Oeuvres complètes

First collective edition under the title of Works as well as first illustrated edition (Clouzot), including several texts in first edition. The work was originally intended to contain only 17 volumes, but the publisher Houssiaux, following on from the previous editors, completed them with the last three volumes which here constitute volumes 18, 19 and 20.
Binding in half brown heartache, back with four nerves adorned with three golden florets, guards and counterplates of pebbled paper in the tank. The table is missing at the end of volume 11.
The series is illustrated with a set of 151 engravings by Daumier, Gavarni, Nanteuil, Monnier, Johannot etc. of the 152 listed by Clouzot. Our copy is complete with the 6 figures from Volume 13 which are almost always missing and the 5 figures from Volume 17 which are very often absent, having only been delivered later. In addition, Volume 17 is indeed dated 1848 and not 1849 an element which, like the Clouzot signal, is particularly remarkable for its rarity.
The whole is broken down as follows:
- Scenes from private life (Tomes 1, 2, 3, 4), containing: La Maison du chat-qui-pelote, Le Bal de Sceaux, La Bourse, La Vendetta, Madame Firmiani, A Double Family, The Peace of Household , The False Mistress (first edition), Etude de femme, Albert Savarus (first edition) (Tome 1) ; Memoirs of two newlyweds, A daughter of Eve, The Abandoned Woman, La Grenadière, Le Message, Gobseck, Other study of a woman (first edition) (Tome 2) ; The Woman of Thirty Years, The Marriage Contract, Béatrix (first part) (Tome 3) ; Béatrix (second and last part), La Grande Bretèche (end of another Woman's study), Modeste Mignon, Honorine, A Beginning in Life (Tome 4) .
- Scenes from provincial life (Tomes 5, 6, 7 and 8), containing: Ursule Mirouet, Eugénie Grandet, Les Célibataire: (first story) Pierrette (Tome 5) ; The Singles: (second story) The Curé of Tours, The Singles: (third story) A Boy's Marriage, The Parisians in the Province: (first story) L'Illustre Gaudissart, The Parisians in the Province: (second story) La Muse du department (Volume 6) ; Les Rivalités (first story): La Vieille Fille - (Second story: Cabinet des Antiques, Le Lys dans la Vallée (Tome 7) ; Lost Illusions (first edition of the last part) (Tome 8) .
- Scenes from Parisian life (Tomes 9, 10, 11 and 12), containing: Histoire des Treize , composed of Ferragus, La Duchesse de Langeais and The Girl with the Golden Eyes then Le Père Goriot (Tome 9) ; Colonnel Chabert, Facino Cane, La Messe de l'Athée, Saracen, L'Interdiction, History of the greatness and the decadence of César Birotteau (Tome 10) ; La Maison Nucingen, Pierre Grassou, The Secrets of the Princess of Cadignan, Les Employés, Splendeurs et Misères des courtesisanes (first and second parts) (Tome 11) ; Splendours and Miseries of the courtesans (third part), A Prince of Bohemia, Sketch of a businessman from nature (first edition) , Gaudissart II (first edition) , The Comedians without knowing it (first edition) [followed de] Scenes from political life , containing: An Episode under the Terror, A Dark Affair, Z. Marcas , The Underside of Contemporary History (first episode) (first edition).
- Scenes from military life (Volume 13), containing: The Chouans and A Passion in the Desert
- Scenes from country life (Volume 13), containing: The Country Doctor and The Village Priest
- Philosophical Studies (Volumes 14, 15 and 16), containing: The Skin of shagreen, Jesus Christ in Flanders, Reconciled Melmoth, The Unknown Masterpiece, The Search for the Absolute (Vol. 14) ; Massimilla Doni, Gambara, The Cursed Child, The Marana, Farewell, The Requisitionaire, El Verdugo, A Drama by the Sea, The Red Inn, The Elixir of Long Life, Master Cornelius, About Catherine de Medici: Introduction and Part One - Le Martyr calviniste (Tome 15) ; Catherine de Médicis (second part), Les Proscrits, Louis Lambert, Séraphita [followed by] Analytical studies , containing: Physiologie du Mariage (Tome 16) .
- Scenes from Parisian life, continuation (Volumes 17 and 18), containing: La cousine Bette, Le cousin Pons (Tome 17); Splendours and Miseries of the courtesans (part four) [followed by] Scenes from political life , containing: The reverse side of contemporary history (second episode) [followed by] Scenes from country life , containing: The Peasants [Followed de] Analytical studies , containing: Small miseries of the Conjugal life (Tome 18).
- Theater (Tome 19), containing: Vautrin, Les Ressources de Quinola, Paméla Giraud, La Maratre .
- Contes drolatiques (Tome 20): First ten, Second ten, Third ten .

Very beautiful set of complete works, in the famous first edition Furne which has the great interest of publishing in first edition several texts by Balzac.