

Rare copy of the second play written by the Mauritian author Arthur Martial (1899-1951), one of the notable figures of French-language literature on the island.

First edition of the French translation.

Contemporary half green chalgrin, spine very slightly faded, with five raised bands ruled in gilt, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, corners very slightly bumped, a minor nick to one edge, speckled edges.

Preface by Emile Bergerat.

First edition, one of 85 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the deluxe issue.

Two minute losses to the upper right corners of the endpapers.

Red half shagreen over marbled paper boards with corners, spine with two slender raised bands decorated with gilt cross-hatching and black fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Montval paper, the deluxe issue after 6 copies on nacré Japan paper.

A few minor foxing spots, chiefly affecting the edges.

Complete with the duplicate wrappers and spines.

First edition, one of 200 numbered hors commerce copies on alfa paper, reserved for review copies.

Fine copy, complete with the publisher's review slip.

Signed presentation copy from Marcel Pagnol to Jacques Jaujard.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe copies after 5 on Japan paper.

Contemporary red half morocco over corners, spine slightly faded, with five raised bands ruled in blind, date gilt at foot, marbled-paper boards, combed-paper endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, binding signed in blind by Vermorel.

Endpapers uniformly toned.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Marais paper, the only deluxe issue.

Fine copy.

First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe copies.

Contemporary red half morocco with corners, spine with five raised bands ruled in black, a small area of rubbing to the spine, date gilt at foot, gilt fillet borders to the marbled-paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, original wrappers preserved with minor marginal restorations.

A fine copy with full margins, attractively bound.

First edition, with no deluxe copies issued.

Spine sunned, a small stain at the head of the front wrapper.

Warmly inscribed and signed by Kateb Yacine to theatre director and radio producer Lucien Attoun: "A Lucien Attoun son frère maghrébin. Kateb Yacine."

Very rare first Polish edition of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract, prepared by Józef Wien and published by a Polish émigré living in exile in Agen, printed on Quillot's presses.

Apparently unrecorded by Dufour; the wrapper is dated 1840.

Front wrapper soiled with small losses at the corners, marginal dampstaining at the beginning of the volume, some foxing. 

First collected edition, one of 260 numbered copies on tinted wove paper, the only deluxe issue after 45 copies on white Holland paper.
Some light spotting in the margins of a few leaves and on the endpapers. 

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on vélin alfama du Marais paper, the only large-paper copies.
A fine copy, complete with its dust jacket.

Pedigree was first serialized in the Brussels weekly Le Face à Main.

Taken to court by several people who recognized themselves in the novel, Simenon revised it for a new edition in 1948, leaving blank the passages challenged in the lawsuits. The Pléiade edition restored the full text in 2009.

A rare deluxe copy of this autobiographical novel. 

First edition of the German translation by Eveline Passet, published a year after the original French edition.

Publisher's boards, copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket, which bears a tear repaired with adhesive tape.

Autograph inscription signed by Daniel Pennac to his close friend Franklin [Rist], enhanced with an original drawing in black felt-tip pen depicting a little man brandishing an axe and shouting "Rends-moi mon livre, Franklin" [Give my book back to me!" at another, who replies "Niemals !" [Never!] D. Pennac.

An amusing inscription in a volume from the celebrated Malaussène saga.

First edition in book form of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, published in London by Chapman and Hall in 1837, following its appearance in monthly parts beginning in March 1836. Dickens’s first novel, the work is illustrated with forty-three engraved plates, including a frontispiece and engraved title, by Robert Seymour, Robert William Buss, and Hablot Knight Browne, known as Phiz. The printed title is dated MDCCCXXXVII.

Contemporary full brown calf, spine with false raised bands, decorated with broad gilt fillets, longitudinal gilt tools over the bands, and blind wave tooling; red calf...

First edition, with the beautiful relais wrapper illustrated by Vallotton.

Mounted at the head, an autograph letter of 3pp. and 50 lines to Henri Mazel, concerning the three-act drama La fin des Dieux, with a postscript on Poil de carotte. Mazel was a critic, writer and poet, founder of the review L'ermitage, and would leave a memorable testimony on Renard's work in his essay Le mercure.

Binding signed Pouillet at the top of the first free endpaper, in half red morocco with corners, smooth spine richly adorned with gilt and blind-tooled compartments and fleurons. Gilt top edge. Original wrappers and spine preserved. Light rubbing along the outer...

First public edition of this text by Jean Guéhenno, written under the pseudonym Cévennes, one of 60 numbered copies on Madagascar paper, from the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

Deluxe first edition on Oikos paper, limited to 200 copies, this copy being one of 5 presentation copies signed by the publisher and enriched with unpublished documents relating to the discovery of the manuscript.

Swiss binding with exposed stitching, smooth cloth spine, illustrated boards and slipcase.

Original French translation of the last manuscript recovered from a deportee assigned to the Sonderkommandos.

Marcel Nadjary (1917-1971), a Greek Jew from Thessaloniki, deported to Auschwitz in the spring of 1944, was assigned to the Sonderkommando. He wrote a...

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Marais Crèvecoeur paper, issued as part of the publisher’s deluxe limitation.

Spine and boards faintly sunned and toned as usual, with a small spot to the lower outer corner of the front board.

As stated in the limitation, this copy includes its original etching by Jacques Villon, signed in the plate.

First edition of the French translation, one of 26 lettered copies on Lana wove rag paper, issued as part of the tête-de-tirage.

A fine copy.

First edition of the author's third book, with no copies printed on deluxe paper, here a review copy.

Spine very lightly sunned, without seriousness, faint spotting to the board edges.

Rare and desirable presentation copy signed by Patrick Modiano to the woman of letters Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane ces boulevards de ceinture avec lesquels elle est bien indulgente. Avec l'amitié de Patrick."

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper, one of the publisher’s review copies.

Pleasing copy, complete with its publisher’s printed slip.

Autograph presentation inscription signed by Paul Valéry to Germaine Fiévé: "... petit souvenir d'une collaboration sans mauvaises pensées et autres..."

First edition.

A pleasing copy.

Inscribed by Anaïs Nin to her friend, the writer Christiane Baroche: "Vos paroles Christiane Baroche : 'je veux cueillir le feu comme un dernier amant' amitié et concordances. Anaïs Nin."

First edition, exceedingly scarce, of this light-hearted and engaging introduction to the principal ancient myths, prepared for a Polish aristocrat. Annopol (today Anopal) is a locality now situated in Belarus.

No copies recorded in the CCF. A single copy located in WorldCat (National Library of Poland, Biblioteka Narodowa, Warsaw).

Contemporary-style half sheep binding in brown, the smooth spine ruled with alternating thick and thin gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns; modern binding.

Losses to the title-page expertly filled and restored; the final two leaves also restored.

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on Rivoli vellum, the only deluxe-paper issue.

A particularly handsome copy

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on Vélin Rivoli, the only deluxe issue.

A particularly handsome copy.

First edition, one of 36 copies on pure-wire vellum, the only copies printed on deluxe paper.

A particularly attractive copy.

Very rare first edition (125 copies printed according to Quérard) of this remarkable exposition of Talma’s dramaturgical principles, still regarded as a “revolutionary” actor despite his immense success (his friendship with Napoleon never wavered); the text was inserted the same year, 1825, at the beginning of the new edition of the Memoirs of Henri-Louis Caïn, known as Lekain (1729–1778), who was still considered in the early nineteenth century as one of the greatest tragedians of the eighteenth century.

See Quérard IX, 333.

Scattered foxing.

Full cherry-red long-grain morocco, smooth spine tooled with gilt fillets, garlands and fleurons, gilt rolls at head and tail...

First edition.

With press clippings laid in.

Half bronze sheep binding, spine with four raised bands framed with gilt pointillé and decorated with double gilt fillets, red sheep lettering-piece, a few small black spots and a light scratch to the spine, marbled paper boards, cat’s-eye patterned endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.

A pleasing copy.

First edition on standard paper.

A handsome copy, complete with its publisher’s wraparound band.

Fine presentation inscription signed by Milan Kundera: "Paris 1998. Pour Michel Tournier avec l'amitié fidèle de Milan Kundera."

First edition of this almanac of the Neue Dichtung published by Kurt Wolff, featuring the first book-form appearance of Kafka’s short story "Vor dem Gesetz" (pp. 126-128). Covers sunned, tear to spine not lacking paper, chipping to spine-ends, and corners rubbed.

First edition of the short story "Vor dem Gesetz" (Before the Law), later published verbatim in Kafka’s masterpiece "Der Proceß" (The Trial). 

First edition, issued without any deluxe paper copies.

Occasional marginal tears to upper part of front cover, small lacks of paper to spine-ends, lack of paper to the lower left corner of the lower cover, and a small snag to lower part of lower cover.

Exceptional presentation copy from one woman writer to another, addressed by Georges de Peyrebrune to Jane Catulle Mendès: "pour mon exquise confrère / pour ma charmante amie / Madame Catulle Mendès / En souvenir / Peyrebrune".

First editions by Peyrebrune and even more so her inscribed copies are decidedly scarce: "it is still very difficult to find Peyrebrune's books nowadays" (Sophie...

First edition on ordinary paper.

Pages 10–11 lightly sunned owing to the presence of a newspaper clipping.

Fine presentation inscription signed by André Pieyre de Mandiargues: "à  Michel Tournier en très cordiale sympathie. André PM."

First edition of the French translation, one of 25 numbered copies on pur fil, the only copies printed on deluxe paper.

Blood red morocco binding, gilt title lengthwise, gold stingray boards framed in morocco, gilt decorative paper endleaves, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant binding signed Boichot. Front free endpaper slightly toned, otherwise a handsome untrimmed copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy, with only a few insignificant spots at the foot of the spine.

Warm presentation copy signed by Jean Echenoz to his friend, the writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist in Marguerite Duras’s cinema: "Pour mon cher Jérôme avec ma vive affection, Jean. 2.VI.10"

A rare first edition, of which no subsequent reprint exists, complete with all his Neo-Latin poems, chiefly composed in Rome. The volume also contains two Greek poems at ff. 60 and 62, together with a poem which inspired the celebrated sonnet Happy he who like Ulysses.

Modern binding in full limp vellum, smooth spine, red edges, white pastedowns and endleaves.

Some defects within: discreet restoration to inner margin of title verso; small tear without loss at foot of ff. 2-3; dampstaining to lower margin of ff. 25-28 and 45-48; minimal marginal defect to f. 44, not affecting...

First edition, printed on vélin d’Angoulême, with the usual typographical errors, and containing the six banned poems; one of the few author’s copies “intended for friends who render no literary services”.

Full bordeaux red morocco binding, spine with five raised bands richly decorated with multiple gilt- and blind-tooled fillets; third-state covers; boards framed with multiple blind-tooled fillets; marbled endpapers; gilt turn-ins; all edges gilt; marbled paper slipcase with morocco border; signed binding by Semet & Plumelle.

First collected edition of the works by the author of Les Étourdis ou le Mort supposé, a comedy that enjoyed great success just before the Revolution.

The set includes a portrait frontispiece in the first volume, four engraved plates, and ten engraved headpieces.

Bound in contemporary full polished and mottled brown calf, gilt decoration, smooth spines with six false raised bands highlighted with gilt fillets and repeated gilt floral tools, gilt fillet frames on covers bordered with a garland roll, gilt tooling to head- and tailpieces, green morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt edges on boards, marbled edges, contemporary bindings.

Some...

"New edition, with parts in first edition, incorporating an unpublished preface; the first edition had appeared in 1927 in Tokyo at the close of Claudel’s ambassadorship in Japan (1921–1927) and was issued in three fan-shaped quarto volumes. Work illustrated with Japanese characters calligraphed by Ikuma Arishima. Composed between June 1926 and January 1927, this essay (blending traditional calligraphy, haiku, and short Western-style verse) bears witness, among Claudel’s other creations, to the influence of the Far East on his poetic practice.

Moving and exceptional presentation inscription, signed and dated by Paul Claudel to his eldest daughter, Marie Claudel, known as...

First edition printed on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy.

Affectionate signed presentation inscription from Jean Echenoz to his friend, the writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist of Marguerite Duras’s cinema: "Pour Jérôme je t'embrasse, Jean. 6.XI.15"

First edition, one of 26 copies on pure wove paper, the only deluxe-paper issue.

A rare and handsome copy.

Antoine Tudal was the son-in-law and close confidant of Nicolas de Staël, who confided to him a few days before his death: "Tu sais, je ne sais pas si je vais vivre longtemps. Je crois que j'ai assez peint. Je suis arrivé à ce que je voulais..."

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy.

Fine signed presentation inscription from Jean Echenoz to the writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist in Marguerite Duras’ cinema: "Pour Jérôme (qui m'a donné quelque chose p.109 à Pondichéry) et pour Elisabeth avec toute mon affection, Jean."

New edition, revised, corrected, and considerably enlarged.

Contemporary bindings in half mottled fawn calf over corners, smooth spines gilt with fillets, morocco title and volume labels, brown paper-covered boards, sprinkled edges.

Some minor rubbing to the spines, a few corners slightly bumped.

L'Esprit des lois occupies volumes I to IV; La Défense de l'Esprit des lois volume V (with a general index); Lettres persanes volume VI; volume VII gathers the Considérations and related pieces; volume VIII contains the posthumous works.

This collected edition of Montesquieu's works offers no particular bibliographical peculiarities in its...

First edition of the French translation, one of the scarce lettered copies printed on pur fil for private circulation, ours bearing the letter A, the only deluxe-paper copies together with 25 numbered copies on pur fil.
Wide-margined copy, boards and spine lightly and marginally sunned, a few scattered foxmarks affecting some leaves and deckle edges.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Half black long-grain morocco binding, smooth spine tooled in palladium with author, title, and date, anthracite-grey paper boards, original wrappers and spine preserved (the latter with two small stains at head and foot), endpapers and pastedowns of anthracite-grey paper, binding signed Thomas Boichot.

Precious and exceptional signed presentation inscription by Louis-Ferdinand Céline: "A Mac Orlan son admirateur et ami fidèle. LFerd"

Very rare first edition of the Japanese translation, accompanied by Taiichi Ogawa’s annotated commentary.

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Alphonse Daudet.

Spine with two tears at head and foot, soiling to the wrappers, a few minor spots internally.

First Japanese edition of Alphonse Daudet’s masterpiece. Harshly received in Provence upon its publication in 1872, despite the support of Frédéric Mistral, the novel soon came to be regarded as one of the landmarks of French literature, and the character of Tartarin became the emblem—and finest ambassador—of the city of Tarascon.

First and only Franco-Chinese edition, illustrated with six etchings reproduced by Frédéric Chevalier.

A single copy recorded in the CCFr (Bulac).

Sole edition of this contemporary curiosity born of the French vogue for all things Oriental: born in 1831, Tin-Tun-Ling (or Ding Dunling) was a Chinese scholar from Shanxi and a political exile in France. Théophile Gautier met him in Paris, grew fond of him, and hired him to teach Chinese to his daughter Judith. Steeped in Far Eastern culture, she delighted in presenting herself as the reincarnation of a Chinese princess. Tin-Tun-Ling then lived in a pavilion built in the Chinese style, set in the garden of the Pré aux Oiseaux –...

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.

With sections devoted in particular to Cesare Pavese and Alberto Moravia...

A rare and attractive copy of Dominique Fernandez’s first published work.